Journal Post #9
Chapter 9
“Today’s students want to learn differently than in the past. They want
ways of learning that are meaningful to them…and ways that make good use of the
technology they know is their birthright.”
-Marc Prensky
Learning Outcome
Describe
ways of how and why teachers can use video in the classroom.
Videos, including those from video sharing sites as YouTube,
are widely used teaching tools that when well made convey important academic
information in visually engaging ways. Viewing videos can be a passive
experience unless teachers create opportunities for students to interact with
and respond to onscreen materials.
Strategies
for interactive video viewing include using the pause and rewind buttons t view
and converse about what students see. Asking students to write a response to
what they see will inspire conversation.
Digital Dialog
What
factors make interesting PowerPoint presentations? What makes them
uninteresting?
According to Edelman
and Harring, some conclusions from the research at Muhlenberg are that students
learn more when:
·
material is presented in short phrases
rather than full paragraphs.
·
the professor talks about the
information on the slide rather than having students read it on their own.
·
relevant pictures are used. Irrelevant
pictures decrease learning compared to PowerPoint slides with no picture
·
they take notes (if the professor is
not talking). But if the professor is lecturing, note-taking and listening
decreased learning.
·
they are given the PowerPoint slides before
the class.
Characteristics
students like about professors’ PowerPoint slides
·
Graphs
increase understanding of content
·
Bulleted
lists help them organize ideas
·
PowerPoint
can help to structure lectures
·
Verbal
explanations of pictures/graphs help more than written clarifications
Characteristics
students don’t like about professors’ PowerPoint slides
·
Too
many words on a slide
·
Clip
art
·
Movement
(slide transitions or word animations)
·
Templates
with too many colors
Summary
Multimedia
learning happens when multiple media are used to communicate information;
Schools have largely emphasized single media, noninteractive form of
information presentation, but multimedia technology offer ways to incorporate
dynamic learning experiences into classroom teachings.
PowerPoint,
one of the most widely used computer application in the world, is a way for
teachers and students to present information in visually engaging ways. PowerPoint
has been criticized for oversimplifying complex materials and creating uninteresting
presentations. Two information presentation design principles are: active
participation rather than passive viewing and recognizing who the audience is
and what they should leave knowing.
Resources
Your summary is well done and like the Prensky quote - he is a great resource for understanding the change technology has (and will continue to) impact our students' learning. Your observations about PowerPoint are definitely evident in many classrooms. Hopefully, as teachers learn the better use of design, they will provide better PP slides. :)
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