Learning Management Systems (LMS) are software programs for managing education. LMS consist of software for managing educational records and software for distributing courses over the Internet. LMS are often used to track the use and registration of online courses (Wikipedia, 2009).
Usually a learning management system provides educators with a way to create and deliver content, monitor student participation, and assess student performance. A LMS can also provide students with the ability to use interactive features such as threaded discussions, video conferencing, and discussion forums (SearchCIO.com, 2003).
I have experienced using two LMS, Blackboard and Moodle. Through my experience of both LMS I have found Moodle to be the most effective. As a student I find with the rapid rate at which technology is advancing I am spending more and more time at the computer. It is therefore important I minimise the time spent jumping from one window to the next, this I feel can be achieved with the use of Moodle. It is a very user friendly and is designed in a more sequential manner.
SearchCIO.Com, (2003). Technology Management Strategies for the Enterprise CIO: Learning Management Systems. Retrieved August 18, 2009, From http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci798202,00.html
Wikipedia. (2009): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_management_system
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
PowerPoint
PowerPoint is a program that creates a presentation that consist of one or more slides that can contain text, graphics, animation or video. Slides can then be viewed individually or as part of a slide show.
It has been suggested the use of relevant diagrams, animation and video clips have all shown to be useful to students with recall and retention as well as to problem solve more effectively. It also helps students that are strong visual learners. (Armitage, ND.) It is, however, important to note that Bartsch (2003) studies showed that when a teacher uses irrelevant images, students can become confused and unable to listen to what is being taught. This, in turn, can affect their learning in a negative way. For this reason it is important that teachers are careful in choosing the correct visual material to correlate with the rest of the presentation and to incorporate explicit teacher talk to assist students understanding.
In my experience, I have found PowerPoint to be a very useful tool for assessment. Last year my grade 3/4 class had to research and partake in a science experiment of their choice. They had to document their journey through the use of photos, posters and a science journal. As a class they then had to create a PowerPoint presentation to present to the parents and teachers at their science fair. Students had to work collaboratively to decided what information and photos would best showcase their learning. Each student was allocated time to design two PowerPoint slides and were involved in the drafting and editing of another students slides. Students were engaged throughout the whole process and enjoyed experimenting with the many tools available to design their own unique PowerPoint slides.
It was amazing to see what the students were capable of and the learning that took place!
Armitage, S. (n.d.). Lancaster University PowerPoint & Student’ Learning: Briefing Paper. Retrieved August 18, 2009, From: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/celt/celtweb/files/Powerpoint%20and%20student%20learning%20final.pdf
Bartsch, R. C., K. (2003). Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. Computers & Education(41): 77-86.
It has been suggested the use of relevant diagrams, animation and video clips have all shown to be useful to students with recall and retention as well as to problem solve more effectively. It also helps students that are strong visual learners. (Armitage, ND.) It is, however, important to note that Bartsch (2003) studies showed that when a teacher uses irrelevant images, students can become confused and unable to listen to what is being taught. This, in turn, can affect their learning in a negative way. For this reason it is important that teachers are careful in choosing the correct visual material to correlate with the rest of the presentation and to incorporate explicit teacher talk to assist students understanding.
In my experience, I have found PowerPoint to be a very useful tool for assessment. Last year my grade 3/4 class had to research and partake in a science experiment of their choice. They had to document their journey through the use of photos, posters and a science journal. As a class they then had to create a PowerPoint presentation to present to the parents and teachers at their science fair. Students had to work collaboratively to decided what information and photos would best showcase their learning. Each student was allocated time to design two PowerPoint slides and were involved in the drafting and editing of another students slides. Students were engaged throughout the whole process and enjoyed experimenting with the many tools available to design their own unique PowerPoint slides.
It was amazing to see what the students were capable of and the learning that took place!
Armitage, S. (n.d.). Lancaster University PowerPoint & Student’ Learning: Briefing Paper. Retrieved August 18, 2009, From: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/celt/celtweb/files/Powerpoint%20and%20student%20learning%20final.pdf
Bartsch, R. C., K. (2003). Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. Computers & Education(41): 77-86.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Voki Avatars
Voki Avatars are an online character, designed by the user to purvey a message in a visually stimulating manner.
