Project-based multimedia learning is one instructional strategy that we can use and may also include non-technical projects, lecture and note-talking, writing and artistic or creative project-based multimedia learning strategy in teaching English process through distance education:
1. It is a powerful motivator students engaged in the creating in multimedia projects.
2. It makes teachers look for and apply the methods that optimize learning effect.
3. It makes teachers structurize the form of material.
Distance education is a multimedia education that uses for educational purposes e-mail textbooks, videoconferences, a computerized slide show, Web site and taking part in discussion in focus groups.
In this sense, one of the subjects which has been more extensively used in distance language teaching is focus groups.
Focus groups are organized discussion with a selected group of people with objective of gaining information about their views and experiences on a topic (Gibbs, 1998).
While focus groups have been used mostly in the fields of marketing our business specialities, over the past few decades they have come to be used as the methods of data gathering in qualitative studies.
The main benefit of focus groups is their ability to collect the data, to observe the information and then to analyze it. Focus groups are feelings and reactions because of the group synergy generated in these discussions.
Since focus groups rely on group interaction more than individual reports, often students have the opportunity to compare their experiences to those of the other participants and new information or different perspectives may be sparked by this interaction (Hoppe, Wells, Morrison Gillmore Wilsdom, 1995).
According to Morgan, the basic argument on favour of self-contained focus groups is that they reveal aspects of experiences and perspectives that would not be as accessible without group interaction. The focus groups used in the learning process must be homogenous.
The following parameters for focus groups are set:
- Group participants should be familiar with each other.
- Group participants should be homogenous.
- Group session should be no more than two hours.
- Group rules in each session include respecting each other opinions, no put-downs and letting everyone have a chance to talk.
After setting these initial focus group parameters it was decided that participants be able to choose the language in which they will participate.
Most authors resist the use of videotape recording in focus groups (Krueger, 1994; Morgan, 1997).
The primary goal of a focus group is to establish and facilitate discussion. In this case focus groups are being used after getting the basic knowledge on subject to interpret and analyze the given information.
Before focus group starts the discussion it is necessary to ask several questions. Firstly the participants would be asked the warm-up questions and then the actual data-collecting questions. It is possible to use the written answers to questions which participant are writing during the first few minutes before the discussion.
LESSON 15: Project-based Learning and Multimedia: What It Is?
A project based learning method is a comprehensive approach to instruction. Your students participate in projects and practice an interdisciplinary array of skills from math, language arts, fine arts, geography, science, and technology.
"The collaborative nature of the investigation enhances all of these valuable experiences ... as well as promotes a greater appreciation for social responsibility (Scott, 1994)."
Defining Project-Based Multimedia Learning
It's best to start with some definitions. By project-based learning, we mean a teaching method in which students acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing, planning, and producing some product or performance. By multimedia, we mean the integration of media objects such as text, graphics, video, animation, and sound to represent and convey information. Thus, our definition is:
Project-based multimedia learning is a method of teaching in which students acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing, planning, and producing a multimedia product.
Your students' multimedia products will be technology-based presentations, such as a computerized slide show, a Web site, or a video. These presentations will include evidence that your students have mastered key concepts and processes you need to teach and will be a source of great pride for them and for you.
Many present day activities focus on developing linguistic competence for example, the ability to use lexics, grammar and phonetics of the language. They also develop the pragmatic abilities of the learners to use the language for real-life communication. The activity of project-based multimedia learning stimulates through process in learners by forcing them to think and make decision.
The purpose of our report is to show the content of the method of project-based multimedia learning, the usage and the implementation it in teaching English process through distance education.
Project-based learning is an old and respected education method. The use of multimedia is a dynamic new form of communication. The merging of project-based learning English and multimedia represents a powerful teaching strategy that is called “project-based multimedia learning”.
Project-based multimedia learning is a method of teaching in which students acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing planning and producing a multimedia product.
Project-based multimedia learning has seven key dimensions such as core curriculum, real-world connection, extended time frame, students decision making, collaboration, assessment, multimedia.
Here is a brief explanation of each.
Core curriculum. At the foundation of any unit of this type is a clear set of learning goals drawn from whatever curriculum or set of standards is in use. We use the term core to emphasize that project-based multimedia learning should address the basic knowledge and skills all students are expected to acquire.
Real-world connection. Project-based multimedia learning strives to be real. It seeks to connect students’ work with the wider world in which students live.
