Section VIII - New Directions
Learning Objects
When I was reading, reusable design or learning objects sounded fairly obvious, but then I became pretty confused. I needed to do additional research in order to have a better grasp, because I was definitely second-guessing my initial understanding and having a hard time connecting the reading to my classroom. Many of the examples of types of learning objectives in the text are based in science, so it was challenging for me at first to think of English content examples. I found a resource from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth which helped and provided an example of research tutorials as a learning object (Gatenby, 2009). There are a few learning objects that I utilize already, especially for our Shakespeare unit. For example, I provide students with the link to a virtual “tour” of the Globe Theatre, with a panoramic photo and places to click to zoom in with an explanation. Students can watch brief (1-2 minute) clips of performances and can analyze dramatic components more effectively through this contextual experience.
Web 2.0
Immediately I thought of blogs and how they could be used in my classroom. I believe using a classroom blog associated with our novel studies could be very beneficial. Students receive a reading schedule and on days chapters are due, we discuss the selection. Many learners are introverted or scared to speak up, and some students dominate group discussions. Additionally, some students don’t keep up with the reading, so discussion time ends up being “Mrs. Berner summarizes” time. I envision using a blog to present a brief overview of the chapters and posit questions for which my students would respond. Breaking up the students by due date could help alleviate potential posting chaos. For example, 3-4 students per class are responsible for answering questions on those given chapters. This way only 18-24 students are commenting on the blog, but that is still enough to facilitate interaction between student/student and student/teacher. This would allow me to determine their understanding of the literature without forcing those introverts to speak during class. Also, this helps me to assess their written analytical skills.
Virtual Worlds
I would love, love, love to incorporate a virtual world into my designs of novel studies. Many of the pieces of literature we read are from different historical and cultural contexts, and while students may say they know why Jane Eyre had to become a governess, they don’t truly understand the implications of being a poor, orphaned female in Victorian England. I feel that virtual worlds could make these contexts much more accessible for students’ learning. The text mentions that these “can act as virtual travel tools, useful for immersive language and cultural as well as archaeological and historical studies” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012, p. 334). The idea that my students in Corpus Christi, Texas in 2017, could “visit” Caesar’s Rome of 44 BCE is absolutely remarkable. However, in my searching, I haven’t found exactly what I’m looking for to utilize in the classroom. The optimal design for education would be if the virtual worlds were created through an educational or historical organization with specific parameters. Other players could be employees of the host company, acting as tour guides or citizens from the time period.
*As a random note, Dr. Brian May, guitarist from Queen, has been recently active in the VR world. This will be something to look into, as the cost is relatively inexpensive.
Section IX - Issues
Typically in my classes, the only differentiation I encounter is with my Gifted/Talented students; however, this past year, I did have a few diversity issues to consider. The type of disability involvement I had to address was cognitive involvement. I would need to make a few instructional design modifications.
Learning Objects
The learning object I addressed above has the potential to accommodate for cognitive involvement. One way the technology allows for this is that the students would have as much time as necessary to utilize the learning object. As it is constantly accessible, they could refer to it repeatedly. This technology would need minimal guidance for success. There are many affordances on the “tour,” such as play-arrow buttons that indicate what to do. Additionally, the group offers an app that might be easier to manipulate and access whenever needed.
Web 2.0
I believe this technology would allow for the most accommodation. The students I have with cognitive disabilities need time to develop responses (especially written), to not feel pressured to verbally respond in class, be able to adjust their screen visibility components, and avoid overwhelming flashing lights. Utilizing a blog could be incredibly beneficial as the student could take their time to write their responses if I give them sufficient notification. This also alleviates the pressure of having to engage verbally in our discussions. Some students need to adjust font size or screen brightness- all accommodations that could be made using a blog. Because the response is a reflection of chapters read or answering specific questions, I believe a moderate level of guidance would be necessary. When submitting typed responses electronically, my students generally use Google, so the transition to a different platform wouldn’t need fully guided instruction.
Virtual Worlds
Lastly, virtual worlds seem to present many potential issues for design and integration. The first glaring issue I see is that of inappropriate behavior. As stated in the text, “when dealing with technology, health and safety concerns are of paramount importance” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012, p. 343). Additionally, technical issues would be a significant factor in regards to access and bandwidth. I definitely see immense potential for virtual worlds to accommodate diverse learners. I’m picturing a virtual world where any type of learner, disabled or not, could immerse themselves into a historical and cultural context never previously experienced. If the other players were their classmates and employees of the host organization, we could eliminate many concerns of ethical issues. This would need fully guided instruction until students feel comfortable and safe using the technology.
Gatenby, D. (2009, March 09). Student Learning with Reusable Learning Objects. Retrieved July 03, 2017, from
https://www.slideshare.net/dgatenby/student-learning-with-reusable-learning-objects-1123847
Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and
technology (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson.
No comments:
Post a Comment