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Elizabeth Washington
Elizabeth Washington
(Gainesville - United States)

Instructional Component Type (ICT)

Every resource available through Curriki includes an information setting called Instructional Component Type (ICT). This setting helps users identify the pedagogical purpose of the resource.

Please note: Setting an accurate ICT value is strongly encouraged; correct ICT values help other Curriki members find the types of resources they are seeking. Also, the "Technical Completeness" and "Pedagogy" ratings that are part of the Curriki Review System (CRS) depend partially on ICT values.

ICTs are split into the following five overall categories, each of which includes more detailed sub-types:
 

  • Activity
  • Book
  • Curriculum
  • Asset
  • Other
Below you will find definitions for each Instructional Component Type. This is a living document that we hope will expand over time, with members adding detail to definitions, linking to representative resources, and clarifying edge cases.

ICTIcon-Activity.gif  Activity

Assignment/Homework: An activity given to students to be worked on either in class or at home

Exercise: An activity to be completed by students that does not fit under another Instructional Component Type--an intentionally broad category that may include anything from a single problem to a multi-phase project

Experiment/Lab: An activity wherein students formulate and/or empirically test a hypothesis

(Note: A simulation of an experiment or lab which the student views without interaction would be considered a Resource "Animation/Simulation" under ICT.)

Game: An activity that uses entertainment or competition to learn concepts or practice skills.

Graphic Organizer/Worksheet: A visual representation of information such as a Venn Diagram that provides structure and aids comprehension, showing blank areas for students to complete; a printed assignment on which students write directly

(Note: A fully populated graphic organizer communicating a complete concept would be considered a Resource "Diagram/Illustration" or "Table/Graph/Chart" under ICT.)

Problem Set: A group of problems to be worked out and solved, likely as part of upper-grade math or science classes; usually a group of problems that require multiple steps and/or demand higher-order thinking, rather than simple calculation

Webquest: An activity wherein students use the Internet to look for information or complete a project. 


 

ICTIcon-Book.gif  Book

Fiction: Any complete work of fiction, including novels, dramas, short stories, children’s books, and fictional picture books

Nonfiction: Any complete work of nonfiction, in any subject

Readings/Excerpts: Sections of larger texts or complete texts that do not reach book length, such as a speech or paper

Textbook: A book written for instructional use covering a complete area of study


 

ICTIcon-Curriculum.gif  Curriculum

Assessment/Test: A task or series of tasks that measures student achievement of a set of objectives; may include diagnostic, formative, and summative tests or authentic assessments such as portfolios or projects

Full Course: A "full curriculum" offering a complete course of study and constructed from a range of resources that may include a syllabus, scope and sequence, units, lessons, assessments, and more

Lesson Plan: A written guide for teaching certain learning objectives over a specific period of time

Rubric: A tool for evaluating subjective assessments or assignments. Rubrics include criteria for scoring student work in a consistent and standardized way. Many rubrics are constructed as charts.

Scope and Sequence: An outline that defines and orders a course’s instructional objectives and delivery

Standards: Expectations of what a student should know and be able to do at the end of a course, usually set by a state administrative body or by an authoritative organization in some area of study

Study Guide/Notes: Study guides and notes are documents created by teachers for distribution to students. They may be constructed of questions for the students to fill in, or based on class or lecture notes. They're often intended to help students prepare for an assessment.

Syllabus: An overview of a course that includes most of the following: course title, introductory paragraph(s), grading policy, assignments, required materials, and calendar/outline

Tutorial: An instructional session using an interactive media type, audio or video, or print that offers an explanation of a topic

Unit: A grouping of lesson plans and materials covering a specific topic or topics, within a specific timeframe

Workbook: A set of student-facing exercises or activities often used for practice or homework 


 

ICTIcon-Resource.gif  Asset

Animation/Simulation: A visual demonstration of an educational concept that unfolds over time and that may or may not offer an interactive learning opportunity

Examples:

  • An animated map might use moving dots and arrows to show the migration of people over time.
Article/Essay: A text document that expresses information in an expository or interpretive manner 

Audio/Speech/Lecture: Content that was originally created to be delivered aloud in an audio format 

Diagram/Illustration: A static, nonphotographic image that illustrates a concept

Glossary/Vocabulary List: A list of words relating to a specific context; a glossary will contain definitions

Index/List: A list of educational resources

Examples:

  • Novels for Fifth Grade
  • Genre Studies
Photograph: An image captured by a camera

Reference: A grouping of resources that serves a reference purpose

Examples:

  • Open Source Poetry Catalog
  • 19th Century Maps
Script/Transcript: Content presented in a document format that is structured as a dialogue or conversation between two or more parties (i.e., not "script" in terms of a piece of computer language)

Study/Data/Research: Material related to quantitative or qualitative analysis of a topic or practice

Table/Graph/Chart: A static, non-photographic image in a traditional data display format using a table, a graph, or a chart

Template: A pre-set or pre-formatted document, file or pattern used to make additional versions without having to recreate the structure or format

Video/Presentation/Slides: A series of screens showing images and/or text to describe or demonstrate concepts 

Webcast/Podcast: A media file containing audio (and possibly video) content that can be downloaded to a user's computer and played on a media device