“Real life!” Now, that is the key! I spent years waiting for “real life” to begin, not realizing that my childhood was real life. Children, even young ones, can make a meaningful contribution to the world while they are learning.
—Technology learning coordinator
Extended time frame. A good project is not a one-shot lesson; it extends over a significant period of time. The actual length of a project may vary with the age of the students and the nature of the project.
Students decision making. In project-based multimedia learning, students have a say. Teachers look carefully at what decisions have to be made and divide them into “teacher’s” and “students” based on a clear rationale.
Collaboration. We define collaboration as working together jointly to accomplish a common intellectual purpose in a manner superior. Students may work in pairs or in teams of as many as five or six. Whole-class collaborations are also possible. The goal is for each students involved to make a separate contribution to the final work.
Assessment. Regardless of the teaching method used, data must be gathered on what students nave learned. When using project-based multimedia learning, teachers face additional assessment challenges because multimedia products by themselves do not represent a full picture of student learning. Students are gaining content information, becoming better team members, solving problems and making choices about what new information to show in their presentations. We consider assessment to have three different roles in the project-based multimedia context:
- Activities for developing expectations;
- Activities for improving the media products;
- Activities for compiling and disseminating of learning.
Multimedia. In multimedia projects, students do not learn simply by “using’ multimedia produced by others. As students design and research their projects, instead of gathering only written notes, they also gather and create pictures, video clips, recording and other media objects that will serve as the raw material for their final product.
I did a project a couple of years ago where students drew on index cards that were later filmed. Although the students were still excited to be creating animation, those who were not as good at art started losing interest toward the end. With the use of computers, even an animated stick figure looks pretty good, and students are given the opportunity of cutting and pasting. The use of computers lowers many of the barriers that limited some students' ability to creatively express themselves... Boys, girls, high achievers, and low achievers seemed equally motivated to create a quality product.
—Middle school teacher
What value does the teacher add when she implements project-based multimedia learning? The answer of this question lies in the concept of “value added”. Richard Murnane and Frank Levy (1996) describe three skills sets students need to be competitive for today’s job. These are hard skills (math, reading, problem-solving skills , mastered at a much higher level than previously expected of high school graduates); soft skills (the ability to work in a group and to make effective oral and writing presentations); and the ability to use personal computer to carry out routine tasks (for example, word processing, data management and creating the multimedia presentations).
If means that high school graduates need to master a combination of foundation skills and competencies. These are exactly the soft skills students learn when engaged in project-based multimedia learning.
Adding Project-Based Multimedia Learning to Your Teaching Repertoire
Being a teacher is a bit like being a personal trainer. In general, a trainer knows that all clients need a balanced workout. They need to develop muscular strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness. They also need to adhere to a sound, balanced diet. At the same time, each client will have specific needs or conditions that require accommodation. The workout you design for your client with asthma will be different from the one you create for your client with arthritis.
Likewise, effective teachers employ various teaching methods to achieve a balanced instructional program that is also personalized and reflects the needs and interests of individual students. You know that your students need a balanced diet of academic content and process skills—and workouts that include learning, practicing, analyzing, reflecting, and assessing. You also know that students vary in their comfort with these activities and the amount of support they need.
The amazing transformation I witnessed in my students came with the publishing of the first student work on the Web. The transformation had to do with the concept of audience. Realizing that their work was posted for the world to see, the students suddenly became more careful about their research, documentation, and the mechanics of their writing. The most reluctant proofreaders became voracious proofreaders and insistent editors. I no longer had to correct their work—they took an active interest in making sure that what was published was accurate and well written.
—Technology learning coordinator
Project-based multimedia learning is one instructional strategy that you can use in a school year that may also include non-technical projects, lecture and note-taking, rote practice, writing, and artistic or creative work. During this part of the year, students may be spending less time on rote practice and the breadth of material they cover may be smaller. What they will be doing instead includes:
Honing their planning and organizational skills;
Learning to present information in compelling ways;
Synthesizing and analyzing complex content and data;
Practicing research and technical skills; and
Learning how academic subject matter applies to the real world.
We worked on the project on and off for much of the year. At the beginning, I would let the students work on the project one day every week or so. When that day came, students would pump their arms and say, “Yes!” The students were so into the project that the class just basically ran itself. I would wander the room getting group updates and be available to help with individual group problems. Students were always asking for more time on the computers, even 10 minutes here and there. Sometimes students would hang around for hours after school; when their parents came to pick them up they would have a hard time getting the students to leave.
