My Learning Object

Thanks Edmund for your very constructive comments. I agree with you that the object can easily be divided into its respective parts (nouns, verbs, sentences) to ensure no-one is lost or no sections are missed. The rationale for having it as a single object was to create opportunity for advancement for fast learners. My own daughter whipped through the "nouns" section but had to concentrate a bit more on the verbs and sentences. She is 8 and has been learning Italian for approximately 6 months.

To overcome a possible "disorientation" problem, I tried to heavily scaffold the navigation and provide the opportunity in each section to go back to the previous section. The commencing audio also outlined the structure and intended sequence of the lesson. Whilst "curiosity based" mouse clicking may initially occur, to complete the quizzes, students need to have either completed the relevant section or otherwise already have that knowledge. Further, each section builds on the prior knowledge, so that use of the nouns learnt in the first section are included in the "verb" section and again both the same nouns and verbs are included in the final section for completing sentences.

I was very aware of a possible information overload in the "verb" and "sentence" section but I did try very hard to restrict the information provided to that necessary to convey the fundamental difference in the construction of the Italian verb and definite article versus the English verb and definite article. Some slides do contain a lot of text but it was necessary to juxtapose the Italian text with its English equivalent in order to both support an understanding of the new language and highlight the differences.

I am not sure I entirely follow your concern about there being "no concrete knowledge being gained". The knowledge I hope is being gained is the acquisition of the new language, by seeing it, hearing it, being asked to repeat it, understanding its meaning (supported by use of graphics and native text) and recognising differences between it and the native language. The quizzes designed to test comprehension are based on self-assessment. They provide immediate feedback and offer the opportunity for revision. I opted for multiple choice because I wanted the quiz itself to support the learning - with 3 options, a student will ultimately make a correct choice and thereby have the correct answer reinforced.

I do take your point about there being no tangible end product and a print option on the quizzes may address this. The main aim of the object however was to have it available for students online or on CD Rom so it could be accessed from home to support classroom learning. The acquisition of language relies heavily on practising the language, which is difficult if you have forgotten how to say the word.

E-learning

Thanks to Jenny for the concise and informative article she provided on this topic. One question that arose for me was whether "text" is considered a visual or verbal code in the context of the theory of "Dual encoding"? We certainly see it but our minds also hear it, even though it is not spoken.

Addendum to my own post - having read further on the theory, I follow that the distinction is one of verbal and non-verbal encoding rather than visual and audio as I had assumed. On this basis text would be encoded as verbal.

The Digital Age

The following article entitled "21st Century Skills - Literacy in the Digital Age" (based on American data) about the challenge for us as adults to provide leadership to our children in this dynamic technological age, resonates with me as it asks the questions I hope we, as adults, can answer-

"How do we adults, with the least experience in the milieu, provide leadership? How do we help children use their native intelligence about technology in sophisticated, responsible ways that serve them well as they make their way in the Digital Age?"

THE CHALLENGE...

MAKING SENSE OF THE SENSORY OVERLOAD!


O O O O M O O O
I I I I I I I U I I I I I I
O O O O L O O O
O I I I I I T I I I I I I
O O O O I O O O I
O I I I I I M I I I I I I
O O I W E B O O I
O I I I I I D I I I I I I
O O O O I O O O I
E D U C A T I O N


Sharing my thoughts and welcoming your views on Multimedia and the Web for Education.

Educating Parents - Creating a Multimedia Link between School and Home

My exposure to a school environment has been as an interested and highly involved observer - a parent. My use of multimedia technology in this context has arisen from a perceived need to connect to the school, those parents who were unable to be involved in the school activities.

I utilised multimedia technology, taking photos, video and recording the children's music to create slide shows and produce DVDs for parents with the aim of bringing into the home, a snapshot of the classroom experience and enhancing parents' understanding and appreciation of their child's school environment.

I opted for a stand alone multimedia application (DVD) rather than online because my material contained high quality images of school children.

Beyond this, I think there is an important role for the use of multimedia technology in educating parents about the education of their children.

The importance of parents being familiar with multimedia technology and the web was highlighted in a talk I attended a few weeks ago given by NetAlert. The speaker, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg spoke of the results of one survey that showed that children spend far more time on the internet at home than at school. He encouraged parents to educate children about the precautions and safeguards required when using the web rather than prohibit its many uses.

I think more than ever there is a need for schools to give substance to what is sometimes merely the rhetoric of a school/parent relationship. The challenge for parents is to embrace and master technology rather than fear it. The challenge for educational policy is to assist parents in achieving this.