My Content Module
I would like to think that the result of my first experience with Moodle has been a success. I am pretty please with the final result of my Introductory Unit and my first Content Unit (Module 1 – Colour Theory). I chose to create an eLearning version of a grade 7 art class that I currently teach. The course is part of our 1:1 iPad program so a lot of the resources that I added to my online version had that type of learner in mind. I appreciated that Moodle works well on the iPad, however, I would have liked to see a stand alone app that allowed for notifications and alerts for students.
The greatest challenge for me when moving from a traditional classroom environment to an online experience was how to maintain ‘my voice’. As Natasha pointed out in my Intro unit – that was lost. I struggled at first to make the course personal – focussing too much on content and direction, rather then making it a more relaxed learning environment. With those suggestions in mind I looked at reformatting not only my Content Unit, but my Intro unit as well. As identified in the ISTE Standards for Teachers, a teachers role is to ‘advance student learning, creativity and innovation in both face-to face and virtual environments’.
The inclusion of video introductions and more opportunities for students to share, I believe have made the course more interactive for students. As Ciampa notes ‘Multimedia effects such as video, audio, music, animation and interactive capabilities afforded by mobile devices evoke sensory curiosity’ (pg. 84). By providing students an opportunity to ‘see’ me, I feel that I will be better able to connect with my students. I feel that the personality of both teachers and students can sometimes get lost in an online environment. Allowing students the opportunity to use their mobile devices to add multimedia to the course will provide opportunities to make the learning personal.
My greatest concern with the LMS however is still the online assessment tool. In Ontario, teachers are required to assess all four levels of the achievement chart for each Assessment ‘Of’ Learning (typically 1 per unit). Moodle does not permit a course designer the ability to determine what part of an assessment be directed to a specific grade category. Through some research I have determined that while teachers use Moodle as an eLearning provider in Ontario they do not use the online testing tool for Summative Assessments.
My Digital Story
I used the digital story as a way to further a class discussion and to provide students with a ‘spark’ to begin thinking about the meaning and symbolism of colour. My intention was to create a short animated video that brought some humour and personality to the concept of colour theory. I specifically chose to include the digital story as part of later section in the unit (2.5 – The Meaning of Colour) to provide students with a different method of instruction – using variety to keep students engaged. As identified in ‘Towards a Theory of Online Learning’, students learn creativity through playing and observation through viewing examples (pg. 62). My hope is that the digital story provides students with both – an opportunity to view and example, but also to engage in a fun and enjoyable learning experience.
Here is a link to my Digital Story – Hi! I’m RED!
I have always found VideoScribe to be an amazing presentation platform. I have been intrigued by lectures by Sir Ken Robinson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U) which used the animation capabilities to create interesting and humorous discussions about the state of education. However, once I actually began working with VideoScribe I found myself becoming frustrated. The ability to animate and keep the narrative interesting and dynamic was much more difficult then I had anticipated. While I like my final product and am happy with the way that it functions as part of my content module, I will definitely be spending more time working with VideoScribe before launching this course to my students in the future.
Anderson, T. (2008b). Teaching in an online learning context. In Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. Theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca University. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/14_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf
Ciampa, K. (2013). Learning in a mobile age: An investigation of student motivation. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(1), 82–96. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcal.12036/epdf
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). Standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for-teachers