Increasing Learner Opportunities with Recent Technologies Presented at Stellenbosch University By Alice Bedard-Voorhees, PhD September 2009
Oct 19, 2014
Increasing Learner Opportunities with Recent
TechnologiesPresented at Stellenbosch University
By Alice Bedard-Voorhees, PhDSeptember 2009
Presentation Categories
Web 2.0 : Web-based applications that allow learners to create and submit content and interact with others (Slides 5 – 17)
Mobile Devices: Cell phones (Slides 18 – 31)
Virtual Worlds and Simulations: 3-D Immersive Learning with Second Life (Slides 32 – 56)
Motivations for Adapting Instructional Models
Constructivist, Cognitive Theory
Technological LiteracyMore Ways to Deliver Learning(and Professional Development)
Increase LearningEngagement
InstitutionalOpportunity
21st CenturyParticipation
Institutional Considerations: Khan’s E-Learning Model
(Khan, 2008. Used with permission)
Web 2.0 is characterized by the shift in the role of the web user to take an active role in creating and sharing web-content.
The original presentation was based on a forthcoming chapter, “Creating Online Assessments and Preparing Learners for Authentic Displays of Learning” by Alice Bedard-Voorhees, LisaMarie Johnson, and Phyllis Dobson in 2007. It has become an ongoing project as new tools have developed.
A earlier slideshow version of this presentation can be viewed at http://www.slideshare.net/lisamariejohnson/letting-them-show-what-they-
know-tech-tools-for-assessment
Web 2.0: Letting Them Show What They Know
Sample Web2.0 Accounts
Examples of Web2.0 Applications: Audacity, Flickr, Slideshare, YouTube, Voicethread, e-portfolio, blog, wiki, Twitter, Delicious…
Trial accounts have been set up for your use. Links to the tools and user and password information for trial accounts is provided at this link:
http://delicious.com/coloradomtn/showknow
Student Questions That Matter What applications are you using?
Would X help you with learning in this course?
If so, how?
Audio Content: Audacity
Audacity if free, but requires both that you download the application and, for exporting to MP3 format, a plug-in.
Audacity files are created on the desktop and uploaded into a course shell directly or through another service like a paid account in gabcast.
Tip: Consider file size… try to limit to 1MB or less. Do brief segments rather than longer recordings (break it up! Spice it up!)
Download page for Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Download page for MP3 encoder plugin: http://spaghetticode.org/lame/
Help using Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/tutorials
or http://audacityteam.org/wiki/
Image Service: Flickr.com
Images can be uploaded from multiple sources (e.g., phone, camera)
Annotation Link or embedded viewer could be
placed in class
Visual Images
Example: Learners take pictures of public art that illustrates certain artistic principles. Can send from camera phone to Flickr account created for the class. Link or RSS feed could be placed in class. Students can also use Flickr tools to annotate images.
To set up an account for the class. Go to http://www.flickr.com/
User Name will be the name you enter in the name field
Image found at Flickr.com: Thomas Sly’s Leopard
This Creative Commons License Requires Attribution to
Author: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Using Flickr Collections on the Web
Blogs
Blog.com http://blog.com/
Blogger https://www.blogger.com/
Bloglineshttp://www.bloglines.com/
Blue Kaffeehttp://www.bluekaffee.com/
EduBlogshttp://learnerblogs.org/ LiveJournalhttp://www.livejournal.com/ Vox http://www.vox.com/
Wordpress.comhttp://wordpress.com/
Many options
Multiple forms of media can be
integrated with a Blog (video, audio,
images, etc.)
Tip! Student privacy is an issue when using technologies external to your institution’s servers. Know your institution’s policies.
Twitter: Microblogging (140 Char.)