—Middle school teacher
Further, the motivational character keeps students engaged, giving you the freedom to support individual students—far better than when every moment of instruction depends on you alone.
Historically, instructors could have any color of chalkboard they wanted as long as it was black. Today the chalkboard comes in all colors, shapes, sizes and degrees of portability. Some have special surfaces that require a particular type of felt-tip pen rather than chalk. Most times, however, this medium includes a large writing area, a writing substance (usually chalk), and an eraser.
The chalkboard is so common that not much attention is paid to maximizing the use of this
fantastic sub-strategy, but by following the guidelines below, the potential of even the trusty old "blackboard" can be greatly increased.
Advantages or Special Purposes
1. Availability. Most areas assigned for instruction are equipped with chalkboards. Also, if more board space is needed, portable boards of various types and styles are handy.
2. The chalkboard is inexpensive, especially when the usable life of the board is considered.
3. It is flexible in use in the sense that instructors may use it, learners may use it and changes can be easily made through erasure.
4. Space. Lots of writing space is usually provided.
5. The chalkboard can be used to present more formally prepared lessons, or for informal, spontaneous sessions.
6. Ideas can be dealt with at all levels from facts to concepts, from cognitive to affective learning.
7. Various colored chalk or pens can be used to develop the topic, show parts or build associations.
8. A point-by-point outline of a presentation can be made on the spot with diagrams, charts, and
other accentuation drawn at the appropriate moment.
9. The visual communication of the chalkboard directs attention of the class to the purposes of the lecture or discussion.
10. Ideas or topics suggested in discussion can be listed on the board, reorganized, deleted, added to, and put in final form.
11. Test or discussion questions can be put on the board and covered up before the class assembles, then revealed at the appropriate time. This can save on time and cost of duplication materials.
12. A number of learners can do practice or drill work on the board at one time, allowing the instructor to give feedback immediately.
Disadvantages or Limitations
1. The chalkboard carries with it a "temporariness." Material put on the board cannot be saved or made permanent.
2. Chalkboards are often fixed in such a way that they are not always at a comfortable height for all potential users.
3. Being fixed, chalkboards can put restrictions on the use of classroom space and classroom activities as learners need to be placed where they can see the boards.
4. Problems can arise for learners who have vision impairments.
5. With age, use of certain types of chalk, and/or improper cleaning practices, boards can become "cloudy" as they retain chalk dust.
6. Some instructors are psyched-out of using the board because they feel a lack of artistic ability.
7. Motion cannot be easily shown.
8. A teacher's handwriting or spelling deficiencies are most obvious when using the chalkboard.
9. Chalkboard work can be messy.
11. Writing on the board can be "down time" and may break the class' s train of thought and/or discussion.
Application
1. Be prepared. See that the chalkboard and erasers are properly cleaned and maintained.
Ensure that chalk is available in sufficient quantity; learners get very tired of watching
instructors search constantly during class for a piece of chalk (or eraser).
2. Plan what you are going to write on the board:
a) keep writing to a minimum by using key words or conceptual diagrams; and
b) develop topics by using the board from left to right and top to bottom.
3. Keep writing
a) neat:
b) large, heavy and high enough to be visible by all;
c) brief; and
d) specific.
4. Practice writing and/or printing in a straight line.
5. Use yellow chalk on a green board, white on a black board, etc.
6. If your chalk squeaks, simply break the piece in half.
7. Learn to stand and/or move around so you do not block the view of learners as you use the
board.
8. Avoid writing and "talking into" the board at the same time.
9. Put the chalk down when you are through writing. This reduces the chances for distraction
caused by playing with the chalk.
10. Use the eraser to remove errors or make changes. Using your hands only smears the chalk
and may deposit oil on the board, which can serve as a dust collector.
11. In erasing the board, use a down-sweep erasing motion. Erasing the board with a side-to-side
motion only enables the learners to observe (from a most unflattering angle) the instructor
doing something resembling the "Twist." It also causes chalk- dust particles to fly into the air
instead of into the collector tray.
12. When you are through with the material, erase it completely so that it will not serve as a
distraction while the next topic is being considered.
13. Intersperse writing on the board with questions or verbal emphasis. Keep the class aware of
what is being put on the board and why.
14. If important drawings or maps are needed on the board, a instructor is wise to save time by:
a) doing them before class, and
b) copying a projection on the board (from a filmstrip, slide, or opaque projector) rather
than "free-handing" it.
