Social Development Theory (L. Vygotsky)

Initiated from: http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html

A summary of the main ideas, concepts, or principles of the theory.

The idea of researching, discussing and taking part of online social networking seems moot without first understanding the foundation of the social development theory by Vygotsky. The key point to social development theory is that social interaction is a primary role in the development of cognition. [http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html].

Part of the beauty of social networking itself is that it opens up relationships in ways that previously could only happen by way of socializing in a public setting, i.e., business parties, conferences, meetings, etc. Today, sites such as LinkedIn allow for this same type of business/social networking to happen without ever leaving your office or your living room couch.

Technology in itself has transformed how we think, how we react, how we produce, how we research, how we function on a daily basis, so it is not wonder that is also affecting how we interact. Students of today are ridiculously more in tune, and more involved than any other group of students who have gone through our educational systems. They are also more connected. Social networking has become second nature for students. In college, I personally had about 7 or 8 people who I would consider my real friends at that the time. These would have been the 7 or 8 who I spoke to almost daily and made plans with on weekends. My students each have well over 300 ‘friends’ on their Facebook or MySpace sites and they talk to many of them regularly and do make plans with them as well. I can’t even think of 300 people I know!

So, does Vygotsky’s theory of social development give us a better understanding as to why social networking has become so embraced and so popular? Absolutely. Vygotsky “believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning"”. [http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vygotsky.html] This statement also lends itself to understanding interpersonal communication issues that is so often discussed in academia. In an asynchronous (online) course, feelings of isolation and non-interaction, which so many identify while taking online courses, is perhaps the most difficult to overcome. Based on Vygotsky’s theory, social interaction is vital to cognitive development and therefore, “social learning tends to precede development”. [http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vygotsky.html].

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

How does Research Apply to Classroom Instruction?

Weeks 10-11

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: http://blogs.usask.ca/multimedia_learning_theory/

A summary of the main ideas, concepts, or principles of the theory.

For all intents and purposes, the first step in defining the cognitive theory of multimedia learning is to come to an understanding of what multimedia is and how it is used. One brief Internet search on the definition of multimedia will produce over 2.3 million hits. Therefore, narrowing the many definitions floating in research circles is near impossible. Simply, multimedia can be rationalized as any process involving more than one type of media; hence, multi – media. I speculate that with such a potentially broad definition, this is I found multimedia specifically defined for individual research.

One of many cases was how Mitchell (2003) defined multimedia for his student on student-generated multimedia on learning. He defined multimedia for the purpose of his study as “an educational presentation made using primarily audio and images. Unlike hypertext and web-based instruction, for example, the reliance on text is minimized (though not eliminated) in a multimedia product.” In my interactive media courses, I define multimedia as the use of multiple or mixed media in analogue systems, like slide shows or overhead projectors.

That said, why is the definition of multimedia so important in this learning? Without understanding what multimedia is, one cannot research its effectiveness in the learning process. In visual communications, we are taught that over 70% of all our sensory receptors are in the eye. Therefore, the idea of multimedia, in all its definitions, becomes apparent.
As an instructor of visual communications, defining and summarizing the cognitive theory of multimedia was almost a necessity. When reading through the documentation on this theory, I found myself referring back to my studies of the discipline. I was reminded of the teachings of Aldous Huxley when reading his theory of how sensing plus selecting plus perceiving equals seeing. The research of Richard Mayer, who I consider to be the first person to define the concepts of multimedia learning theory, also cites selecting as one of three primary cognitive processes that a person goes through when using multimedia for learning. “Selecting is applied to incoming verbal information to yield a text base and is applied to incoming visual information to yield an image base.” (Mayer & Moreno, 2000).

The foundation of the Mayer’s theory was based on Paivio’s dual-coding theory, where both verbal (audio) and visual codes, used for representing information, are used to organize information. In essence, these codes form this information into knowledge that can be utilized, filed away into memory and then retrieved at a later date.

Both visual and verbal codes for representing information are used to organize incoming information into knowledge that can be acted upon, stored, and retrieved for subsequent use. (http://coe.sdsu.edu/EDTEC640/Modules/module1/dualcoding.htm). However, both of these codes have their limitations and can get overloaded. Understanding this potential for ‘sensory overload’ is important for any multimedia designer to understand.

For example, if a Powerpoint presentation is being used for a lecture, automatically, there are some type of imagery, visual codes, and then there is text, which can be derived as verbal codes, as some people can translate that visual image into an internal audio signal. If then, audio effects are added to every slide or to each transition animation, the verbal code passage could get overloaded, which will ultimately defeat the learning process.

Image from: http://imej.wfu.edu/articles/2000/2/05/index.asp

A description of several specific ways that teachers could apply the theory to classroom instruction when they use the Internet or some Internet-based application.

Again, the implementation of this theory is greatly controlled by how multimedia is defined. By using my own definition of multimedia, as cited earlier, there are a number of ways this theory could be used in every day teaching methods, which utilize the Internet or Internet-based applications. “Digital representations enable creation of asynchronous instructional messages, which store information in a permanent form for anytime access.” (Snelson & Elison-Bowers, 2007)

Sciences
A study of meteorology utilizing the Internet for reinforced content and instruction. The use of Powerpoint to highlight text-based information could be supplemented by online maps in motion, informational graphics, and even movie clips of meteorologists. Information from the Internet could be referenced and reviewed at any time.

Technology
Obviously, technology would lend itself to be very adaptable to multimedia learning, as there are so many options in multimedia content development. Blackboard or WebCT could be used to add multimedia content to an online, asynchronous environment. Within a course management system (CMS), such as Blackboard or WebCT, text could be a primary option for delivering content. Information could be exchanged via use of a discussion board and visual presentations could be added to the CMS to assist in understanding the content.

English Literature
Multimedia could come in many forms in an English Literature course. For elementary or junior high teachers, after the text is read (one form of visual and audio codes), filmstrips and/or movies, which reference the novel at hand, could be viewed. In addition, just as with the other subjects listed above, Powerpoint and/or the use of a CSM would be very beneficial for displaying graphics and/or discussion.

Mathematics/Statistics
Aside from the obvious informational graphics, such as bar charts and line graphs, utilizing the Internet for the instruction of mathematics and/or statistics is actually quite useful. Here, a teacher could also use Internet-based applications, such as Flash, to create a lesson plan on the Internet.
http://www.danicamckellar.com/ ← A great resource for girls in junior high and high school.
http://www.primarygames.com/math.htm < style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Additional Resources

Mitchell, M. (2003). Constructing Multimedia: Benefits of Student-Generated Multimedia on Learning. Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of Computer-Enhanced Learning.

Mayer, R. and Moreno, R. (2000). A Learner-Centered Approach to Multimedia Explanations: Deriving Instructional Design Principles from Cognitive Theory. Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of Computer-Enhanced Learning.

http://tip.psychology.org/paivio.html

Snelson, C. & Elison-Bowers, P. (2007). Micro-Level Design for Multimedia-Enhanced Online Courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2007).

I'm Tapped In...are you?

This was my first experience discussing in an online professional forum and I was not entirely sure what to expect. I was not aware of the number of resources available on this site, which was new to me. Prior to this course, I had not even heard of this resource.

However, before I dove in to an actual forum discussion, I wanted to first find out more about what Tapped In really was about and why this particular site would be beneficial to me. Initially, I thought Tapped In was just another Facebook or Linked In-type social or professional networking site, but it is definitely more.

Tapped In enables providers to offer high-quality online professional development experiences and support to more teachers cost-effectively. Through Tapped In, educators can extend their professional growth beyond courses or workshops with the online tools, resources, colleagues, and support they need to implement effective, classroom-centered learning activities. (http://tappedin.org/tappedin/web/about.jsp).

Apparently, Tapped In belongs to a group of online resources referred to as a MOO (multi-user, object-oriented environment). “A MOO is a text-based environment where users can hold conferences and discussions, open an office, create objects to decorate the office, and even adopt an office pet. At an educational MOO, or 'eduMOO', teachers and students can collaborate on projects, attend sessions hosted by experts, and build virtual environments.” (http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech010.shtml).Tapped In offers online activities which all take place within virtual buildings. An organization can obtain their own building and each building can have three floors: 1) ground floor reception area (for help desk, news, etc.), 2) second floor with group rooms (public, moderated or completely private), and 3) a third floor with personal virtual offices for members who are affiliated with the particular organization. (http://tappedin.org/tappedin/web/about.jsp).

Tapped In is more than a professional network of educators. Initiated and ran by SRI International (formally known as the Stanford Research Institute), Tapped In offers schools and universities online options for teaching in asynchronous environments. “Tapped In offers TPD providers and other organizations the latest in online technology, along with the online learning strategies and support needed to use online technology effectively. Through Tapped In, organizations can develop, implement, and manage online courses, workshops, seminars, mentoring programs, and other collaborative activities that supplement, or function in lieu of, face-to-face activities.” (http://tappedin.org/tappedin/web/about.jsp).

The event I took part of this evening was a synchronous discussion in an online, instant messaging format. The topic of the evening was Cybersecurity and the group participating consisted of seven members. All of the members were, somehow, involved in education, most being in K-12. Based on some of the discussions, which ensued, I believe a couple of the students were still possibly completing their undergraduate studies.

The discussion did not go without its small issues. The discussion was set to last for one hour and, surprisingly, that hour went by rather quickly. This made for very brief discussions at times and I found myself wanting to further discuss an issue, like the future security of Web 2.0 technologies. The topics needed to be rushed through to cover all subjects and I thought that was actually unfortunate. Despite the fact that discussion sometime seemed a little forced and delays were occasionally pretty long, overall, the content of the discussion was quite valuable.

Though initially pretty negative about the value of such a discussion, I have to admit (happily) that I was incredibly wrong. It was quite interesting to take part in a conversation where all the participants seemed to be there because they chose to be. In addition, the convenience of having the entire discussion emailed to each participant so you can research external links provided during the discussion is brilliant! I am actually looking forward to participating in another discussion forum in the not-so-distant future! Now, if I can only figure out how to count this in my merit document for next year, I would be even happier!

In addition to the Tapped In environment, we were also exposed to another learning resource center called the Learning Times . The Learning Times is "a living, breathing and open community for eduction-minded people." The community appears to be composed of many different types of education professionals from all over the world. Much like Tapped In, the Learning Times allows for information sharing on all different types of topics ranging from social networking to RSS feeds to research to using proper grammar. The main difference between Tapped In and the Learning Times is that I did not see a lot of synchronous discussion forums being used at the Learning Times. Rather, much of the information is transposed in RSS feeds either through audio blogs, podcasts or vodcasts. There is significant opportunity to also participate in asynchronous discussion boards.

Overall, I think both of these online learning resources are great for professional development when travel to a workshop, training session or conference is not an option. At each site, educators are still able to collaborate with other professionals in their discipline and to share ideas and research. I believe I will find myself more frequently on the Tapped In resource center, but overall, I could see both being of value.

Challenges of Utilizing the Internet in the Classroom

Scenario from Professor: Pretend there are plenty of computers in your classroom and they are all connected to the Internet, describe what you think will be several of the most significant challenges you will face when using the Internet in the classroom.

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Honestly, this isn’t a stretch for me to answer at all and I think this is probably more of a concern for the K-12 classrooms then it maybe is for a college classroom. I have a classroom lab consisting of 18 student computer stations, 16 of which are equipped with video editing software and hardware including dual-flat screen monitors. Each of these is connected to the Internet and is loaded with the most current version of the most popular creative software available. I’m lucky!

Well…let me rephrase that…my students are lucky.

That said, none of this comes without some certain concerns. In our readings this week, we were intrigued by discussions from a ‘net gen learner’, delved deeper into the world of copyrights and fair use, learned more about how dividing our country really is when comes to ‘being connected’, how to bridge the use of different cultures effective through technology and how to deal with different learning styles.

I have two concerns that I could right away identify in my teaching, and oddly, one of them was not really discussed in readings this week, however, one of them was. As an instructor of interactive media and video editing, I especially have concerns regarding copyrighting and fair use guidelines. In all the reading I have done on the topic of fair use, I have found the guidelines to generally be gray in manner and not all that clear. There are too many leniencies with these guidelines and I think that makes the walking along the fair use high wire to be extremely tricky. “Fair use can raise some of the most difficult and controversial issues in copyright law. Users often wish there were clear rules to establish exactly when a use is fair and when it is not. But the ambiguity of the fair use doctrine is also its strength, because it allows courts to apply fair use to new and sometimes completely unanticipated uses of copyrighted works.” (Besek, 2003). The age of the Internet has obviously allowed for quicker, easier and more frequent access to technology and therefore, the ease of copyright infringement. Without fully understanding the boundaries of copyright and fair use, one can find themselves plagiarizing very easily.

My other concern deals with how to juggling a diverse population in class, but not in learning styles, rather, in digital familiarity and use. Having a student population that ranges from the traditional 18-year old recent high school graduate to the 50-something who is trying to reinvent themselves and their career paths, this can create quite a unique teaching environment. In an introduction course in interactive media, for instance, I may have someone who has been dabbling in web sites since they were 12-years old (now being 19 years old), but who still does not know the formalities of the software, why they do certain things when creating web sites or the structure by which a web site should be created. However, the first few weeks of class could be a complete bore to them because they already have much of the basic knowledge, whereas others, who have never attempted to create a web anything, need this very basic, yet incredibly important foundation.

I am not certain how many main campuses have this same concern, but for those at regional campuses, like myself, and at community colleges, I would think that this happens quite often. One article that has helped me a little more discusses how a range of four generations is currently all working together. Classrooms, really, are not much different than an office because everyone still needs to know how to communicate and work together.

Though there are obvious managerial benefits from having different generations working together, when technology is involved, the digital divide sometimes just grows wider. I am absolutely not stating that the ‘older’ generations are not tech-savvy; however, if there is going to be a person in the classroom who is not familiar with texting, emailing, surfing or im’ing, chances are, it is not going to be the traditional aged college student. Adapting the classroom to fit the needs of all generational learners definitely takes some extra time and effort, but it can work. Allowing the Gen-Y’er to take a lead role in the sharing of technological information has been one successful method I have used so far, for instance.

Overall, even though the ease of accessing information with the click of a button has awarded many opportunities, it does not come without its complications, adversities and changes. I have only identified two that have greatly impacted me over the years – I’m sure they will not be the last.


Additional resources:

The Challenge of Teaching Across Generations

Teaching/Training Across the Generations – a blog post by Karl Kapp

Teaching in a Digital Age – a YouTube video post by Vanderbilt University

Questions from Professor: How you are doing and feeling about what you have learned this week? Did the group experience help or hinder your learning experience?

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I did not have any issues this week in working in a group or in the topic at hand. I felt that we worked pretty well together. I think it helped immensely having the YackPack session, as it was much easier to make decisions and discuss things openly rather than to have to rely on emailing back and forth and waiting for responses. I also believe our group communicated very well and documented our thoughts and our contributions so that the next person on our site knew what had just been changed or added.

I wouldn’t say that the group experience hindered my learning experience and I'm sure it did help provoke thought and move the process along. In addition, I otherwise would have had to answer all the questions on my own! :)

It was nice to bounce ideas off of one another and to ask for feedback and assistance. For example, I was having issues formatting the text on our Wiki site one evening and made note of that on the site. The next day, when I logged in, someone had already fixed my issues and made note of it. That was wonderful!

Overall, then, this was a positive experience for me…no issues, no concerns…and I was very interested in the topic, so that helped, too!

Mashup? What's a mashup??

Though a ‘mashup’ was originally a term used in the music industry, these days, a mashup refers to a new breed of Internet applications. A mashup utilizes Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that traditionally allowed programmers to interface a CPU (Central Processing Unit, aka ‘the brain’ of a computer) with a peripheral and/or a component of the computer system, such as the file management system. Internet developers have taken this concept and have now created APIs on the Internet. Companies such as Google, eBay, and Amazon have created these APIs so that motivated Internet users can combine different interfaces, therefore creating completely new, integrated applications. Taking APIs from multiple websites and merging them (or ‘mashing’ them) together creates a new, innovative application that has never before been found on the Web. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9sENSA_sjI)

Mashups are just beginning to find their way into the education arena and the trend of utilizing mashups and creating ones that are specifically focused on educational methods are not that distant in the future. According to The Horizon Report – 2008, which was just recently released by the New Media Consortium (2008), mashups could quickly become a pedagogical tool within the next two to three years.

Mashups…will largely impact the way education institutions represent information. "While most current examples are focused on the integration of maps with a variety of data," …"it is not difficult to picture broad educational and scholarly applications for mashups." Johns Hopkins University, Michigan State University, and the University of Minnesota are examples of higher education institutions using mashups for learning resources and other projects. (New Media Consortium, 2008).

Because mashups do not require a lot of sophisticated programming and intricate development, The Horizon Report highlighted that faculty will be able to custom create applications to illustrate different concepts as they teach. From this same report, the following are examples of current education-related mashups (New Media Consortium, 2008):

• Interactive Learning Resources at Michigan State University. MSU offers a set of webware applications that allow faculty to mashup interactive language learning resources on the fly.
• Research at Pompeu Fabra University. Researchers at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona are mining the spatial-temporal data provided by geotagged Flickr photos of urban locations.
• Interactive Map Tool. This web-based authoring tool, developed at Johns Hopkins University, supports digital field assignments and allows students and instructors to create custom mashups using a wide variety of digital media, text, and data.

Facebook vs. Second Life

What is the appeal of social networking for today's generation whether it is done in a place like Facebook or SL? How might social networking itself positively and negatively affect individuals? Do you think there are more positives or negatives?

I do not particularly see social networks such as Facebook to be comparable to Second Life. However, I will look at each of these individually.

When MySpace came about, I found the site to be a little on the creepy side, I have to admit. I did not see the appeal of it and I had refused to get a MySpace account myself. Then, as I was teaching an interactive media class in the Fall and heard my students consistently talking about their MySpace sites or their Facebook accounts, they continually asked me when I was going to get my own.

After a little investigation and more curiosity, I decided to embark upon the world of Facebook and pretty quickly saw its appeal. I found Facebook to be a nice way for me to get acquainted with some of my colleagues on a more personal level and to talk, a way to find friends who I haven’t been in close contact with for a while, and to stay in contact with friends who lived further away in a fun environment. I would not say that I am hooked on Facebook, but I do enjoy having an account there. My main concern was addressed early on as I was allowed to limit my information and my site only to those I wished to have access.

Recently, I had a request to join LinkedIn by a colleague of mine. I had never heard of this service before and the more I read about it, the more I found this also interesting and potentially useful. After I joined LinkedIn, I immediately through a quick search found a few of my colleagues who do not work on my campus and asked them to join my network. Within two days, people who I had not spoken to in quite a while had asked me to be in their network. I was able to be 'relinked' (so to speak) with a previous student of mine from Athens, Greece, and someone who I went to school with who I hadn’t spoken to in years! Though I have not had a chance to fully explore the benefits of LinkedIn, I do think it can be very useful for networking within your discipline. As with Facebook, you can also limit your information to only be viewed by the people within your network.

Then, there is Second Life. I have been a member of Second Life now for a couple of weeks and have been “hanging out” in the virtual world a few different times. One thing right away that I have noticed is that this can easily be a serious time waster and time literally flies by when you’re trying to accomplish something in the virtual world!

I am sure mastering the interactivity in SL takes some time, patience and practice, but I found myself getting very flustered right away with the interface. At first, the fun of creating my avatar (Annalyse Latte) was entertaining, but then I started trying to make my way through the virtual environment. Not as intuitive as I would have imagined! The program also has a tendency to crash fairly often and I could see this as being a potential problem if a class was taking place. Apparently, this is a frequent problem, as I found this same information in online documentation (Johnson, 2006).

That said I could see why this can be intriguing to today’s generation. This is yet another forum for today’s technology- enriched generation to intermingle, interact and amalgamate. However, in my escapes as Annalyse Latte, I ran into a number of areas (completely unintentionally) that I would not want a student of high school age entering. For that matter, I didn’t want to be there and I am certainly over high school age!!

So, do I think there are positives and negatives to social networking? Absolutely. Are there, as well, to virtual worlds such as Second Life? Sure. These, as with gaming and any Internet communication has to be effectively monitored by an adult. As long as that can happen and is enforced, there are safe ways for all of these to be used by children under 18. As for adults? Again, this is all as effective as the person utilizing it. I can completely see the benefit in networking with professional colleagues with LinkedIn and I can see a social value to Facebook. As with anything, all in moderation and with caution.

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I was not able to meet my class in Second Life this week, so I am answering questions relating to this missed opportunity...

1. What were the challenges that prevented me from meeting in SL?
2. How could I remedy this situation in the event that future classes require this of me?
3. What did I probably miss that might have been of value to me?
4. What are the potentials and dangers for integrating a technology such as SL in education?"


1. Personal challenges are what prevented me from attending the meeting in SL. If an event with my daughter didn’t present itself, I would have been online.

2. How can I remedy what happened? I probably should not have been open to a Friday evening time slot! :)

3. I think the most valuable thing I missed out on was the communication between colleagues and people I know. To date, I have only been approached by people who I do not know, and in some cases, who I do not wish to know. I was propositioned by a guy with hair for a face and feathers on his arms…being able to communicate with people who I know would be interesting to me!

4. Potentials of Second Life in education are a bit foreign to me right now, but I can already think of a number of fears. As far as potential goes, I think its quite interesting that people can 'visit' areas in a virtual world that they may not be able to in person. I, for instance, ran across an American History gallery where I could look at artwork (and could purchase as well, had I wished to do so). I think it is interesting that there are virtual areas of the world established and even virtual museums that avatars can visit if they cannot go to the actual places. I think the advantage for people confined to their home for medical reasons is also very interesting.

According to the article "101 Uses for Second Life in the College Classroom", virtual communication and role-playing is used fairly extensively by individuals who cannot interact in the ‘real’ world, at least, not without physical or mental obstacles and with some difficulty (Conklin, 2007). In Second Life, for instance, consider the feeling a young paraplegic would have who could have his avatar fly around to see the world around him, or the 20-something year old confined to a wheel chair who can walk into a dance club and dance the ‘night’ away. As highlighted in the YouTube video “In My Language,” people dealing with autism are also very involved in virtual exploration. There is even an island in Second Life dedicated strictly for autistic people. These situations are intriguing to me and I can see a very good reason why they should be used in these scenarios.

However, as an everyday communication and/or education forum, SL is still a little odd to me. The software is not for the every day computer user, either. SL requires some pretty serious hardware to even use the software and has a pretty steep learning curve, as well. As I stated before, I had been on SL a few different times and feel like a complete computer novice. In addition, in order to advance your skill set in SL, you need to actual get involved in “scripting (which allows the user to create programs to control object and avatar behavior) and prims (“primitives” are basic objects that can be linked together to build larger objects that can have physics associated with them)”. (Johnson, 2006).

I guess I can foresee some powerful uses for Second Life, I am just not sure that I would personally use them in my own classroom…at least, not at this point.

Educational Gaming - a slight change of heart...

Well, I concede! After much deliberation, thought and insight from my classmates, I have come to realization that I was allowing my own personal reservations to influence my stand on gaming in education. Thanks to my classmates for grounding me a little.

However, with that said, I do still have my reservations about the use of gaming in the classroom. I can see some good in using gaming in an educational environment in the K-12 level. Learning games are highly available and they are the type of games I allow my own children to play on occassion. Some of these sites my children visit are pbskids.org and Zoom. There are also some pretty decent learning games on playhousedisney.com and then there is my daughter's favorite, 5aday.com (a site about eating your fruits and veggies each day -- she learned about this site in school).

Though I still think too much of anything isn't necessarily good, I do think this can be controlled. It is absolutely up to the 'adults', however, to do the controlling. I suppose the idea of gaming addiction in adults is their own vice...just like gambling, etc. I do think that isolating oneself at a young age and 'living' through the fantasy world of gaming is still not positive.

So...do I see a place for gaming in education? Sure. However, all in moderation and with caution and supervision.

Gaming in Education

What shall we do with gaming, simulations, and VR?

More often than not, I am fully a supporter and advocate of technology in the classroom. However, on this topic, I am not sure I am entirely on the gaming bandwagon (and I am also trying to play ‘devil’s advocate’ here on this issue). Though I support many different technologies in the classroom, gaming may actually be an area that I just cannot make myself completely embrace and champion.

Lately, gaming, and the idea of including gaming into educational curriculum, has been discussed in our mainstream media. Much of this debate has focused on the digital native generation. Digital natives are the generation who has grown up in the world of technology. This generation has always had access to a computer, has always known there was an Internet and a World Wide Web, and has always had access to more advanced computer interactions, like gaming. According to Van Eck (2006), our digital native generation has become disconnected with conventional classroom instruction. Digital natives are the generation who has grown up in the world of technology. This generation has always had access to a computer, has always known there was an Internet and a World Wide Web, and has always had access to more advanced computer interactions, like gaming. As an instructor in higher education, I have seen this transformation within the last five years.

This generation learns differently than any other and I have had to adopt changes in my curriculum because of this. “They [digital natives] require multiple streams of information, prefer inductive reasoning, want frequent and quick interactions with content, and have exceptional visual literacy skills¹—characteristics that are all matched well with DGBL [digital game-based learning].” (Van Eck, 2006). These students are multi-taskers to the n^th degree. They tend to juggle many different things at once and can generally do a good job at most of what they try to tackle. In traditional standards, this could be viewed as pretty impressive.

However, there are plenty of other technological methods available that may be better choices, as gaming can, at a certain point, become almost unhealthy and may not be our best choice for educating our youth. Some children are already spending too much time gaming after they have left their respective school buildings. Gaming, quite simply put, can be addictive. By fostering the use of gaming at school, are we really helping these children? In 2007, the American Medical Association began lobbying for gaming addiction to be classified as a psychiatric disorder. They wanted this classification to “raise awareness and enable sufferers to get insurance coverage for treatment.” (Tanner, MSNBC news online article, 2007). If the AMA is looking at this as a problem, then does the problem not really exist? According to an MSNBC report on this topic, there are over 15% of young gamers (representing 90% of our youth generation) who are addicted to video games. That equates to over 5 million young people across our country alone! [Please see a MSNBC video report to the right on gaming addiction].

As documented in the Discovery Channel’s series on the Gamer Generation, these addictions have also been related to dire consequences. Playing first-person shooter games, for example, have actually been medically proven to cause aggressive impulses in the player’s brain. Although there is no direct link (yet) in aggressive brain activity and aggressive behavior, people are still worried that this territory has just yet to be found. The documentary continues to report that in the last decade, for example, there have been over 20 shooting sprees carried out by young people. Can these tragedies be linked to first-person gaming? Maybe. Were these young people probably already a bit troubled? More than likely; but, perhaps being immersed in the world of first-person shooter games perpetuated their unstable thoughts and gave them the confidence to then act in unthinkable ways.

I know this last example is an extreme. Honestly, I believe it falls along the same lines as blaming heavy metal for irrational behaviors. However, maybe there is a correlation. Only further studies will indeed bring us to any further realizations here.

However, gaming addictions are real and are as possible as gambling addictions. I have three children and one of them, I can honestly say, is already what I would consider to be a gamer. His father is a gamer (yes, my husband) and my brother-in-law is a gamer (my husband’s brother). He has seen and witnessed Daddy immersed in his games and my son’s gaming activities have been encouraged by my husband. At first, I thought this was harmless and cute, even though I had been aware of gaming addictions in the past (I had a friend who was addicted at one point and actually went to counseling because of it).

My son does not spend regularly spend countless hours on his games (PS2 is his current gaming console of choice, Lego Star Wars is his favorite), as I set a timer (30 minutes max.) so he knows how long he has. (However, we have been on occasion guilty of allowing him to participate in longer stretches.) Once the timer rings, the rule is to turn off the game. However lately, after his timer goes off, he has been quick to complain, pout and actually get a bit frustrated and mad. This emotional expression of frustration happened as recently as two days ago. The PS2 console has since been sitting on top of my kitchen cabinet since.

Oh – and have I mentioned that he isn’t quite 5-years old yet? Case in point.

I am not saying my son is addicted to gaming…at least, not yet. However, he is already showing a potential warning sign of gaming addiction. According to CBS News report entitled “Detox for Video Gamers?” in 2006, parents should be aware as to how a child reacts to time limits set to gaming. We were not happy with our son’s reaction to turning off his game, so we are taking measures now to be sure this does not become a problem. Again, my son is not quite 5-years old yet, so some of his reaction is somewhat typical of a kid of that age. However, you never know.

I know much of what I discussed may have been to an extreme and may not apply to all young people. I am very aware of that. However, I am also very aware that there is a potential for gaming to perhaps not be our educational tool of choice. To promote gaming in education is to add to the hours of gaming participated outside the classroom. I am not sold that this is our best pedagogical use of advanced technologies, at least not in our younger generation.

Change is upon us...Welcome Web 2.0!

Today's Question:
In what ways will the evolution of Web 2.0 potentially change the educational process? Will you look forward to these changes?

I am already looking forward to these changes. Course management systems, such as WebCT and Blackboard, paved the way to simplifying online course delivery. Initially, these seemed like very powerful utilities for delivering courses to the new online masses. However, in light of newer Web 2.0 technologies that are actually more user friendly, it turns out that these CMS’s are actually quite limiting, restricting, and most certainly, frustrating...to a certain degree.

This is where I see the future of Web 2.0 technologies; in how they can be developed and implemented in education. Curriculum building in Web 2.0, such as with wikis, blogs, moodle, writeboard, class blogmeister, survey monkey, etc., are going to begin to be more and more implemented in web-centric (web-enhanced) and completely asynchronous courses.

As pointed out in Read, Write Web, although these technologies were not specifically created for education and e-learning, they most certainly can be successfully employed to empower student learning and foster new, creative learning opportunities (blog entry, August 8, 2006). Stephen Downes, the gentleman credited with the phrase ‘e-learning 2.0’, defined this term as online learning enhanced by the implementation of social networks, blogging and podcasting, amongst other options (http://www.downes.ca/post/31741). Employing these technologies into a classroom curriculum is powerful, as we have already witnessed in this class alone. According to Downes (2005),

What happens when online learning ceases to be like a medium, and becomes more like a platform? What happens when online learning software ceases to be a type of content-consumption tool, where learning is "delivered," and becomes more like a content-authoring tool, where learning is created? The model of e-learning as being a type of content, produced by publishers, organized and structured into courses, and consumed by students, is turned on its head. Insofar as there is content, it is used rather than read— and is, in any case, more likely to be produced by students than courseware authors. And insofar as there is structure, it is more likely to resemble a language or a conversation rather than a book or a manual. The e-learning application, therefore, begins to look very much like a blogging tool.

Downes has such a powerful point here. It is much more comfortable to have an open discussion about a topic than to have content stiffly delivered in the form of a force-fed article or yet another tired PowerPoint presentation. Don’t get me wrong; do I still use both of these methods myself? Absolutely. However, am I excited about the possibilities Web 2.0 technologies have and will continue to bring to the classroom? Again, absolutely! Case in point, along with the other members of my graduate course I’m currently enrolled in, I just created my avatar in Second Life. Who knows…maybe, in the future, 'Annalyse Latte' will be teaching my students rather than Lisa Kidd.

Its scary, its exciting, and its most certainly the future. If you have time, please take a look at the keynote address given by Stephen Downes (along with his PowerPoint slides) to the right of this blog post. The keynote is about 50 minutes long, but if you’re interested in Web 2.0 in education, it is well worth your time.

Podcasting in Education

Based on this first experience with Podcasting, I could easily have a change of heart about the technology! I fancy myself to be above average in the use of technology, but I certainly felt like I had hit a brick wall these last couple of days using podomatic's site.

However, after two days worth of attempts (and even my husband recording on one computer while I did on another), I had to resort to downloading Audacity and working with that software instead. Thank goodness I did! I was able to successfully record my podcast, export it out as an mp3 and then upload that to the podomatic site. I still could not get the music intro/outro's to work, so those are absent from my podcast (which I'm quite distressed by as I was really digging the rock track! :) ).

Alas, I digress. Since I am a techno-geek, of course I would support using podcasting in education. I wrote a research paper on podcasting last summer, as a matter of fact, in hopes of better understanding this technology that I had not yet tackled.

From my paper (2007):
"Teachers already serve as publishers of content in the form of syllabi, documents, presentations, lectures and assignments. These publications, so to speak, are delivered both in text and, in many cases, in online environments via course management systems such as Blackboard and WebCT. Students, then, are really subscribers to the content, so to speak (Malan, 2007).

As a college educator, it is rare to see a student working in a computer lab without their mp3 player, or iPod‚, attached to their heads. With the popularity of these devices, it would seem a waste to not figure out how to integrate this technology into the classroom. This is part of the beauty of podcasting", or its visual counterpart, vodcasting.

As Stacie argued in her blog post (http://staciep.blogspot.com/), I, too, am a visual learner and having the opportunity to watch content, as well as hear it, would definitely help me as a learner. Since I teach visual communications, my students are much the same way, so I think the benefit for me would be in vodcasting.

For example, I am going to try to utilize vodcasting in my summer online course this year for the first time. There is software available that allows you to track mouse movements on your screen and I believe it would be quite helpful for students to see me walk-through an activity, just as I would in a synchronous lab classroom.

As far as the benefits of podcasting in education, for the right audience and demographic, online or distance delivery is sometimes not only the best option, but the only option. Let’s look at the people who really need non-traditional delivery of course content: location-bound students who cannot physically get to a college campus; students with disabilities; students who have to work swing shifts and cannot commit to a 12-16 week set schedule of classes. For these students, alternative learning styles, facilitated with podcasting or vodcasting, makes complete sense.

Would I use blogs? Absolutely!

I absolutely would utilize blogging in my classroom and in a workplace environment both! I am already considering the use of blogging in one of my classes (see question #4). I think it is incredibly positive for students to have an outlet to discuss topics that may have the restraint of time in a traditional classroom. Also, a more reserved student may benefit from the ‘protection’ of an online interface, therefore contributing more to class than they may have without this media.

I can foresee using blogging in many different ways in the future. For interactive media, we can use blogging to discuss different new medias and their uses. We could also discuss various design techniques and look at their origins, which would allow for further research from the students. For video classes and phogoraphy classes, we could utilize blogging as an online critiquing resource. I really think this idea could be very productive and may begin incorporating this in the next few weeks in my digital photography class.

As suggested in the P2P EFL/ESL Pedagogy and Technology blog (http://dekita.org/articles/p2p-eflesl-pedagogy-and-technology), I can also foresee using blogs for group projects. By requiring students to blog the production and status of a group project, the instructor can then see if everyone is participating and 'doing their share' without constantly asking group members for updates.

As far as blogging in the workplace, I think blogging would be incredibly useful for committee sub-groups, which are generally assigned for certain special projects and/or discussion topics. Actually, blogs would be a great resource, really, for any committee discussion and collaboration.

Moving Lights - Image #2

Things get pretty interesting when you leave your shutter open in the dark, don't they? Extending the length of time a shutter is open creates a great lighted trailing effect. If you want to experiment, put your camera on a tripod, set your shutter for 30 seconds (approx.) and aim it towards a busy street. The results are pretty fun! :)



Image by R'eyes

Nature and Technology - Image #1

This image was found under the heading "Nature and Technology". Since I am about to purchase a large screen digital monitor to showcase my students' work, I couldn't resist this image from Flickr. My students create works in print, photography, interactive media and video, so purchasing a digital format to showcase their talents is my best option.

Image by Sven