Replacing Favorites with Social Bookmarking: Delicious
Wikis
Allow for quick content creation and editing
Contributory or collaborative Vary in complexity
(e.g., PBWiki, MediaWiki) Wiki comparison
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_wiki_software
For Course or Capstone: ePortfolio
ePortfolio = electronic portfolio, aka: webfolio, digital portfolio
ePortfolio is a digital representation of understanding
and performance artifacts that can lead to personal
reflection and promote exchange of ideas and
encourage feedback (Lorenzo and Ittelson, 2005).
ePortfolios tend to share the common characteristics of being purposeful,
progressive, and reflective endeavors (Gilman, Andrew, and Rafferty, 1995).
Mobile Devices: Cell Phones
Phone Uses
As Receptors for Content Delivery/Retrieval
As Devices for the Creation of Content
As Transmitters, Interactive Devices for Class Activity
Content Delivery/Retrieval: Louisiana Community College and Technical
System
Cell Phones IN the Classroom
A Beta StoryAlice Bedard-Voorhees, PhD, Colorado Mountain College
Rebecca Woulfe, Acadium, Inc.
Photo Used with Permission
Beta: An SMS Classroom Response System
Students used cell phones to respond to multiple choice or short answer questions
Teacher incorporated questions into PowerPoint or web interface
Beta Test - Technology
Data - Demographics
Gender Female 46% Male 54%
Previous use of clickers Yes 92 % No 8 %
Age 18-21 7% 22-25 31% 26-30 15% 31-35 31% 35+ 15%
Beta Test - Results
Ease of use Frustrating 46% Some difficulty
23% Okay 31%
Use by choice Yes 15% No 62% Unsure 23%
Impression* Better able to pay
attention 15% More likely to come to
class 7% Distracting 62% Frustrating 62%
*Note: Percentage does not equal 100% as students could select more than one item
Data – Student Comments
Only practical for people with unlimited text messaging.
– 31-35 male
Seems like a lot of steps.– 35+ male
Need free text plans provided by school.
– 22-25 female
I think it will work to obtain the attention of the younger students.
– 26-30 female
Data – Instructor Comments
Two steps with phone rather than one for submitting response was frustrating.
Potential exists when unlimited texting is widespread.
Educator – Lessons Learned
Why Beta is different from Pilot
That student expectations about paying for text varied (Kolb, 2007)
Students wanted it to work quickly like their Clicker exercises (Prensky, 2007).
That survey embedded in case studies engaged students (Oblinger, 2005).
Developer – Lessons Learned Set “beta” expectations
Important to match “texting” demographic
Early adopter approach
Issue with “join” – teacher experimented in class more than anticipated
Questions for Further Study
Does learner prior experience with Clickers
create a different set of expectations? Does learner experience with paying for technology in
courses impact satisfaction? What part do demographics play? What part do economics play in expectations about the
use of technology? What considerations need to be made by the institution
about mobile devices? How would this technology serve distance interactions?
Relevant Bookmarks
Sources and notations for the clicker (Mclk presentation can be viewed at this link:
http://delicious.com/constantlearningorg/COLTT
Virtual World Learning Experiences
What is a Virtual World?
Virtual Worlds: three-dimensional simulation environments
Elements: computer-generated artificial environments, role and/or game participation, human participation through characters called avatars
“Immersive Digital Environment”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Immersive_digital_environment
Computer-generated environment Can be reality-based or fanciful Allows participants to enter into that
experience
Virtual Worlds: 3-D Immersive Environments
Individual software that is installed on individual machines or servers
Simulations that are connected to the internet.
There are simpler versions of virtual worlds and there are also Serious Games. Second Life is being used by hundreds of higher education institutions.
Why SL?
Immersive Environment provides experience, allows application and creation (create 3D objects and events, interact with others through voice and text, interact with objects).
Student participation through avatars (representative characters) allows students to participate in ways they might not in classroom due to shyness or self-consciousness.
Extends the traditional classroom: Allows field trips and guest visits that might not otherwise be possible.
