Proposed Course:
MOODLE-hosted Digital Photography (Grade11/12) at Pacific Academy (PA)
Learners:
Grade 11 and 12 Students and in small groups. According to (Wyse-Fisher et al., 2005), younger students respond better to teacher centred whereas more senior high school students are better suited to student centred. The teacher is seen as a facilitator who gradually relinquished control or knowledge building to students. As such the students become active learners who pursue and build knowledge through practice. Students are viewed a mature learners who are or viewed as critical thinkers capable of effective social interaction resulting in problem solving through discussion (Anisef, P., et al., 1993). Through critical thinking students are able to solve the problem at hand and determine the appropriate means of achieving the task at hand – in this case capturing images using a digital SLR camera. Learners are also expected to be able to recognize and identify paths or strategies to solve problems and attain goals through higher order thinking.
Learning space:
Computer lab, studio, on and off-site field studies
Lessons:
Modular/Theme based: Through the use of modules and themes, students will develop experience by building and constructing knowledge and skill with the emphasis on various photographic themes and situational conditions.
Platform:
MOODLE – Learning Management System (LMS) – Perkins and Pfaffman (2006) conquer that Moodle is well equipped for enabling discussions: “Moodle has a rich set of features for online discussion with threading, means to send an e-mail when a new message is posted, and a system for ranking students’ posts.” (p.36)
Rationale:
Digital Photography or photography in general requires independent critical thinking that is developed over time and experience. This experience is often learnt through trial and error as the setting, subject, or environment as well as lighting conditions are often in constant flux – the photographer must adjust and tap into her/his repertoire to adequately select settings on the camera to capture the image with optimal exposure. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the most effective way of teaching photography due to thesituational changes. The theory behind photography is consistent regardless of camera model or equipment utilized, but the photographer must determine the best theory or practice to adequately meet the needs of the subject or theme. By hosting the course and content in MOODLE, the instructor and students can leverage technology to communicate, share ideas, house data, and building knowledge through a learning community.
Theories involved:
Student-centered and PBL.
Budget:
– Entry-level Nikon DSLR ($600);
– Adobe Photoshop LightRoom software – school edition ($275);
– Time to setup MOODLE (no charge – as I will be creating it);
– Server space (already provided and running at our school);
– Student laptops (already purchased and in use)
Depending on budget numbers, our school (PA) will be able to provide a class of 8-10 students each with the proposed Nikon DSLR cameras and the laptops that have the Adobe software installed on it. The estimated budget will be $7000-$8750.
The main focus is PBL with MOODLE as the platform to promote the learning of basic digital photography. PBL is typically organized with small groups of learners, accompanied by an instructor, faculty person, or facilitator. During this process, a series of problems are provided to learners with guidance early in the PBL process (with introductory problems), and then later guidance is faded as learners gain expertise (Merrill, 2002). Guidance is faded as group members feel more confident with the subject matter and become more competent with the learned procedures.
Merrill (2007) suggests beginning with worked examples and then later, introduces students to smaller less complex problems. But as the process progresses, Merrill suggests changing problems by adding components to make them more realistic (Merrill, 2002, 2007). Thus it is important to begin with simplified versions of real world problems to progressively add components. This progression and fading motivates learners as they slowly gain expertise and take ownership.
The learning material will be a combination of prefabricated resources such as books and article as well as originally created materials by the instructors. As this course is delivered using the MOODLE LMS platform, materials, instructions, and communications will take place virtually as well as face-to-face. Face-to-face interactions will only happen when there each student is asked to participate in a field study to practice shooting digital photography and to complete various assignments. Leveraging upon this type of technology affords rapid transmission of course content, directions, and relay of assessment. Furthermore, communication is enhanced through the use of Web 2.0 and its affordance to social networking. The modules will be formulated using a learning-cycle strategy as follows: exploration, reflection, engagement, and expansion (Wyse-Fisher, 2005).
Moreover, this MOODLE approach will contain elements of Gagne’s instructional design theory as situations will directly impact methods and the content is conveniently consistent with the flow chart illustrated in “What is Instructional-Design Theory and How Is It Changing?” (Reigeluth, 1999, p. 7).
· Capturing images in different settings and themes
· Uploading, organizing, and sharing images
· Taking notes
· Creating and updating a weblog
· Discussion
Interactivities are task-centred in accordance with Merrill (2007) instructional design. These tasks will achieve the goals and problems prescribed through a consistent process throughout the units in the course. Also, planned progressions will address the learning outcomes.
References:
Anisef, P., Policy Research Center on Children, Y., & Others, A. (1993, January 1). The Young Adult Learner: Fifteen- to Eighteen-Year-Old Students in the Ontario English-Language School System. Volumes One [and] Two. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED373884) Retrieved May 28, 2009, from ERIC database.
Merrill, M.D. (2002). “A pebble-in-the-pond model for instructional design”. Performance Improvement 41 (7): 39–44.doi:10.1002/pfi.4140410709. available at http://www.ispi.org/pdf/Merrill.pdf
Merrill, M. (2007, Fall2007). A Task-Centered Instructional Strategy. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 40(1), 5-22. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from MasterFILE Premier database.
Perkins, M. Pfaffman, J. (2006). Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication. Science Teacher, 73(7), 33-37.
Problem-based Learning. (2009, January 27). Retrieved May 29, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning.
Reigeluth, C.M. (1999). What is instructional-design and how is it changing? In C.M.
Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory, Vol. 2,. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Wyse-Fisher, D., Daugherty, M., Satchwell, R., & Custer, R. (2005, September). PROJECT PROBASE: ENGAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR 11th AND 12th GRADE STUDENTS. Technology Teacher, 65(1), 22-25. Retrieved May 29, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.