15. Chalkboard etiquette: if someone will be using the board after you, please don't leave it for
him/her to erase. It's nice to clean the eraser against the board as well
Overhead Projector
The overhead projector is probably one of the most versatile and useful visual aids that has been made available to the modern-day lecturer. The overhead projector has long since replaced the traditional chalkboard as one of the main teaching aids and is used in lecture theaters and classrooms all over the world.
Even though computer-based data projectors are increasing in popularity, they are indeed very expensive and this means that they are in no way a match for the overhead projector. Therefore, it is very important for lecturers and teachers to know how to use overhead projectors effectively, so as to exploit its potential to the maximum level.
Strengths
The overhead projector definitely has a number of advantages that would outdo most other visual teaching aids. For instance, a lecturer can use it in just the same way that he or she would use a chalkboard, but the biggest advantage would be that with the overhead projector, lecturers all over the world now get to face the whole class and maintain eye contact all times with their students instead of having to turn around and write. As a teacher, you would know that this eye contact plays a very big role in both facilitative as well as expository teaching, and serves both as a means of receiving feedback from the class on how good or bad the session is and as an outward non-verbal communication medium for the teacher.
Another very important benefit that the overhead projector has over the chalkboard is that it is multi-purpose and can be used to present pre-prepared material, which enables lecturers to build notes, tables, diagrams, and so on., and these can be used anytime, repeatedly.
If designed well and planned well, these overhead transparencies will provide all the aides and cues that are needed during a lecture, so that you don't have to resort to the conventional note taking. These overhead transparencies are fairly compact when you compare them with some of the other types of visual aids like charts and can easily be stored in boxes, folders, files, or large envelopes.
As compared to most other projected visual aids, the overhead projector also has another big advantage, as it does not require a room to be darkened, so it allows students to take notes easily. It can also be used in any kind of room, except ones with extreme bright lights or in the direct sunlight.
The overhead projector is quiet, 'user-friendly' and clean and requires no technical knowledge or skill on the part of the person operating it, apart, of course, from the ability to change the lamps occasionally.
Weaknesses
The drawbacks of the overhead projector include the basic fact that it requires a constant power supply and also requires a white flat surface on which its image can be projected. Another disadvantage is that if the surface is not suitable inclined at the correct angle, the image will suffer from a phenomenon called 'keystoning'.
Unlike marker boards and chalkboards, overhead projectors require a small amount of maintenance. They are more likely to crack or break, so you must be very careful and always keep a spare bulb close at hand. Another disadvantage is that some teachers find the glare that is emitted from the overhead projector quite bothersome, even though this can be overcome by attaching a shade to the device.
Besides these hardware 'glitches', the basic problems that are associated with the overhead projectors arise from the fact that most users do not really provide enough thought or consideration to the production of their display material. The writing is generally too untidy or too small and can't be read easily, and apart from this it could also extend beyond the area of transparency. Lecturers and teachers always forget that this illuminated projection area in the overhead projector is not the same exact size as the acetate sheets that produce the transparencies. However, most overhead projectors are still of the older 'square' variety.
Lastly, lecturers and teachers tend to overuse these projectors only because they are so convenient. They employ it in situations where, on other occasions, other visual aids would have been more effective.
Teachers can deepen and extend students' responses to literature by inviting them to create visual and/or symbolic representations of what they read. Working either independently or collaboratively, students can plan and make visuals that convey their understanding of a literary character, conflict, or theme. Visual representations might include posters, drawings, collages, photographs, bulletin boards, sculpture, jewelry, or costumes.
Creating Visual Representations and Symbols in the Classroom
You can begin by asking students to discuss the writer's use of similes and metaphors. This scaffolding prepares the students to create their visual representations.
Following the discussion, the students move into small groups. Each student selects a character to represent, and they discuss that character's personality and any important physical, emotional, or psychological traits. The groups then begin to brainstorm objects, symbols, metaphors, colors, or images that might represent this character or be important to him or her.
As individual students make suggestions, the other group members ask questions to spur more critical and creative thinking. For example, in Morimoto's classroom, the students challenge each other to make their representation symbolic rather than literal.
Once each of the group members has decided upon a visual symbol or metaphor, they write a detailed explanation of what it is and how it represents the character, draw a picture of it (sometimes with a caption or quote under the drawing), and present their work to the class.
Tips and Variations for Creating Visual Representations and Symbols
Teachers may finish with a whole-class discussion of the process and its effects on interpretation. Questions might include:
How did the visual representations add to or change your understanding of the character?
How did your interpretation of the character change or grow as you worked on your project?
