Many institutions are taking advantage of teaching and learning activities that are now available as a result of the exploding mobile market. These offer creative ways to engage and interact with students. As I lecturer at a tertiary institution, I would love to take advantage of these opportunities, however the cost of mobile gadgets […]
Continue reading Day 4 – Changes Posted in: Uncategorized
I have gotten myself a blackberry phone since November 2010 and it has being tremendously useful to me in searching for content materials for my students and UBC MET courses. Hence I would regard myself engaged in mlearning, although at the time I started using blackberry phone I was not aware of this term. As […]
Continue reading Conroy’s Views for Day 1 Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 11: Mobiles
Thanks for your post!
It seems you use your mobile for:
– convenience (email)
– performance support (dictionary, maps)
How do you use your mobile to explain course content? Do you mean by answering emails?
How do you take digital images of math/physics phenomena? Is that with a camera out in the real world? Tells us more!
At present I am not engaged in any form of mlearning, but from participating this week’s activities I have come to the realisation that Mobile learning is a great way to supplement teaching and learning and it poises to provide opportunities to do much more to enrich the learning experience as it is convenient […]
Continue reading Day 1 Posted in: Uncategorized
Keisha,
I must agree with you. I am not impressed with those small screens and the other factors mentioned for meaningful learning to take place. In some cases, certain video format cannot be played as the mobile format doesn’t support it. Without those considerations properly sorted out, I wouldn’t get into mlearning at this time. As it relates to recording audio, videoing and all the other great benefits, it is very useful. However, size and availability to students would be major problems in my current situation.
Everton
Thanks for your post.
While it’s common to compare mobiles to PCs in terms of screen size and battery life and power, the question is what mobiles do that is unique rather than how are they crippled in comparison to bigger devices. Their unique strengths provide some pretty different ways of “meaningful learning”…. learning that is guided within the real world rather than delivered as a package. How do you think you might use that kind of situated, authentic, guided learning in the real world to replace traditional, sit-down and read/listen learning?
Thank you all for your participation in the Problem Based Assessment presentation. So many interesting ideas and perspectives have been posted this week; this is a summary of what was discussed: PBA IN MET People highlighted a number of ways we have used PBA in MET, including creating concept maps, wikis, blogs, as well as […]
Continue reading Week 10 – PBA Wrap-UP Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
I have used e-portfolio, blogs, and wikis. I like the affordances of reflection and authorship. However, although they have proven quite effective, I would like if the assessment could be in a form that was directly related to the product. For example, a wiki and blog seem so far removed from Mathematics in so many ways. For this, […]
Continue reading Week 10 PBA – Final Post, assessment related to product Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments I have used several PBA emerging market tools. Those I used the more frequently include wiki, prezi, toondoo and blog. I have used wiki and blog in the teaching of mathematics and physics prior to starting this MET program. Since I have being enrolled in this program, I have used toondoo and prezi to make […]
Continue reading Conroy’s Final Post Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Hi Conroy,
Like you i have also introduced many other PBA emerging market tools after experiencing or being exposed to them in the MET programme. I think also that more PBA tools indeed should be used but I think even more so by the students themselves in creating and assessing products. I would like to see PBAs that directly reflect and/or support the product/products.
Kerry-Ann
Conroy,
That is true but the sad thing is that a lot of educators are not aware of these tools. I think we will have to go on a public education drive to get the message across.
Everton
Hi Everton,
Sad, sort of… As a relatively new teacher on call still hoping to land a permanent position, I am counting on a majority of the teachers not being aware of the latest tech tools. Having a MET degree will be an advantage over the good teachers who unfortunately struggle setting up a digital projector and don’t know what to do with a SMARTBoard.
Once hired, of course, I would want every one of my peers to be technologically savvy :-1
Kyle
I’m planning on doing some in-school lunch sessions later this year, to showcase various web2.0 tools that teachers can use. Many teachers will be aware of some of these tools, and for others it may be the beginning of a new journey. But let’s always keep the pedagogy in mind and at the forefront!
E-Portfolios Wow, I would like to congratulate the group for your excellent project. Very well done and packed with a ton of information. I’ve used project based assessment many time in my teaching career with ultimately good results. I worked at an alternative school and we charted student analysis through e-portfolios. Now, these were informal, […]
Continue reading SWOT and E-Portfolios Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Hi David. You make a very good point about templates. Mahara does offer a great template, but it is restrictive…..however, I imagine that you could always link or connect other artifacts to Mahara to offer a larger perspective? I need to play with Mahara more to fully undertsand its capabilities….
Thanks for your post,
Verena:)
Hi David,
Mahara is a nice (free) product, and you are welcome to test it out on my server at your leisure. Please contact me privately if you would like to keep using it for an extended period of time for experimentation.
Mahara is very much for institutional e-portfolio use, and it ties in pretty well with Moodle installations. You can set it up to use a single sign-on for both products. If a person has time and a web server, individuals can install their own Mahara and create their own e-portfolio. Or they can take it a step further and use Mahara for their own teaching. And it extends onwards from there…
Hi David,
I like the idea of using a SWOT analysis in evaluating tools. It is so often used in corporate settings but here it proves to be a very effective method of analysis across sectors and instruments.
Kerry-Ann
Activity 1 – MET Reflection I think product based assessment is heavily used in all the courses I take in the MET programme since all course required learners to arrive or produce or demonstrate their own learning. The course that stood most in my mind when I attempted to respond to this question is an […]
Continue reading Activity 1 – MET Reflection I think prod… Posted in: Uncategorized
Keisha,
Perfect example. 565 certainly set the tone for PBA. That was a real eye-opener as I gained what no exam could ever provide. I was compelled to take charge of my own learning in a way that could only be facilitated by PBA.
Everton
I too think that 565 is a great example.
Have you ever tried to learn a new software tool by reading about it and memorizing theory or aspects of the software? It is impossible! I had actually tried to learn how to use Moodle for a couple of months prior to ETEC 565, and got absolutely no-where. It wasn’t until I had a project with a purpose in front of me, that I was able to effectively use Moodle. So it was a pretty powerful experience.
cheers
Doug
Prior to the MET program I was introduced to PBA in other programs. However, this MET program is very helpful to me in clearly understanding the effects of PBA. The product based assessments that were a part of the courses I have completed including the first assessment of this course have proven very helpful to […]
Continue reading The Benefits of PBA in MET Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Hello hall!
I think that you have mentioned a key factor of PBA which keep us all motivated – you have learned by “doing”. The examples that you cite exemplify using your strengths as a learner in different ways – in order to reach a common goal …learning something new! It sounds like the PBA learning that you explored encouraged an authentic learning experience for you.
When you developed material in moodle, did you try using PBA methods? Were you using moodle 1.9 or moodle 2.0? With moodle 2.0 it seems that there is a lot more opportunity for designing “PBA” courses….especially with all the new bells and whistles, (blogs, language workshops, portfolios etc).
Thanks for your comment,
Verena 🙂
I agree!! You definitely hit the mark on PBA…Keeping us all motivated! I think this is one of the best ways of learning!
Hi Verenanz,
Yes, I tried PBA method. I think used Moodle 2.0 for the assignment. I spent countless hours on the internet to teach myself the procedure to setup the online course. The most challenging aspect of the project was the creation of a splashing page. I felt I was walking on muddy ground and farther I walk the more I sunk until one night I got the break through. I found out how to create the splashing page.
Hi Everton,
Great synopsis. I agree with you in that PBA really does give us a way to demonstrate our abilities. We not only put our technology skills on display, but we also show how we incorporate our pedagogical, andragogical and constructivist abilities into our project. We also get to show how we have evolved through the program and grown through our reflections.
Juliana.
Hi Conroy,
I really enjoyed your post, specially your phrase: “It allowed me to develop independency and tenacity to work on projects outside of jobs”. The fact that we were required to solve different kinds of problems through the assessments and activities required in the MET courses forced us to develop autonomy and tenacity. It also fostered collaboration among peers. Fostering originality and creativity is a key of PBAs, and, from my point of view, it is linked with problem solving.
Cheers,
Angela.
Have to echo the thoughts of those before me in that I really enjoy the product based assessment that has occurred in our MET courses versus cramming for a test that regurgitates info. It has also made me think about how I evaluate my students. I have to admit that there are a few more […]
Continue reading Product Assessment Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Hello!
We found as we were working through planning the week that PBA is in action all around us. The MET is packed with PBA (look at this assignment as an obvious example) and the non-RRR (reading, writing, ‘rithmetic) subjects always seem to focus on some type of product. A big part of PBA for me is taking the lessons learned from outside of those RRRs, and applying those assessment techniques in the RRR subjects.
What do you think?
Dear Kristopher,
I agree that PBA definitely surrounds us in MET. And I’m certainly not complaining 🙂 As for applying those assessment techniques into the RRR subjects, it would be great. I have found that as I change my assignments into project/product based ones, the kids are actually more engaged and they do seem to learn more. Or maybe it’s the fact that they think it’s more fun to do a project than write a quiz! I actually think they are doing more work even though they may not realize it! I do find that it takes more time and preparation to get a really good project going but it’s worth it.
Thanks for the response!
Hi Michelle,
Hope that concert #1 was a success, and break a leg with #2 tomorrow. It is really interesting to hear your thoughts on assessment for both English and music, and more subject should have opportunities to show what the students know like a concert. I agree that the MET program has provided us with more than a fair share of end-products that we should feel comfortable bringing into our classrooms as inspiration for students to do the same. But we must also be aware that students should be prepared to take quizzes at some future stage of their education, so we should be hesitant to do away with them entirely.
Kyle
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
Everton Walker 9:24 pm on November 17, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Keisha,
I am of that view too. Our students are struggling to even purchase relatively cheap textbooks, let alone those expensive gadgets. For now, I guess we can only say “what if”
Everton
David William Price 6:37 am on November 18, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Why do students need iPods, iPads and iPhones? Even simple mobiles have plenty of learning potential. Refurbished gadgets tend to be a lot cheaper, and service providers like Rogers, Bell, Telus, etc. have crate loads of old mobiles that are traded in. What do they do with them? Would they be wiling to make them available cheaply or for free?
One of the struggles in putting together this week’s materials was the temptation to focus on smartphones. Smartphones are only one version of mobile devices. Is it necessary to pursue the latest technology? If simple phones offer the same affordances, why not take advantage of them?
hall 10:01 am on November 18, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Keisha,
Mlearning (Mobile learning) is becoming more popular through the development of new and unique mobile devices such Blackberrys, iPhones, and iPads. But the growth of this learning in across the globe is still uncertain. Many students are struggling to pay their school fee (tuition fee) so as to be still enrolled in a programme. Hence I do not see students especially in the developing countries affording the purchase of mobile phones.
David William Price 11:45 am on November 18, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
But… statistics show that students in developing countries are far more likely to have access to mobiles than to computers (2.2 billion mobiles vs 11 million PCs). Mobiles represent the main form of communication and learning for semi-literate people in developing nations. Mobiles are a key way of learning English for Bangladeshis, a key form of communication and learning for disadvantaged kids in South Africa, etc.
hall 3:56 am on November 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
I agree with that statistical report on 2.2 billion mobiles vs 11 million PCs. I notice most people use their phones for communication purposes not for academic. You view this site http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats
David William Price 7:20 am on November 19, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
In developing countries, mobiles represent their only choice for accessing learning, such as BBC’s Janala or Urban Planet’s English or in South Africa, using MXit social networking to access novels, magazines or homework help.
Learning is not monopolized by academic study… in many developing nations, there is no real academic option anyway. The question then becomes how to make learning available to help people improve their lives. In Bangladesh, for instance, knowing English is considered a major step towards getting completely different types of jobs… jobs that offer different levels of income and advancement.