Screencasts to support learning
I believe there are a number of reasons why screencasts are extremely effective as educational tools and I have outlined these below:
1. Time-flexible learning
2. Support Web 2.0 expectations of learners
3. Enhancement of the learning process
4. Enhancement of learning engagement
Let’s take a look at these one by one….
This year’s presentations included:
Prezi: A better way of doing presentations — from Faculty Focus by: John Orlando, PhD
Everyone seems to assume that a presentation must be accompanied by a PowerPoint. Conferences even require presenters to submit their PowerPoints as a condition of being accepted. But we’ve all seen terrible PowerPoints that detract from the presentation, and many people just don’t use PowerPoints well, hence the term “PowerPoint-induced sleep.”
But maybe it’s time to (gasp) question the use of PowerPoint itself (stick with me here)! Why do we assume that we must put up an outline of our points to help the audience understand them? The best presentations on TED are not accompanied by a PowerPoint of bulleted lists, but rather photos or other imagery that illustrate a point or make an effect. A speaker might flash the simple word “why” on the screen to prepare the audience for questioning a common belief. A single photo could be used to elicit a laugh or set the tone of the discussion.
One alternative to boring PowerPoint slides is to use Prezi. This web-based tool allows the user to create a single canvas of text, images, videos, etc. online. The presenter flies from location to location on the canvas, sometimes turning elements upside down, sometimes zooming in or out, to explore the relationship between ideas. Like a painter, the canvas draws the developer to choose visual imagery to create the presentation, in contrast to the text-heavy, outline-based methodology of PowerPoint.
Coincident TV (CTV) is transforming the way interactive video content is created, consumed and monetized. Coincident TV enables immersive “hypervideo” experiences – the real-time integration of online video with social media, weblinks and transactions. The Coincident TV software suite allows content creators and distributors to easily design, manage and measure interactive video engagements across all digital platforms, including both HTML5 and Flash.
Example:
Hyper Aquarium Demo [Learn about interactive video with an explanation of our aquarium demo]
From DSC:
Again, think of the possibilities here for education…especially on a wall-sized, iPad-like, interactive, multi-touch chalkboard!
…
Instructional Design Ideas for Engaging Courses — from Learning Objects by Dr. Nancy Rubin
Designing e-learning for IMPACT — from Lars is Learning
Creating an engaging, effective e-learning experience can be a daunting task.
Interaction
Multimedia
Personal
Actionable
Challenging
Timing
Augmented reality takes hold in classrooms — from eSchoolNews.com by Laura Devaney
Educators say enhanced learning experiences can lead to engaging lessons; augmented reality overlays digital images and information on real-world settings.
A small but growing number of schools across the nation are turning classroom lessons into engaging experiences with augmented reality (AR), a technology that overlays digital information on top of real-world surroundings as viewed through a smart phone or other handheld, GPS-enabled device.
Proponents of the technology in education say augmented reality differs from virtual reality in that while virtual reality aims to replace a person’s perception of the world with an artificial world, augmented reality enhances a person’s perception of his or her surroundings.
The Augmented Reality Development Lab (ARDL), from virtual reality developer Digital Tech Frontier, lets users display relevant information at the appropriate time and location during an AR experience, which results in virtual 3-D objects appearing in the real world.
Also see:
http://virtualrealitydevelopmentlab.com/
Zooburst — from eduTecher
ZooBurst is a digital storytelling tool that is designed to let anyone easily create their own customized 3D pop-up books. This is a wonderful way to practice and teach writing as well and it is incredibly cool as well. All you need is a web cam to turn on the augmented reality features that are really awesome. A great site for young writers.
Learn Creative Suite 5 on Adobe TV
Deliver innovative ideas in print, web, interactive and mobile. Learn the new features and how to get started with all CS5 products on the How To channel on Adobe TV. Watch now
New Media Consortium’s Summer 2010 Conference
Tracks include:
