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| Teacher’s Notes |  |
About TLF learning objects
Access TLF learning objects
Technical specifications
About TLF Learning Objects
These learning objects (or 'games') have been provided by The Le@rning Federation (TLF) under licence.
TLF has adopted the ‘learning object’ model for its online interactive content. Learning objects are chunks of digital material - for example graphics, text, audio, animation, interactive tools - specifically designed to engage and motivate student learning. TLF learning objects are based on the most recent research into how children learn and how teachers can facilitate learning. They provide opportunities for multimodal learning not normally possible in the standard classroom because of complexity, safety, time or cost.
Learning objects:
- enable students, individually and collaboratively, to work with complex content and ideas in new and dynamic ways, for example, students can manipulate and experiment with variables, explore simulations, design and publish storyboards, prepare exhibitions with authentic artefacts, and explore new concepts in game formats
- challenge students to question, investigate, analyse, synthesise, solve problems, make decisions, and reflect on their learning
- contain scaffolded learning tasks and provide feedback to students on their learning in a variety of supportive and engaging ways
- are being used by teachers in a range of different ways to meet the needs of their curriculum and the differing learning needs of their students.
Access TLF Learning Objects
| | Spinners – predict & test
Start Level (Years P-1)
Sectors on the spinner represent two different cars that are racing along a track of 10 spaces, with each spin determining which car moves forward one space towards the finish line. The student assesses the likelihood of each car winning the race when using a spinner of equal or biased nature to determine which car moves further.
Mathematical focus is on awareness of equal and unequal likelihood and also on beginning to explore the relationship between sample space and likelihood of outcomes. Data emphasis is on result of each spin. |
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| | Spinners – basic builder
Start Level (Years 3-4)
The student uses the spinner-making tool to build their own spinners. They choose a colour for each part of the spinner, choose how many times to spin and then investigate what colour the pointer lands on each time. The student observes a graph being built and the numbers in the table changing each time the pointer stops on a colour. |
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| | Spinners – advanced builder
Intermediate Level (Years 3-6)
The student uses the spinner-making tool to build their own spinners. They choose a colour for each part of the spinner, choose how many times to spin and then investigate what colour the pointer lands on each time. The student observes a graph being built and the numbers in the table changing each time the pointer stops on a colour.
In this more complex version of ‘Spinners: basic builder’ there are more parts on the spinner and more colours allowed. |
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| | Spinners – match up
Intermediate Level (Years 4-5)
The student is presented with 4 spinners containing 2 or 3 different colours—some contiguous and others non-contiguous – and asked to predict which two they think would be likely to produce the similar results from a set of spins.
The student selects the number of spins to be conducted (10, 100, 10 000) and initiates the trials for both spinners. A set of simultaneous dynamic graphs build. The student has the option to increase number of trials.
The student indicates whether they think the data confirms or contradicts their prediction of ‘sameness’. Feedback will include animation showing the joining together of split sectors. The opportunity to choose and test other spinners will be given.
Mathematical focus is on the equivalence of sample spaces that are visually different (contiguous and non-contiguous, ie blocks of colour vs split sectors). Data emphasis is on the result of each spin. The notion of long run data being more informative about likelihood is incorporated. |
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| | Mystery Spinner - challenge
Intermediate Level (Years 5-6)
Students create a spinner with up to five equal-sized sectors and fill the sectors with up to five colours to match the frequency graph. |
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| | The Sludger – best guess
Start Level (Years 2-4)
‘Slushy sludger: best guess’ is designed to allow users to explore the idea of probability. The user is asked to ‘select the most common colour’ and then see what happens when the sludger serves a slushy. The idea is that the most common colour is also the most likely slushy to be served but the random nature of the machine may result in an unlikely event occurring. As this learning object is targeted at young children whose reading skills are unlikely to be highly developed, minimal textual feedback is provided. |
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| | The Vile Vendor – best guess
Intermediate Level (Years 4-6)
This learning object is designed to allow users to explore the idea of probability. The user is asked to select the most common drink and then see what happens when the vendor serves a drink. The idea is that the most common drink is also the most likely drink to be served but the random nature of the machine may result in an unlikely event occurring. Feedback supports the idea that understanding mathematical probability can enhance your chances of choosing correctly but that unlikely events can still occur. |
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| | Foul Food Maker
Intermediate Level (Years 5-7)
Students are first presented with the food maker and four different foods shown as possible outcomes. They select a word from a bank of five – impossible, unlikely, equal, likely and certain – to describe the chance of the food maker serving a particular food. Students select ‘make’ to see what is served. Selecting table/graph displays the theoretical probability in the form of a common fraction, a decimal fraction and a percentage. Students can choose to see what happens when 100 meals are served. This is displayed as a graph contrasting the theoretical result with the experimental result.
When students select table/graph, they are asked to enter numbers into blank spaces in the table. This demonstrates their understanding of equivalence between common fractions, decimal fractions and percentages. |
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| | Random or Not – numbers of jubes
Intermediate Level (Years 6-9)
At the Fantastic Fruit Jube factory, a machine packages jubes in random order into packets, each holding 12 jubes. The jubes are dispensed from a container holding different types of jubes.
Students make a packet of jubes for the comparison of results against five machine-made packets and explore the variation in jubes from packet to packet.
The learning object allows students to investigate the most commonly occurring type of jube (numbers of jubes).
The learning object automatically collates experimental results and displays them as frequency graphs. |
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| | Random or Not – runs of jubes
Advanced Level (Years 6-9)
At the Fantastic Fruit Jube factory, a machine packages jubes in random order into packets, each holding 12 jubes. The jubes are dispensed from a container holding different types of jubes.
Students make a packet of jubes for the comparison of results against five machine-made packets and explore the variation in jubes from packet to packet.
The learning object allows students to investigate the longest run or sequence of jube (runs of jubes).
The learning object automatically collates experimental results and displays them as frequency graphs. |
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| | Dice Duels – go-cart race
Advanced Level (Years 6-9)
Students select a go-kart and observe how it performs in a race where the go-kart's progress is determined by the roll of a dice. They look for any patterns in the results of 100 races, increase the distance of the races and then observe the distribution of winners. Students consider how many rolls of the dice are required to get a winner of an individual race. |
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| | Matchbox Machine
Advanced Level (Years 6-9)
Students are introduced to the quality assurance process through the example of sampling matchboxes. They learn to use boxplots to identify if the process is working correctly.
The data is displayed in a dynamic, sortable table. The students use the sorted table to work out the five point summary required for a boxplot: maximum, minimum, first and third quartiles and median. They also learn how to use these points to construct a boxplot. The student then interprets the boxplots according to tolerance levels in the quality control manual. |
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| | Media Report – junk food
Advanced Level (Years 6-9)
Students apply their knowledge about sound graphing practices involving statistical data using a range of relevant and authentic data sets. They are challenged to develop and apply critical statistical literacy skills.
In this learning object, students assist a magazine editor by analysing the conclusions presented in a magazine before the article is published. Students check that the graph to be included has the features that good graphs should have. They look for any problems that may affect the accuracy of conclusions drawn from the graph and adjust the graph if necessary. They then evaluate whether the claims and conclusions drawn from the graph by the reporter are consistent with the data.
In ‘Media report: junk food’, there are problems with the way that the data has been grouped on the graph in an article about junk food. |
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| | Home Internet Survey
Advanced Level (Years 6-9)
In the Home internet survey series of learning objects, the student selects a topic about Internet use to investigate and chooses questions that will elicit appropriate data. Responses for 500 interviews are then generated and displayed in a dynamic, sortable table. Students need to manipulate the table to determine the correct answers to some interpretive questions.
Students then select an appropriate display format to represent the data (histogram, bar chart or pie chart). The relevant graph is then drawn for the students and some interpretive questions based on the graph are asked. |
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| | Leisure Survey – popular sports
Advanced Level (Years 6-9)
In the leisure survey, the student selects a topic about kids’ leisure activities to investigate and chooses questions that will elicit appropriate data. Responses for 500 interviews are then generated and displayed in a dynamic, sortable table. Students need to manipulate the table to determine the correct answers to some interpretive questions.
Students then select an appropriate display format (histogram, bar chart or pie chart). The relevant graph is then drawn for the student and some interpretive questions based on the graph are asked.
In the final part of the learning object, students choose an appropriate headline for a newspaper article based on the survey results, determine evidence that can legitimately be included and then write the article in a worksheet that can be printed. |
Technical Specifications
The Le@rning Federation (TLF) learning objects have been designed for viewing within web browsers. TLF learning objects have been developed and tested according to the software requirements listed below.
To assist users, The Le@rning Federation has provided a tool to analyse your software and provide links to relevant software updates. This tool will open a new window and provide instructions on how to test your software and, if necessary, how to download software updates.
If you are having any problems, please refer to the TLF technical FAQs site.
Browser software and operating systems
TLF learning objects have been tested in the following operating systems and browsers. Users may experience issues when viewing the learning objects outside these software environments.
| Safari 1 | Internet Explorer 6 | Firefox 1.0 |
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| Windows 2000 and XP | n/a | tested | tested |
| Apple OS X | tested | n/a | n/a |
Browser plug-ins
The learning objects require the following browser plug-ins:
Hardware Requirements
Content must operate on systems configured according to the minimum hardware requirements as specified by the nominated browser and plug-in manufacturers:
Screen Resolution
TLF learning objects are optimised to display in a screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels and to allow for header and navigation areas are completely visible and operate correctly in an area of 760 x 570 pixels. |
This page last updated 1 April 2010 |
