Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching First Edition
Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching
Jessica A. Rosales 0
Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching First Edition
Jessica A. Rosales Mariano Gรกlvez University
Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching
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PUBLISHEB BY ISSUU http://www.issuu.com/jesskr/ © JesskR Media The content of this book is copyright. First published 2011
Jessica A. Rosales Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching. – 1st ed. Guatemala
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Index Preface
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Introduction
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Chapter 1 – Technology and Multimedia
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What is multimedia?
6
Chapter 2 – Multimedia Projects
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The role of computers
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Media and projects
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Chapter 3 – Critics’ Circle Project
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How is it done?
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The audience
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Internal view
14
Goals
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Chapter 4 – Seven Principles of Good Practice in Technology
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Chapter 5 – Visual Cues
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Chapter 6 – Programs that Support Teaching with Multimedia
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Adobe Flash
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Prezi
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PowerPoint
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Chapter 7 – Simulations
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Conclusion
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References
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Preface
What is technology? What is multimedia? And what’s their role in teaching? These are some questions that professors ask themselves when they encounter technology and teaching in their work field. To answer these questions is not easy and sometimes more questions arise. Therefore, a wide knowledge must be provided so professors will understand the value and the role of technology in education. Other doubt is how to integrate technology, multimedia and teaching in the learning process? This is question that has many answers. Integrating all those elements is not an easy task and must be done carefully taking in consideration many factors. This book has important information on how to integrate technology and teaching by implementing multimedia elements. The book has a lot of information presented in an understandable format so the reader will understand all the elements presented about technology and multimedia
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Introduction
Technology for teaching is the selection of a variety of technology applications to construct knowledge in the means of theoretical, practical, and learning procedures inside the curriculum and instructional process. It is important to know all the technology application that surrounds the educational field. Internet offers a lot of them and they are accessible to teachers and students. It is important to remember that we live in a digital era and teachers must be updated of all the technology applications that are out there and can be apply in education. But what is technology? Well technology is everything that makes our life easier, from a simple marker to an iPad. Information and communication technology (ICTs) have made a great impact by offering new virtual learning environments, digital literacy, and teacher preparation.
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Chapter 1
Technology and Multimedia Technology is the tools, machines, techniques, and methods that make our life easier and solve problems. Mumford (1934) identified three periods. The first one is the eotechnic, people focused on surviving by using water and wind as their power supply. The second one is the paleotechnic; coal became the main power so this led to urbanization. And the final period is neotechnic, here electricity emerge as the new power, allowing science and engineer to take a dominant role. McLuhan (1964) expressed that impressions are shaped by the medium technology uses. There are different media that technology may use to produce or present information.
What is Multimedia? There are many definitions for multimedia. Professor Mayer of the University of California, Santa Barbara, defines it as presentation of information based on text and graphics. But this definition is limited. Multimedia are the tools used to store, create, and share information. It can be text, graphics, sound, animation, and video. It is important to know that multimedia doesn’t tell how to use and organize information, a multimedia program is a collection of information set in a different media formats.
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Some Examples of Multimedia The most obvious ones are websites with video and animation. Flash based websites are the most common (www.wix.com) since they contain animation, sound, and video. Multimedia can also be found in Power Point presentations, CDROM projects and web pages with QuickTime or Real Video movies embedded. Creating Multimedia In order to create multimedia project the software is needed. For instance, to build a Flash based movie the Adobe Flash Player is needed. Microsoft PowerPoint is the most common tool to create multimedia presentations. The reason is that is easy to use and to learn. Benefits of Multimedia in Learning 1. Alternative perspectives 2. Active participation 3. Accelerated learning 4. Knowledge retention and application 5. Problem-solving skills 6. High-order thinking skills 7. Improves learning 8. Opportunity to express 9. Engaging 10. Meaningful learning opportunities Practices Beneficial for Learning Match media with the type of information to be communicated. Videos are great to show how something works. Use multimedia to support information. Use multimedia that helps learners to integrate previous knowledge.
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Types of Media and their Purpose
Media Types
Purpose
Buttons Links Table of contents Search
Navigate
Explanation Document Narrate
Text
Show models Examples Representations
Photo Diagram Concept map Chart Graph
Demonstrate qualitative and quantitative relationships
Animation Video Simulation
Show changes over time Show hidden concepts Enable direct practice Table 1.1
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Chapter 2
Multimedia Projects Multimedia projects help to develop skills and express opinions by using media. The main goal of a multimedia project is to achieve academic goals. There are other goals: high-order thinking skills, enhancing interpersonal group skills, constructing and organizing knowledge, and how to use media and computes effectively. By creating your own multimedia projects, you will learn how to integrate multimedia into learning. If learners become involve in the process of selecting, representing, and organizing information, they learn more effectively than just interacting with it. Learners by creating their own multimedia project, makes learning more meaningful.
The Role of Computers What is the role of computers in creating multimedia projects? Well, a computer allows creating multimedia by using software, authoring system programs, and applications. Learners can create buttons, videos, images, and links. In the past many activities weren’t possible to do without the computer; nowadays computers allow creativity to make the impossible to possible.
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Media and Projects The five useful media are text, video, graphics, audio, and images. (Fig. 2.1) Each of them has a specific purpose within a multimedia project. Text is mostly used for expressing concrete facts. Graphics are useful to show relation, such as diagrams and timelines. To generate impact, images are mostly applied, since an image can be worth more than a thousand words. Learners enjoy listening to music so they will also enjoy hearing themselves in a project. Audio allows integrating sounds and voices making the project interactive. Videos are used to show events but they also have the power to persuade the audience. One medium can be used in a multimedia project but it is better to use two or more media. It is important to remember that the role of media in a project is to support learning not to embellish it. Media must be integrated effectively without affecting the academic goal of the project.
Process In order to create a multimedia project, a set of steps must be followed. Teacher prepares The teacher set the goals, the equipment, and the multimedia tools, content, how will be organized, determines the requirements and the characteristics. Teacher assigns project The teacher shares with the learners the goals and expectations, demonstrates an example, set the logistics, sources, responsibilities, and due date.
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Students create project Learners clarify doubts with the teacher, get together and plan the navigation format, decide which media to use, divide tasks, prepare final project, and demonstrate it while the teacher records feedback. Everyone reflects on project Learners self-evaluate their performance during the project construction, teacher gives his/her point of view, the audience gives some suggestions and then the whole class discusses the final outcome.
Goals The key of designing a multimedia project is knowing the goals. These can be divided into four categories: (Fig. 2.2) High-order thinking skills It refers to cognitive skills: applying, understanding, presenting, selecting, and using media and information. Group and interpersonal skills It refers to the ability to interact with others and oneself. Content or discipline It refers to learning information and understanding significant facts. Technical skills It refers to the use of media and technology tools.
Multimedia Project Types Six multimedia project types will be described. (Table 2.1)
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Examples illustrating retrieval, multimedia techniques, and databases
Decide on information and content structure.
Select tours or navigate freely
Examples of multimedia magazines
Decide on information and content, and consider file sizes.
Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching
Select tours or navigate freely
Advanced
Moderate
Follow a fixed tour
Moderate
Navigate, read summaries, and conclusion
Select and represent opinions, then summarize and conclude.
Organization
Opinions about a movie
Easy
Navigate
Summarize and create links
Organization
Related current news articles by links
Current Events
Learners role
Follow fixed tour of a quiz and use links.
Select movie clips and voice records, and organize it.
Organization
A movie trailer to persuade the audience
Critics’ Circle
Teacher supplies
Organize experimental results and science facts into a quiz.
Examples illustrating the required techniques
Learning by creating a science quiz.
Trailers
Description
Advanced
Obtain, organize, and conclude about adult’s memoirs or historical events.
Create a multimedia research magazine in cooperation with other creators.
Science Quiz
Project
Advanced
Memoirs
Research Magazine
Table 2.1
Users role
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Level
Chapter 3
Critics’ Circle Project Critics’ Circle is a multimedia project that features some media: digital audio, images, and symbolic icons. This kind of project helps learners to appreciate people different opinions about a topic. Writing and oral expression is a requirement in the process of creating a Critics’ Circle project. In Critics’ Circle, learners work as a team; some members play the role of critics and record their opinions about a movie, others provide pictures and design symbolic icons, and others elaborate a written summary. This project can be used as a culminating event or to start a unit.
How is it done? Teacher selects a movie. Teacher divides the class in groups. Each group discusses about the movie. Three critics are chosen Groups create their own project by modifying the given template The three critics record their opinion Groups create icons that represent the critic Groups enter a written summary
The Audience The audience is the teachers, school staff, parents, and other students. The audience role is to listen and analyze the critics and read the summary.
