Checking Things Off...

Here's a link to my portfolio. By the looks of the portfolio, we've had a productive class. As of right now (12:47AM/041708), I'm still not completely done with the web module ;-0

Open Source/Open Courseware Movement

Thinking ahead to your career, how do you anticipate being involved in the open source/open courseware movement?

My magic 8-ball does not always work reliably, but it does indicate that "it depends". I definitely support the open source movement and take advantage every day of the industrious, collaborative efforts developers have exerted to provide useful productivity tools. I am a certified Java programmer and try to think open source first. It isn't always practical, however, if you're an independent contractor. You have to measure the utility, maintenance and compatibility of a product and sometimes open source is not the answer.


As far as the educational arena is concerned, I am very interested in learning more about open source LMSs. I plan to learn more about Moodle and am interested in how it can be customized, optimized to create a more collaborative, interactive experience.

Regarding open courseware, I have not yet had the opportunity to teach professionally so I relate more to the student-side of this issue. I applaud the efforts of institutions like MIT that provide access to their instructional assets. I know it must be a bit of a pulling experience for some professors who work hard to create their content, but I know from my IT experience that it is so rewarding when you create something that is used and is useful. It's seems like that may make it easier then to make it available to a wider audience.

Project Management and the Web-Based Module

Ah, project management! Looking to the web-based module assignment, try to break down the various tasks and estimate time for completion. Also identify any resources you will need to generate or obtain.

**UPDATE**

Turns out the module took 43 hours. The time did not break out as the table displays and I ended up developing only 1 of 3 units I had envisioned. I spent roughly the amount noted in Design, but did not spend as much time in Production, especially on Interactions. Oh, how optimistic we can be.

Below is a table depicting my best effort at estimating my time for completing the web-based module. My estimates show a near even effort for production and design with both of them at 46% of the total hours. This is higher than Cates' ratio in our assigned reading on project management. A higher proportion for production, Cates' data showed roughly 30% (p.117), is likely due to my relative inexperience as an instructional designer. The near even proportions of design to production are also an indication of my current status as a "green", junior designer.

For my own edification, I am going to try and track my time to see how well my estimates match reality. So far I have spent approximately 1.5 hours in developing an idea; about 1 hour in content research and about 1.5 hours in graphics research. We'll see how optimistic/pessimistic my estimates really are.

The Incredible, Inclusive PowerPoint

Here's my first attempt at creating a learning module using PowerPoint. One major goal for this module was to create it as an example of an accessible presentation. To accomplish the assignment, I was not able to make it 100% accessible. Maybe after you view it, you can find out why. Careful, it's over 5MB ;-o

Thoughts on Scenario-based Design

As we get closer to doing the Web-based module using scenario-based design, what are your biggest concerns? What skills would you still like to learn during this class (other than Web design)? What cool things have you discovered that you would like to share with your classmates?

Concerns
Related to the web-based module we are to create, my biggest concern is finding an appropriate subject matter to use as content. This concern has essentially been with me the entire semester. In software engineering, your aim is to find the right tool for the job- not just use the one you know to solve every problem. So, what I have been trying to discern this semester, is which educational media work best with teaching particular content, given certain contexts and for specific learners, etc. Therefore, given that focus, I hope I will be able to come up with an interesting topic to teach and a rich scenario from which to develop the module.

Skills
The skills I still need to learn relate more to what I would call "best practices". As I mentioned above in the section on concerns, I want to continue to learn when a particular medium is a more appropriate choice than another for a particular topic, context or set of learners. Also, I need to continue to learn the benefits and disadvantages of the different educational media and how it relates to learning and the learner. Finally, I just need to get more experience so that I get better at the design and development of educational materials.

To Share
I have been receiving an email newsletter concerned with learning for years. Just this week I received another Learning TRENDS email and it contained a couple links I thought I should share.

The first one concerns a report just released by Cisco that pertains to multi-modal learning research. Much of the report contains information we have studied this semester and in past semesters, but it also links in new research. It also stresses a biological fact about us that we technophiles continually choose to ignore- our brains are not multi-threaded; we do not multi-task well. If you would like, here is the link to the report on Masie's site: http://www.masieweb.com/multimode

The second link is about a report on using podcasting for language learning. Eliot Masie the author of Learning TRENDS has been using podcasts to learn Chinese and he has often shared his experience with this type of learning media. I often wondered how podcasting could be effective with learning a new language since feedback with the instructor is so important for a language student- this report recognizes that feedback is important and offers podcasting as a means for students to prepare and study prior to instructor interaction. To read the full report, here is the link:
http://www.masieweb.com/languagepods

Enjoy!

Pest Detective - Story Based Learning for Kids

Review one of the web sites linked as examples of learning scenarios from the slides we used in class. Briefly critique the site. Are the elements of story all present? What are they? What might you change?

Pest Detective is a children's learning site created by the National Pest Management Association, Inc. It's a wonderfully graphic site that presents its material in a very simple, straightforward and fun manner that would be easily managed by kids in grades K-5.

Upon entering the site, you are presented immediately with the mission which involves taking on the cloak of a pest detective in determining how pests got involved in the situation and how the situation could be prevented from happening again. After the mission, you have a decision to make about which case to solve. I chose the "Case of the Gruesome Bite" which takes place in Seattle, Washington.

Taking the six elements of story into account, this site employs them all well, except for the element of emotion. Given that small omission, the site does a very good job of creating an interactive and engaging environment for children to learn more about pests. The elements as seen in this site are detailed below.

Setting
The setting is Jasmine Brown's basement in Seattle, Washington. The setting is depicted visually with graphics and with text that looks like notes taken in a detective's notebook.

Actors
Jasmine Brown, a child who lives in the house in Seattle, Washington. Three spiders, who are all suspects in the case. They are: Shy Girl, a brown recluse; Slash, a hobo house spider; and, Big-eyed Bob, a zebra jumping spider. All the actors speak to you, the learner and detective ;-). The audio is supplemented with text that displays in bold when it is being played, then grays after it completes. The audio is simple and can be replayed.

Mission
The mission is presented, as indicated earlier, at the very beginning of the story and is repeated with more specifics after one of the cases is selected by you, the learner. For example, when the particular case is chosen, the mission is displayed as an assignment and you are presented with clues and information; and an opportunity to listen to the victim and the suspects; then, you have to answer questions to determine which spider bit the victim.

Plot
The plot concerns Jasmine receiving some sort of bite down in the basement, but she doesn't remember receiving it because it didn't hurt. She also mentions that she didn't see any spiders and that her Mom had sprayed for bugs a couple of weeks prior. The plot is introduced as a short vignette that Jasmine's recounts. She explains her actions prior to being bit while you watch it play out and then, you get an opportunity to click on objects within the basement to gather clues.

Conflict/Resolution
The conflict/resolution involves the information you receive from the actors and your mission to solve the mystery of the bite. The first conflict involves the incongruity presented by Jasmine regarding her bite. She remembers something touching her hand, but it didn't hurt and she explains that she didn't see any spiders because her Mom had sprayed for bugs. There is also conflicting information given by the individual spiders, as you learn more about their habitats and their habits.

Emotion
As mentioned earlier, the only story element that is not fully realized in this great site is emotion. This particular element could be played up much more in the story. Jasmine is presented as a pretty tough kid who doesn't even seem upset or even really curious about the open wound that has developed on her finger. I found this a bit surprising. I think most kids would be pretty interested in what was going on with the wound and how it got there. This one point, however, is the only negative criticism I have for the otherwise entertaining site.

Zotero - Your Personal Research Assistant

Please note this file requires audio and is 3MB.