Virtual Worlds Examples
HipihiSecond LifeMetaplace (Beta)World of WarCraftSims OnlineVirtual UniversitySerious Games (Food Force, Beer Game,Sushi Roll)
Learner: Dr. Alice Bedard-Learner: Dr. Alice Bedard-Voorhees Voorhees Avatar: MustangQuimby Avatar: MustangQuimby MessmerMessmer
Evaluating A Second Life Course Experience: A Learner Evaluates and the Faculty Responds
Presented at AECT, November 2008
http://www.aect.org/secondlife/08-archives.asp
Graduate Course from Boise State University
EDU 597 Teaching and Learning in Second Life
Faculty: Dr. Lisa Faculty: Dr. Lisa Dawley Dawley Avatar: Mali YoungAvatar: Mali Young
Khan’s E-Learning Model
(Khan, 2008. Used with permission)
Implementation Realizations Users must be have technological capacities to
actually download and run Second Life. (Dial-up won’t work.)
New users will have a learning curve.
Instructors will want to consider how best to use the virtual world for course experiences.
Campus needs to make rental or ownership, and policy decisions.
Needed Materials and Services in Addition to Instruction
technical support
advising
library
object repositories
tutorials
(Source: Khan 2005a; Khan 2005b)
Technological Checklist: ED597
Blackboard needs provided by Boise State (Boise, 2004) SL Technological and pre-requisite skills appear in the syllabus; Linden Labs provides tech support.
System: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php http://blog.secondlife.com Prerequisite skills: Use of camera controls Ability to fly, walk, and teleport Knowledge of communication tools (IM and chat) Basic building skills (create prims, add textures and content) Basic inventory management (can find items, wear clothing, make a note card) It is recommended that participants have at least 10-20 hours of prior participation in Second Life before the course begins (Dawley, Syllabus, 2007b. Used with permission).
What Simulations Offer
Source for Learning Opportunities Provided in EDU597
While we can read, view, and listen to learning resources, virtual worlds offer a level of experiential learning:
Simulations: (Example: creating and running a business)
Role Play: Taking on an identity as part of the learning process
Building: Creation, Design, Exhibit
Participating in Social Events (Example: guest visits, conferences, job fairs, socials, campus fairs)
Source: Robbins & Bell, 2008, pp. 284 – 285.
Design Challenges and Development
It is challenging to offer an entire course experience in SL.
While chat can serve a hearing-impaired guest, screen readers don’t work in chat.
R and D groups are working on access for visually and kinesthetically restricted users. (Sierra, 2007; Foster, 2007)
Like Other Apps: Plan B thinking is needed when the SL grid has problems
Guest Presenter
Project Based-Learning Assessment Products:
Slideshow Project + Additional Project Container to Share with Class
Conclusions
Faculty member in this course had done an excellent job organizing considering institutional and learning support, modeled learning experiences, and communicated extensively.
Second Life can provide an interesting and lively space for social learning and exploration; Second Life is best used for more than text discussions only.
Data-driven research is developing to measure the learning effectiveness of Second-Life learning experiences (Example: http://www.aect.org/secondlife/archives/24-hornik/really-engaging-accounting.ppt#256,1,Really Engaging Accounting: Second Life™ as a Learning Platform
Second Life Screen Shots
Second Life educators are providing a wide array of rich, educational activities.
Dubai Women’s College Open Area—Engaged in a Geography Game208, 42, 29
Immersed in Cellular Structure 148, 149, 34
Accounting: Interactive T-Account
Students become game pieces Enables students to practice their
understanding of the concept of normal account balances
Feedback is provided Correct responses Incorrect responses
Wrong side Correct type Wrong type, Correct side Wrong side, Wrong type
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/shornik/second-life-a-learning-platformSource: http://www.slideshare.net/shornik/second-life-a-learning-platform//
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/shornik/second-life-a-learning-platformSource: http://www.slideshare.net/shornik/second-life-a-learning-platform 444, 176, 22
Sloodle: Course Management and SL Converge
240, 160, 33
Colorado EduIsland: A Collaboration Among Colorado Community Colleges