Case Scenario for Using Technology in the Classroom

Given Case Scenario: High School Teacher in the west coast who wants to expose students to exhibitions of New York City museums.

Description

Distance is becoming a very relative term. With the increasing exposure and use of technology in our schools we can continue to diminish that distance in order to provide greater variety of learning experiences. This project is intended describe the process and information provided as an instructional designer.

The case in question is of a high school teacher who wants to provide exposure to his or her students of New York City museums. The answers given will help students to explore art pieces from the museums, interact with personnel and critique art through the usage of technology to be able to give access to information found at a distance.

Analysis

The problem presented is that of needing practical and realistic access to New York City museums to a high school class of 11^th graders from the west coast of the United States.  The teacher is eager to find out ways in which to give his students access to art pieces from New York City museums using technology and hence moving beyond the textbook pictures or posters he might have used in previous classes.

Learners Analysis 

The learners are 11^th graders taking a required art class in high school. Their location is the west coast and hence technology is the way to have greater access to New York City museums. The learner’s characteristics are as follows:

1.      General Characteristics

a.       Males and Females

b.      Ages 16-17

c.       11^th graders

d.      Ethnicity – Poly-ethnic

2.      Specific Characteristics

a.       All learners and teacher are comfortable using the Internet

b.      Learners have access to at least one computer per every five students

c.       Learners have knowledge of Wiki  as a system of collaboration

Unit Goals
 

Goals were determined by the teacher who in search for the best practices of distance learning searched for information about learning technologies he could use to implement the following:

Topic 1. New York City Museums

a.       Tour two New York City Museums and see art work on display

b.      Interact with museum curators

Topic 2. Art Critique

a.       Critique of two art pieces in groups

Design

The design of this instructional unit is done in collaboration with the teacher who will be using it. In doing so, the first issue to determine is the sequence of the instruction (Morrison, Ross & Kemp, 2011).  In knowing which topic will be covered first we can determine what technology is going to be used first and hence include it in the design of the instructional unit. A learner-centered instructional unit will guide students through ways to find information, foster curiosity and expand research in a structured way which can be useful in their construction of meaning (Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009).

Multimedia Design

Using technology to obtain the information necessary and present options to students, the teacher would be advised to have either one of the following course management systems:

#1 www.Edu2.0.org:

This course management system will provide the teacher with the platform to add all information regarding the New York museums which he would like the students to explore. Using this platform will allow for embedding  the WebPages of the online interactive museums available, videos regarding the museums’ exhibitions or history or slideshow presentation of art pieces. 

In addition, a general class discussion about the chosen museums can take place in a discussion area for the whole class. As Anderson (2008) shares (Cited by Minocha, S., 2009), the use of forums, wikis, or blogs, facilitate the construction of knowledge “individually but mediated socially”.

After setting up class material in edu2.0, the layout of this one would look like this:

And one lesson would look like this with a video embedded in the layout:

#2  www.wikispaces.com

Within, edu2.0 the teacher can use the wikis will allow for him to set up wikis for each of the groups of students so that they can use one private place to have discussions specific to the pieces they choose to critique. In each wiki group, the teacher is able to be a visitor and read all opinions and keep track of who is participating in the discussions.  This is a very good venue for students to collaborate online on the given subject in one place (Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S., 2009). Wikis can be used independently of a course management system.

In the case of the wiki within the course management system, the tabs and layout cannot be varied as it can with the wiki spaces which stand on their own.

# 3 Multi-Point Videoconferencing - Skype

Multi-point videoconferencing will allow for students to interact live with museum curators. This activity requires a scheduled time and previous communication might have been established by having students write letters to the curator with specific questions to be addressed.

Skype (www.skype.com )is a good option for the high school class in question since it would only require webcam, broadband connection and the program downloaded into the computers. The curator would have to have the same requirements for the videoconference to take place.

Examples of schools where videoconferencing is being held abound. One of them is http://einstein.hempfieldsd.org/videoconferencing/ . Also, please take a look at this video where videoconferencing is taking place.  

Additional Resources

In addition to these technology resources, as an instructional designer, I would recommend sites to explore with his or her students through the internet. The following sites offer virtual tours on the topic of Art and are great resources for any learner interested in art to explore:

1. MOCA: Museum of Computer Art AutoGallery: http://moca.virtual.museum/autogallery2011/autogallery_avivi/index.asp?mode=view&Image=1&ReturnPage=1

2. Virtual Field Trips: http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/fieldtrips2.cgi?core_area_id=5

3. Virtual Museums: http://www.virtualfreesites.com/museums.museums.html

References

Minocha, S. (2009). New Review of Hypermedia & Multimedia;, Vol. 15 Issue 3, p245-265, 21p, 2 Charts

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). Designing effective instruction. (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

What is Distance Learning?

