![]() |
|||||||||||||
|
Vol. 4, No. 2 (2008, Fall)
by
Gordon J. Murray An introduction to the special issue on multimedia, media convergence and digital storytelling.
by
Marc Franciszkowicz “Podcasting” and “Vodcasting” have received particular attention as way to send or push content to students. These techniques show promise, but arguably can create a more passive learning environment. Our program methodologies seek to utilize current technologies to facilitate the development of self-learners in an active learning environment. Using screen capture software, we created Video-based Additional Instruction (VAI) for a General Chemistry course to foster problem solving skills and conceptual understanding of course material. We linked VAI as a supplemental resource to an online syllabus that required students to seek or pull content as needed. We used surveys and website hit counter data to determine when and why students use the resource and surveys to determine its perceived benefit. Initial self-surveys show overwhelming use of the resource for both pre-class preparation and pre-test review with nearly 80% utilizing at least 50% of the videos available. Students agreed that it improved their conceptual understanding and their problem solving skills. The initial data suggests that videos in a pull content show great potential in supporting an active learning environment as well as providing additional on demand support outside of normal office hours.
by
Juan-Antonio Llorens-Molina Pre-laboratory activities (prelabs) are extensively used to introduce and contextualize laboratory work in learning chemistry. The application of interactive online platforms for educational purposes provides a good opportunity to improve the prelabs’ quality and efficiency. In this research study, an alternative prelab model, which consists of an audiovisual tutorial associated with an online test, is suggested as a component of the chemistry learning resources in the PoliformaT platform, at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain). To assess this prelab model, a case study was carried out in a first course of General and Organic Chemistry in Agricultural Engineering. Several information sources were used to compare it with the usual brief lecture at the beginning of each laboratory session: final examination marks, students’ opinions and, mainly, student-generated questions during laboratory sessions. A method based in the qualitative research software Atlas.ti was developed and applied to make sense of these questions. The results show that the proposed prelab model allows for considerable time saving and an improvement in prerequisite knowledge, and contributes to create an inquiry and contextualized learning environment.
by
Nikhil Sathe and Jörg Waltje As a model project for innovative and engaging language instruction, the Language Resource Center (LRC) at Ohio University acquired a set of iPods (24 for a full class) equipped with iTalk Recorder Plugins. We loaned these iPods out to language instructors and their students who then used them as completely mobile Mini-Labs for a variety of projects. The students were able to record themselves and other people (e.g. international students, native speakers), practice their speaking and listening skills, keep an oral diary, read into the iPod, or create podcasts while on study abroad – all this in their target language(s). Then, after syncing the iPod with one of the computers in the lab, students were supposed to post their recordings either to the LRC server, to their Blackboard class sites, or to email them directly to their instructor for evaluation or for the whole class to share. With the iPods our students gained additional opportunities to become more actively engaged and independent in their language learning process. This article will report in detail on our project, its transferability to other learning environments, and the feedback we have received from surveying more than 120 students and their instructors about their language-learning habits.
by
Fred Endres This study examines student identification with, and commitment to, a new, collaborative Web site and converged college newsroom at a Midwestern university. It uses a longitudinal approach to see if students increased identity with or commitment to the new outlet. Student responses suggest that, over time, student identification with, and commitment to, the site did not increase. Potential problems in the course structure and in the newsroom are discussed.
by
Leslie Jarmon and Joe Sanchez The use of 3-D virtual world communities as collaboration platforms warrants further research. This paper examines collaboration among educators and the research design experience in Second Life (SL) based on one model case, the Educators Coop Residential Community, whose goal is to provide educators and researchers from multiple academic disciplines with a unique virtual residential environment from which to begin exploring, collaborating, teaching, and conducting research more productively. Early results suggest that the residents have begun to collaborate effectively and rapidly. The model being tested here and the lessons learned from the Educators Coop could be relevant for other new and existing organizations as they enter and try to cultivate learning communities in 3-D virtual worlds. As virtual worlds become more mainstream and as the underlying technology becomes more transparent, the allure of connecting geospatially-distant learners and teachers will attract organizations across sectors including educational, corporate, public, and nonprofit institutions. In-depth long-term research is needed to understand how educators and institutions navigate the transition into virtual worlds and how individuals and groups come together to form virtual learning communities.