There are many applications for Avatars in the classroom. The visually stimulating nature of the avatars makes them an ideal 'hook' to begin a learning experience.
Students must perceive their tasks to be valuable and interesting. In order to achieve this, teachers must use a variety of ways to engage students in classroom tasks. (Maranzo & Pickering 1997) Voki is one of these ways.
Because of the engaging nature of Voki, teachers could use the Avatar throughout a unit of work. The avatar could be used as the 'hook' and identify the unit objectives and set tasks for students to complete. When students reach each set task another avatar would lead them to the next set of tasks. This would continue until the end of the unit and ensure that students remain engaged throughout the unit. For example this would work particularly well for a unit on different countries and cultures, "Around the World in 60 days".
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Arredondo, D., Blackburn, G., Brandt R., Moffett C., et al. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: Teachers Manual. Aurora, Colorado: McRel
There are many applications for Avatars in the classroom. The visually stimulating nature of the avatars makes them an ideal 'hook' to begin a learning experience.
Students must perceive their tasks to be valuable and interesting. In order to achieve this, teachers must use a variety of ways to engage students in classroom tasks. (Maranzo & Pickering 1997) Voki is one of these ways.
Because of the engaging nature of Voki, teachers could use the Avatar throughout a unit of work. The avatar could be used as the 'hook' and identify the unit objectives and set tasks for students to complete. When students reach each set task another avatar would lead them to the next set of tasks. This would continue until the end of the unit and ensure that students remain engaged throughout the unit. For example this would work particularly well for a unit on different countries and cultures, "Around the World in 60 days".
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Arredondo, D., Blackburn, G., Brandt R., Moffett C., et al. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: Teachers Manual. Aurora, Colorado: McRel
e.Portfolios
E.Portfolios are a purposeful collection of work and information that can represent individuals efforts, progress and achievements over time. E.portfolios can be used as a reflective tool of ones learning journey and they allow for the individual to demonstrate their learning by presenting a collection of self selected pieces of work that showcase their development through the use of digital era.
Dr Helen Barrett (2004) states that a digital portfolio can be designed to meet many purposes. It can be used as a reflection of learning, a tool for formative and summative assessment and as a powerful asset for employment. As teachers we need to be held accountable for our students progress and learning. E.portfolios are one way in which we show and document what students know and can do. This is an effective way to communicate to parents, students and other educational professionals evidence of individual learning (Barret, 2005). This i believe to be very true, however it must not be the 'be all and end all' of portfolios. There needs to be a balance between using portfolios for accountability and using them to support the learning process (Zubizarreta, 2004).
I can see that E.portfolio is going to be a really powerful learning tool for both teacher and students. However as I am a 'digital immigrant' it has been a difficult process becoming familiar with the features that Mahara has to offer. Students on the other hand will master the features naturally and will benefit greatly from the collaborative learning environment that it fosters.
Barret, H. (2004) Digital Portfolios in Teacher Education. Retrieved August 17, 2009, From http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/foreword.html
Barret, H. (2005) Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement. Retrieved August 17, 2009, From http://electronicportfolios.com/reflect/whitepaper.pdf
Zubizarreta, J.(2004). The Learning Portfolio. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing
Dr Helen Barrett (2004) states that a digital portfolio can be designed to meet many purposes. It can be used as a reflection of learning, a tool for formative and summative assessment and as a powerful asset for employment. As teachers we need to be held accountable for our students progress and learning. E.portfolios are one way in which we show and document what students know and can do. This is an effective way to communicate to parents, students and other educational professionals evidence of individual learning (Barret, 2005). This i believe to be very true, however it must not be the 'be all and end all' of portfolios. There needs to be a balance between using portfolios for accountability and using them to support the learning process (Zubizarreta, 2004).
I can see that E.portfolio is going to be a really powerful learning tool for both teacher and students. However as I am a 'digital immigrant' it has been a difficult process becoming familiar with the features that Mahara has to offer. Students on the other hand will master the features naturally and will benefit greatly from the collaborative learning environment that it fosters.