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Internal View Different media is used in a Critics’ Circle Project, voice and drawings to represent the critics’ emotion and mood; images to emphasize the critics’ opinion; and text to present the summary. Navigation Form Two navigation forms can be used; the learners choose the ones that adjust to the projects goal and the audience.
• The creator uses icon buttons that are links. The user can hear the opinions in any order, go back and then to another critic opinion. The user decides where to go.
• Links are in a fixed order with the objective to persuade the user. The user follows a path.
Goals Meeting the goals of Critics’ Circle is essential for cognitive and interpersonal experience. As described in chapter 2, there are four categories, each with its specific goals: High-order thinking skills
Formulating viewpoints Selecting viewpoints Composing a summary Role playing
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Group and interpersonal skills Respecting others opinions Working in groups Content Material Learning Expository writing Deeper understanding Production values Technical skills
Recording sound (voice) Linking information Creating graphic icons Modifying a template
Process As mentioned on chapter two, the process of a multimedia project consists of four steps: Step One – Teacher prepares The teacher selects the movie and the goals, then assign group, and set the requirements and characteristics of the project. Step Two – Teacher assigns project The teacher makes known the topic, goals, template, and sources of images. Step Three – Students create project Learners start by brainstorming ideas and opinions. Then the three critics are chosen who will start practicing their opinion. The three critics record their opinion while others design and integrate the icons and images. At the end, the summary is written. Step Four - Reflection Learners and teacher reflect on the process, comments are reviewed and a class evaluation is conducted.
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Chapter 4
7 Principles of Good Practice in Technology The “Seven Principles of Good Practice in Technology� were created in 1987, becoming the major sources for teaching and learning. These principles show how to use computers, multimedia, and telecommunication effectively in education.
Principle #1 Good practice encourages contacts between learners and faculty Communication between learners and teachers is important because it increases motivation and involvement. Technology allows this communication to exist even outside the classroom. Learners may ask a question or share information with the teacher by e-mail, a blog, or chat. Fig 4.1 shows how communication occurs nowadays.
Fig 4.1
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Principle #2 Good practice develops reciprocity and cooperation among students Technology communication makes cooperative learning possible. Each member has the mean to work as a group, assigning tasks, and sharing information without being on a same physical place.
Principle #3 Good practice techniques
uses
active
learning
Practice makes perfection. In order to develop technical skills activities that active knowledge are necessary. Learners learn better by doing it than just seeing or hearing.
Principle #4 Good practice gives prompt feedback Learners should have opportunities to perform and receive feedback, to reflect on what they have learned and need to learn. Feedback can be given through e-mail, simulations, videos, blog comments, and e-portfolios. By using technology feedback becomes meaningful.
Principle #5 Good practice emphasizes time on task Technology allows time to play an important role. The time used on a task determines how meaningful learning is and increases knowledge.
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Principle #6 Good practice communicates high expectations A great motivator is the desire to have more, the expectation of being the best. Technology communicates high expectations because it defines cognitive skills. Learners know that their work will be published on internet, so they do the best of themselves to obtain higher remarks.
Principle #7 Good practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning Learners love to show their talents. Each learner has a talent so a method and activities that meet that talent must be applied. Technology has different ways to enhance learners into knowledge respecting others talent.
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Chapter 5
Visual Cues Visual sign posts Effective communication can be hinder or aid by the arrangement of text and images. Visual cues (also called visual signposts) let the readers know where they are and where they are going. Signposting are text and images broken down into easy-to-read blocks or panels of information.
Artwork Readers are drawn to the visuals of a page. The images and their location provide information about the document. The image can be: photos or captions, clipart, charts, or graphs.
Titles Titles and headlines are bigger than the other text. They indicate the start or sub-section of a page or report of a book, magazine or newspaper.
Paragraph emphasis on organization Blocks of big text are difficult to read. To make it easier the text is broken down and visual aids are used to show where the paragraphs start and end.
Character emphasis To show information that is important or relevant bold and italic text is used. Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching
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Chapter 6
Programs that Support Teaching with Multimedia Adobe Flash It is a multimedia platform that gives the opportunity to add animation, video, and interactivity. It is mostly used for advertisements, games, and animations but it can also be used in education. Flash has three key elements that makes it attractive and unique (Fig. 6.1) Flash Applications
Fig. 6.1
At the beginning Flash was used just for cartoon and graphic but since its changes and evolution, it has more uses:
Games Movies Storytelling Inquiry based activities Tutorials Promotions
Components The main components of Flash are: Stage: It is the area where ones work. Fig. 6.2
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Timeline: It shows the layers of the project and the frames.