If more than one person selected the same character, in what ways were the visual representations alike or different?
What have you learned about responding to literature through visual representations?
How might this strategy help us as writers? As readers?
Benefits of Creating Visual Representations and Symbols
When students create a symbolic visual representation, they build higher-level thinking skills of inference and interpretation.
As students visualize texts and question each other's visualization ideas, they come to recognize the value of complex and multifaceted symbolism.
As an exercise that honors diverse learning styles, making visual representations can be especially engaging for students for whom reading and writing is challenging.
On average, children watch over twenty-five hours of television per week. This alarming statistic is not surprising, especially to educators who often compete with television for the students' time and attention. Granted, Christian educators must battle the negative effects of this medium. However, they should also recognize its positive effects and enlist videos as an imposing ally in the cause of Christian education.
Films are powerful communicators because a person remembers five times more of what he hears and sees (as opposed to what he only hears). The visual element gives the motion picture its special impact; and the bigger the image, the greater the impact. Yet the visual element is often neglected when people show videos. The VHS video format provides a convenient and economical means for distribution, but the effectiveness of video depends greatly on how it is used. Each viewer must be able to hear and see the video in order for it to communicate.
Limitations:
But as with any tools, they must be used skillfully. Too often, instructors fail to explore the full potential of video and film. They show movies to avoid an onerous lecture or to fill up time when a faculty member must miss class. The tendency is to turn off the lights and turn on a video—so-called teaching, but without a challenging lesson plan to engage students in active analysis and interpretation. Such "video babysitting" is the reason why the use of film and video in the classroom is often rightfully criticized.
Students' reaction to the use of film and video can also be an obstacle. Today's students have been trained since infancy to sit passively in front of the television set, causing them to tend to take in entertainment movies, instructional videos, and documentaries alike without contemplation or questioning of the images and ideas being presented. Such conditioning, combined with the reputation of video babysitting, can cause students to assume that courses that extensively use visual media are intended to be easy. This reaction can make for a self-fulfilling prophesy, with students collectively inferring that because little effort is expected, then little effort is what they put out.
Benefits:
Film and video have long been advocated as powerful adjuncts to classroom instruction. The combination of moving images and multiple sound tracks offers instructional designers a powerful medium for crafting mutually reinforcing explications of concepts while providing learners with content that engages multiple senses. Video has been particularly important in distance education with more than half of all distance education programs in 1995 using some form of video content (National Center for Education Statistics, 1999). Digital video adds possibilities for making learning interactive and this interaction has been powerfully leveraged for more than a decade in videodisc-based projects such as the Jasper series that actively ‘anchored’ learners in adventures that give rise to ‘authentic’ problem solving situations (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1997). The Internet offers significant new possibilities for delivering video even more broadly and easily in both traditional and distance education venues. Thus, educators at all levels have yet another opportunity to incorporate audiovisual and interactive materials in their classrooms.
Using good videos in this way will not only turn the students' TV viewing toward achieving productive goals, but it will also teach them to apply the "Replacement Principle." Beyond simply removing negative viewing habits, students are learning to replace them with positive alternatives. Just as an appreciation for good music or literature must be developed, the skills to select good videos must also be taught.
RULES TO FOLLOW
When showing videos authorized for public performance to a group:
·Determine the image size needed for your audience with this "Rule of Thumb": the number of viewers should not exceed the diagonal inches of the screen. For example, a 25" monitor can be comfortably viewed by up to 25 people.
·Additional monitors can be connected together to accommodate larger groups.
·If an LCD video projector is used, the room will need to be darkened and the sound should be set up to come from the front near the screen.
Encouraging Student Analysis and Interpretation
How can faculty members get students to interact with the film or video they are showing?
·Have students make notes on the film while they are watching it and then turn them in to make sure they are engaging with the film to some extent.
·Other instructors suggest giving a quiz immediately after the film or assigning an in-class writing exercise that asks what the main point of the video was. How well and through what narrative or visual aspects did the filmmakers demonstrate their themes?
·Instructors can focus class discussion and analysis on specific scenes, or on structure of the narrative rather than having students construct an overly generalized film review.
How can a teacher make available videos that provide a positive alternative?
·He can develop a list of recommended videos or establish a lending library of videos that have been previewed.
·Schools and churches can make videos a part of their regular libraries, providing both an educational resource and an outreach ministry to families. This ministry leads to yet another benefit from incorporating home videos into your teaching: helping students who come from families that may have special spiritual needs or even unsaved loved ones.
