What is a CLA?
It stands for compound learning activity, technically. But it is essentially where students will experience and learn new content and complete activities. A CLA is a page where we can have presentations of content and assessments, all laid out in flexible ways. Part of CLA is the term "compound" and that means that we can have numerous features on a single page, making navigation and access to content easier. This is different from our iLrn ebook where there was a page-to-page representation. The goal was to create a more visually appealing and effective experience for students. In order to achieve this we created CLA's that allow for use of background images, access to content on demand, assessments that flow from the content and are easily accessed from a single page, and flexibility with media use. Our research shows that instructors and students find this "magazine" style format appealing and effective.
Here are the characteristics of each LP step:
READY (usually a chapter opener or section opener)
- .
- Each CLA includes content from only one step on the learning path (Ready, Learn it, Practice it, Use it, Got it) .
- Each CLA has one activity number, even if it’s a multi-section CLA.
- As a rule, instructional/narrative content appears on the left side of the screen (=container 1) and activity/assessment content appears on the right side (=container 2).
- Container 1 can include text, video, photos, illustrations with embedded audio. These can be displayed in a single scrolling pane or as a “slideshow”.
- Container 2 can contain any available assessment type, and be displayed as a scrollable pane or one-at-a-time format.
- Multi-section CLAs will effectively be a grouping of pages — navigation will be via thumbnails at the bottom of the screen that can include images or text. Multi-section CLAs will always have a single activity number no matter how many thumbnails are included in the navigation.
Here are the characteristics of each LP step:
READY (usually a chapter opener or section opener)
- Can be single-page or multi-page CLA formats are appropriate depending on content.
- Has background image
- Container 1: Representational material (learning objectives, strategy, cultural competencies, etc.) open by default
- Container 2: Try it button, masked so that students must click on the "Try it!" button to begin the activity.
- LEARN IT (vocabulary presentations, grammar presentations, etc.)
- Can be single-page or multi-page CLAs, but all grammar and vocabulary content should be chunked into manageable pieces. 10-12 vocabulary terms or phrases for vocabulary. Grammar should be chunked by topic or subtopic.
- No background images allowed.
- Container 1: Presentational material open by default. Container 2 will include a Try it button that will open the activity when the student is ready to start the activity.
- Single-page CLAs only
- Will not have a background image.
- Container 1: closed by default — buttons are available where students can call up reference materials as needed (vocabulary, grammar presentations, tutorials, etc.) and navigation between the review materials will be via thumbnails in the container.
- Container 2: assessment, open by default.
- Single-page CLAs only
- Will not have a background image
- Container 1: closed by default — buttons are available where students can call up reference materials as needed (vocabulary, grammar presentations, tutorials, etc.) and navigation between the review materials will be via thumbnails in the container.
- Container 2: assessment, open by default.
- Multi-page CLAs most often utilized due to the nature of these sections.
- Can have background image.
- Container 1: instructional material open by default; additional reference buttons may be included.
- Container 2: assessment, open by default.
- Single or Multi-page CLAs possible. Can do statements, mini-quizzes, review activities (may have auto-graded and instructor graded activities as part of this depending on the program)
- No background image
- Container 1: Can do statements presented to the student with access to review materials.
- Container 2: assessments or micro-quiz
CLA Templates: We have created numerous CLA templates for different functions to make the process easier. These include:
- Chapter/Section opener: Usually includes a background image and can show chapter objectives and strategies with Try it! activities.
- Learn it! list view: Presents vocabulary in a list format.
- Learn it! Image view: Presents vocabulary in an image.
- Instructional Content Media: Used when a video or audio is needed with content presentations.
- Practice it!: Used for Practice it! activities and includes review content on demand.
- Use it! Used for Use it! activities and includes review content on demand.
- Skills development reading: Used when one or more readings need to be presented along with accompanying activities.
- Skills development writing: Used when a composition or writing activity is presented with content.
- Country profile: Can be used to profile a specific country or for general culture presentations/assessment.
- Review: Used for the Got it? Step
- Review vocabulary/grammar: Used when a condensed presentation of grammar or vocabulary is appropriate.
- Use it in-class: Used to show content in the text book and has a button that students can click to show that they completed it in class.