Barret, H. (2004) Digital Portfolios in Teacher Education. Retrieved August 17, 2009, From http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/foreword.html
Barret, H. (2005) Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement. Retrieved August 17, 2009, From http://electronicportfolios.com/reflect/whitepaper.pdf
Zubizarreta, J.(2004). The Learning Portfolio. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing
Wiki's
Wikis are a web page that allows multiple users to view and modify a document. This can be used for anything from organising an event to collaborating on a group assignment.
A wiki has multiple authors, which means it has the capability to explore multiple ideas very quickly.
In a classroom wikis promote critical thinking as students are forced to question the content supplied by their peers. The opportunities for using wikis in the classroom are endless. Teachers can develop authentic tasks for students and with the use of a Wiki students will not only be able to generate ideas they will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with peers to correct, improve, evaluate and discuss multiple ideas. The idea of authentic assessment and collaborative work was highlighted by Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999). They state the underlying idea of the Engagement Theory is for students to be engaged in meaningful tasks in collaboration with their peers (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999).
Kearsley, G., Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
A wiki has multiple authors, which means it has the capability to explore multiple ideas very quickly.
In a classroom wikis promote critical thinking as students are forced to question the content supplied by their peers. The opportunities for using wikis in the classroom are endless. Teachers can develop authentic tasks for students and with the use of a Wiki students will not only be able to generate ideas they will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with peers to correct, improve, evaluate and discuss multiple ideas. The idea of authentic assessment and collaborative work was highlighted by Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999). They state the underlying idea of the Engagement Theory is for students to be engaged in meaningful tasks in collaboration with their peers (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999).
Kearsley, G., Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A Framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
RSS Aggregator
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a system which allows the user to subscribe to multiple blogs and websites who can then automatically update the users account with new publications.
This is essentially a time saving tool as it allows the user to minimise time spent looking for new publications.
As a teacher, monitoring students blogs may become necessary in the future, so an RSS would become invaluable. Allowing a teacher to passively monitor blogs without having to actively search for new publications from students.
Students will benefit in a similar way. Enabling them to more easily provide feedback on the blogs of peers, and in turn, make it much easier for their peers to offer feedback on their own publications. This promotes a collaborative learning environment for both teachers and students.
This is essentially a time saving tool as it allows the user to minimise time spent looking for new publications.
As a teacher, monitoring students blogs may become necessary in the future, so an RSS would become invaluable. Allowing a teacher to passively monitor blogs without having to actively search for new publications from students.
Students will benefit in a similar way. Enabling them to more easily provide feedback on the blogs of peers, and in turn, make it much easier for their peers to offer feedback on their own publications. This promotes a collaborative learning environment for both teachers and students.
Blogs
"A weblog (blog) is a website that allows the user to post time-stamped diary entries" (Northcott, Miliszewska, Dakich, 2007). Blog entries are able to be sorted into separate categories which can then be shared with other users who share an interest in the topic being discussed. Users are then able to comment and share opinions on the given topic.
Blogs are a great tool that can enable teachers to develop their students own creativity, through careful planning of activities to engage the students in the blogging process.
It is important to note if utilising this approach teachers must be constantly aware of the possibility students may be subjected to cyber bullying. It is therefore important that teachers are closely monitoring all students blogs at all times!
Northcott, B., Miliszewska, I., Dakich, E. (2007). ICT for (I)nspiring (C)reative (T)hinking. Retrieved August 11, 2009, From http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/northcott.pdf
Blogs are a great tool that can enable teachers to develop their students own creativity, through careful planning of activities to engage the students in the blogging process.
It is important to note if utilising this approach teachers must be constantly aware of the possibility students may be subjected to cyber bullying. It is therefore important that teachers are closely monitoring all students blogs at all times!
Northcott, B., Miliszewska, I., Dakich, E. (2007). ICT for (I)nspiring (C)reative (T)hinking. Retrieved August 11, 2009, From http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/northcott.pdf
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