Fig. 6.3
Media objects: Graphics and audio imported to the library. It also shows the movie clips created by one.
Fig. 6.4
Action script code: It is where a scripted language is written to add interactions and controls. By using ActionScript Flash become more interactive. It is important to know the language but is also available in some tutorials or Web pages.
Fig. 6.5
Why to use Flash? Here some reasons on why to use Flash in projects: It differentiates from others by integrating multimedia elements making it more attractive. It engages learners, by applying multimedia elements learners feel motivated and therefore work better. It is a great tool Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching
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for teaching; a lot of instructional materials can be created and shared from it. It is versatile because it has the opportunity to build multiple applications.
Prezi Prezi is software that presents a new dimension of whiteboards and slides. It allows you to show ideas and images onto an open canvas, resize and moves those images, to group concepts together and zoom out to show the big picture. It has the advantage of presenting visual in an engaging way keeping the audience awake. Benefits
Fields
Interaction Creativity Attractiveness Motivating
Education Commerce Organization Table 6.1
Prezi in education Prezi in education can be used to make projects, to present or introduce content, evaluate knowledge, and to make presentations.
Fig. 6.6
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PowerPoint It is a presentation program developed by Microsoft. It consists of slides that may contain text, graphics, sound, movies, and other objects. The presentation can be printed or displayed on a computer. PowerPoint has three characteristics: 1. Entrance, exit, and emphasis of elements 2. Transitions 3. Custom animation Microsoft PowerPoint is the most common tool for creating multimedia presentations because it is simple tool to learn. Learners can choose the template; insert a graphic or an image with just one click on an icon, and can easily choose the presentation path.
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Chapter 7
Simulations What are simulations? There are a lot of definitions for computer simulations: They are the representations of events or phenomena. They are computerized models designed for educational purposes. They offer the opportunity to manipulate elements in order to change the final result. They are close to reality and outcomes depend on the user’s decisions. Good simulations are those that are engaging; attract students’ attention, and achievement of goals. Simulations make possible new and better ways of teaching.
Simulation categories There are two types of simulations: those that teach about something and those who teach how to do something: Physical simulations: Content can be manipulated. Process simulations: Processes can be observe and studied. Procedural simulations: Provide the steps to follow in different procedures. Situational simulations: Challenge students by providing solutions to various situations presented.
Simulation characteristics A vision of knowledge Learners by interacting with complex simulations understand the content better than just reading it.
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An authentic problem Simulations present problem of the real-life settings making learning more meaningful. A context or setting Learners should be able to understand the context of the simulation so they can manipulate it. Variables The elements that define the simulation are the variables which the learner can manipulate. Decisions must be made on them. Rules of interaction
Fig. 7.1
The rules governed the simulation. They must be discovered by the learners.
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Conclusion
Teaching with technology and implementing multimedia has become a great strategy because of its advantages and benefits. One of the greatest benefits and maybe the reason why technology is gaining power is because it engages learners. As seen in this book, there are a lot of applications that can be created with technology and integrating multimedia. Multimedia (text, graphics, videos, sound, and animation) is not only used for communication, it has a lot of uses and purposes. In teaching has a powerful role when is used by teacher and learners. Software like PowerPoint and Prezi are tools that allow learners and teachers to develop skills and construct knowledge on a more meaning way.
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References
(2011) Multimedia book used at class. AIM Your Projects with Flash. Johnson, Larry. Teasdale, Utah. 2011. http://eduscapes.com/flash/basics.htm Consulted on September 21st, 2011. Norton, Priscilla and Sprague, Debra. (2000)Technology for teaching. Boston. Allyn and Bacon. Prezi. Rosales, Jessica. How to use prezi in the teaching fields. Guatemala. 2011. http://prezi.com/5v4gk2g6qfau/prezi/ Consulted on October 1st, 2011. Prezi. Somlai-Fischer, Adam. What is Prezi? Budapest. 2001 Consulted on October 1st, 2011. Wikipedia. Microsoft PowerPoint. 2011. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PowerPointConsulted on October 2nd, 2011.
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Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching First Edition
Jessica A. Rosales Technology, Multimedia, and Teaching
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