by
Megan R. Bell and Larissa Biggers Schraff Simply put, multimedia is software (Strauss, 1997). However, unlike traditional software, multimedia is expected to engage the senses. It combines hardware, software, and graphic technologies to produce a multisensory information environment. Unlike more straightforward, more traditional software projects (e.g. the development of a database application) multimedia projects blend creativity and technology (McDaniel, 1996). To that end, a specialized team of media technology and instructional professionals at UNC-Chapel Hill (1) developed and deployed a successful media production process for instructional, online products (2) adapted the initial production model for other instructional multimedia projects, (3) gathered student data on the effectiveness of the online learning experience, and (4) incorporated quality assurance (QA) activities to routinely optimize the production process. This paper is intended to provide a blueprint for the creation of a creative production team based in a higher education setting.
by
Anne-Marie Armstrong, Darryl Shreve, and Joshua Neds-Fox Wayne State University’s Office for Teaching and Learning (OTL) co-hosted an all-day symposium called Virtual Citizenship. This symposium was part of an ongoing, multi-faceted study of the intersection between information technologies and the practice of citizenship. The OTL, with the help of the New Media Consortium, was able to provide the resources and technical knowledge needed to produce this forum while showcasing new technologies. Prominent speakers presented their views and research live in the university’s auditorium and simultaneously via video streams into Second Life and the university’s web site. This article describes the procedures leading up to the broadcast and includes technical requirements, recommendations, and lessons learned. It has the instructions and checklists for similar projects in the future. Screen shots, videos of the Second Life Symposium and links to the podcasts of the presentations are also part of the article.
by
Gail Ring, Barbara Weaver, and James H. (Jim) Jones, Jr. This paper briefly summarizes the implementation of a university-wide electronic portfolio requirement. We begin with a systemic view of the ePortfolio Program and narrow our focus to a view of ePortfolio integration into two different classes. The rationale behind the Clemson University ePortfolio Program is to build a mechanism through which core competencies are demonstrated and evaluated. The target classes are a general education English class focusing on 20th and 21st century literature and a professional development seminar in computer science. Both classes allow students to select their topics and present their work to the class using a variety of media types, and both include a form of peer evaluation. These classes confirm that when students’ choice is built into the assignments we are pleasantly surprised by the outcomes. In addition, an extensive variety of artifacts are generated from each course that can be used to demonstrate the general education competencies, provide authentic evidence of learning, and generate a career portfolio. In our examples, we will describe the planning, implementation, and dissemination processes necessary to integrate the ePortfolio Program into university courses.
by
Candace Perkins Bowen and Audrey Wagstaff Censorship and prior review of scholastic publications have been subjects of controversy since the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) Supreme Court decision. In what principals sometimes believe is an effort to protect the student body and the school’s reputation in the community, they often pre-read a student publication and may prohibit distribution of anything they deem to be controversial material. What these administrators fail to protect is their students’ right to free speech in the school, as dictated by the Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) Supreme Court decision. To demonstrate the occurrence of both censorship and prior review nationwide, we have developed a Web site using Google Maps to visually track and summarize these instances. We have also created a map for publications that have, by policy or practice, established themselves as forums for student expression, the most important way, based on current court decisions, to ensure their First Amendment rights. The maps may be viewed by visiting https://jmc.kent.edu/csj and clicking on “Censor map” in the left-hand menu. The ultimate goal of the maps is to show students, their media advisers, and administrators how widespread prior review and censorship are. Student journalists and advisers viewing the maps are often surprised by the frequency of these actions. They then report their own struggles or reach out to nearby schools when they realize they are battling the same problems. The map is also useful for viewing trends that show the erosion of students’ First Amendment right of free press. Finally, the forum map links to information about schools that do have free expression, publications and broadcast outlets where students make content decisions and learn about media from first-hand experience. As this article shows, the maps are meeting our goals of distributing and archiving information about this topic vital to the future of democracy and of providing substantive materials that can help other student journalists protect their rights.
by
Amy Csizmar Dalal Computer science departments continually look for ways to make computer science more relevant to a wider population of students, to attract more students to the major and combat declining enrollments. This article describes the initial offering of a digital storytelling course within a computer science department at a small liberal arts college. The course was offered as a freshman seminar during the fall of 2006 to a group of thirteen students of widely varying technical backgrounds. Students explored elements of effective storytelling within the context of several genres: text, images, video, and computer programming. We discuss how the course utilized elements of storytelling to introduce key computer science concepts and to foster critical thinking. We dissect what activities worked especially well and how the instructor plans on evolving the course in the future, as well as the benefits and limitations to offering such a course within the context of a freshman seminar. |
||||||||||||
Copyright 2003-2008. https://www.rcet.org |