The basic foundations of the Jasper project were laid in 1989 when John Bransford and his colleagues at the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt University conducted experiments that dealt with the way in which students recalled information that they had read. To facilitate the experiment, students had been broken into two groups. One group was simply asked to remember what they had read, and the other to read the information in the context of planning a trip. The research team found that the second group, or "problem oriented" group as they were called remembered information more precisely and were able to apply that information.

Bransford and his team concluded that by anchoring problems in a "real world" context learning was more effective. He asserted that technology could be used in was that it hadn't been used in the past to accomplish this task and stated that it could help students to develop fluency in the recognition of, providing rich problem-solving contexts that invite thinking; and enable students to create products that catch the attention of their teachers and peers (Bransford, 1989). What emerged from this basic groundwork was the Jasper Project or The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury.

The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury consist of a set of educational materials aimed at elementary grades five and up and are specifically oriented towards the teaching of mathematics. The main component of the Jasper Project is a series of twelve video disks which are the primary material that is watched by the students. In addition to the video disks, there are printed materials for the teachers to augment the videos. Finally, because of the way in which the Jasper materials depart from the traditional way in which mathematics is taught, a staff development course is also available. The basic suite of materials which consist of the twelve units and the teachers materials are available for approximately $ 1800.00 with individual episodes available from the $245.00 to $ 350.00 range.

While not oriented specifically towards distance education, Jasper does present a compelling basis for the argument that in many cases, distance learning must shift from an independent learner orientation to a mode more focused on collaborative learning. Consider that computer mediated communications and conferencing systems, which are becoming more common in distance education, are providing the collaborative infrastructure necessary to move in this direction. The unique approach of the Jasper materials would fit well within this context of collaborative systems, and unlike a traditional classroom, these systems can enable asynchronous collaboration as well.

Jasper uses a unique approach in that it uses technology not as a knowledge repository in which information is static, but as a conduit which provides components of a puzzle. Unlike traditional classroom videos which are typically lectures on tape, the Jasper videos present engaging "mini-dramas" in which a compelling set of characters provide the components of a problem set rooted in constructivism.. Unlike other multi-media materials that provide a specific problem statement for students to solve, Jasper's problems are based in a "real world" application framework. In other words, the video adventures contextualize some type of mathematical problem in a context students may have already experienced or can conceive of experiencing.

For example, because of cartoons such as Captain Planet or even tasks such as recycling in the home, many students are already sensitive to environmental concerns. There is already within their lives a contextual basis for this environmental sensitivity because in one or more ways they are already "living" it. In the Jasper segment titled Rescue at Boone's Meadow, a wounded eagle is discovered and alternatives for getting to a veterinarian must be considered.

Within the narrative, the actors, situation and context present all the information necessary for students to determine a correct solution to the problem of getting the eagle to the veterinarian. Again however, the Jasper materials depart from the traditional because there is not a single correct answer to the problem but multiple outcomes. These types of problems help learners construct their own knowledge because they function at several different levels of cognitive functioning.

While those who dislike the constructivist paradigm might take issue with the following statement, there are no explicitly correct answers in life, but rather multiple outcomes. Jasper is able to boost the self-esteem of students by reducing the stigma often associated with the formulation of anything other than the "sanctioned" answer. Within each narrative, Jasper provides a set of variables to students who can make a variety of choices based on factors such as personal experience and collaborative consensus to generate multiple satisfactory outcomes.

In addition, other types of learning strategies such as discovery learning are taking place within the collaborative process. For example, one individual within the group may use WWW resources to determine the approximate weight of the wounded eagle to determine if walking or flying (to the veterinarian) is a better alternative. It teaches thinking not as a set and general skill, but as a critical skill in which a variety of options, situations and outcomes must be considered.

Finally, an additional facet that sets Jasper apart is the realization that knowledge or more precisely critical thinking, is a skill that can be taught. Jasper teaches critical think through "embedded teaching." This process is like a narrative within the narrative in which the characters demonstrate the skills necessary for the students to determine solutions. Often this takes place as characters work out problems analogous to the ones students will be required to solve in the course of, or rather as a part of the narrative.

Jasper has clear advantages over typical contexts in which mathematics are taught in the elementary school levels. It teaches real world skills and allows students to construct their own knowledge but perhaps more importantly asks them not to accept things at face value but to conduct critical inquiries. The is little reason to believe that the methods, concepts and procedures used in Jasper would not be suitable across the curriculum.

Bransford, J. D., & et al. Learning with Technology: Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives. Peabody Journal of Education, 64(1), 5-26.

John Bransford

The Jasper Series

Jasper in More Detail

Who is Jasper WoodBury?