I had heard of virtual elementary schools, virtual conferences and virtual classes. I had also read about “at home” study programs but never joined any. Having a computer with internet access and joining my online classes at Walden University is the first time I engage in any kind of distance learning. But I never thought of defining what distance learning means.

Before my first online class I thought of distance learning simply as the action of learning information provided, where the instructor was at a location different than the learner. This is one of the components of distance education definition provided by Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). However, Simonson, M. et. al. (2009) shares three other components I had not considered to define distance learning: being institutionally based; there is interactive telecommunication, and sharing of data, voice, and video between learners and instructors alike.

It is clear to me that the concept of “distance” implies physical separation between the learner and the facilitator, but I have a problem with the institutionally based component of the author’s definition. Simonson, M. et. al. (2009) state “this is what differentiates distance education from self-study” (p. 32). If find this not so accurate in my experience when I think of all the learning which can and has taken place from people all over the world who do not belong to an educational institution and yet has learned information or has provided information which has been learned. Learning also takes place in these situations and as I found out during my first online class, 90% of all we learn occurs as informal learning, not through institutions (Jennings, C., 2010).

However I must point out that the definitions given in our textbook refer to distance “education” not distance “learning”. There has been an established difference between education and learning as being two different concepts. Education is seen as something acquired from another source, whereas learning is the never ending action which happens through experience(http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-education-and-learning).

The third component of interactive communication used by Simonson, M. et. al. (1009) in their definition certainly takes a major role in making distance learning possible. In my experience, the use of the Internet has been the principal venue. The use of videos, data sharing and voice recordings as the fourth component of Simonson, M. et. al. (1009) is also found within the Internet. I have used both components in my distance learning experience and this has happened not only by and from instructors but classmates as well.

After reading of the history of distance learning and the many definitions which have come up throughout, I have a more defined idea of what distance learning means to me. Distance learning may include the following characteristics which are part of the definitions provided by Simonson, M. et. al. (2009):

1. Learner is not in the same place as person providing new information.

2. There is use of interactive telecommunications, including the internet.

3. Learner and provider of information interact synchronously or asynchronously.

Of my own interpretation of what distance learning looks like to me I would add:

4. Provider of information is not necessarily a teacher or professor, but nevertheless a subject matter expert (SME)

5. Learner is a part of a community, not necessarily an educational institution (Wenger, E., 2010).

Distance learning is but one of the ways, though considering the use of technology and how this increments availability of information, I can certainly imagine the impact it will have in children’s education. The most vulnerable population being children, distance learning could reach remote areas with the use of technology, where they could gain access to information and have chances to learn more in their lives.

Indian education scientist Sugata Mitra is certainly using concepts of distance learning with children living in remote areas of India and though there is no direct instruction from a teacher, the computers he used have been set up to facilitate learning. Yet another way to consider education through learning experiences at a distance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk60sYrU2RU). We live in amazing times to consider learning experiences to be available to everyone in the planet.

Resources

Jennings, C (2010) 8 Reasons to Focus on Informal & Social Learning. Slide Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/charlesjennings/8-reasons-to-focus-on-informal-social-learning

Mitra, S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk60sYrU2RU

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Wenger, E. (2010) Digital Habitats and Community Practice Presentation. Retrieved from http://mediasite.ics.uwex.edu/mediasite5/Viewer/?peid=08fd5f11580c476ab1da01afe92a7aaa

Mind Map - Distance Learning

Once again I am faced with the challenge of making a mind map to represent a concept. In this case it is of my definition of distance learning. As I wrote about my definition on my previous post, I did so in relation to the resources from my distance learning class. However, while making this mind map, I did so only found on my experience. Hence I do not mention in my post about distance learning all of the sources from which I feel I learn at a distance. In this mind map I try to be a little more specific in terms of my sources.

Please click on the picture to be able to see a bigger version of the mind map.

Keep on Learning

Learning is everywhere and the more I explore about all the options we  have for learning, the more I want to keep on exploring. After my first online - distance learning - experience with learning theories, I learned of the process Instructional Designers use for developing instruction effectively under different circumstances.

It is all adding up for me like a puzzle. I am now embarking on learning about distance learning itself as I continue to be a distant learner at Walden University. This blog will continue to be used as a venue for me to share what I keep on learning.

Thanks for reading!
Magda