Educational Video

My Ed Puzzle - Tips for Being a Successful Online Student

My Ted Ed - Tips for Online Student Success

Educational videos promote learning in many ways, according to a summary of current research in the article, "Using Educational Video in the Classroom: Theory, Research and Practice By Emily Cruse M.Ed." The article states that educational video reinforces reading and lecture material, aids in the development of a common base of knowledge among students, enhances student comprehension and discussion, provides greater accommodation of diverse learning styles, increases student motivation and enthusiasm, and promotes teacher effectiveness.

Additionally, educational videos humanize the online classroom in ways that text and audio alone cannot. For example, video captures tone as well as non-verbal queues that provide a more accurate presentation of information than text alone. Additionally, video taps into multiple intelligences such as spacial, khinistetic, musical and facilitates the use of  interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. 

The khan Academy as well as Ted Ed are excellent examples of educational technology platforms utilizing video in the learning process.  Video enables students to watch, learn, test themselves, re-watch, learn again, test again, until the student has mastered the concept.  It provides an excellent way for self-paced project based learning. Additionally, videos are a great way to capture and synthesize complex concepts that include a lot of information into bight sized applicable information. Here is a good example of a video summarizing Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The visuals and audio narration in this video promote deeper learning and appeal to visual learners like me:

According to the research study, "Video prompts for self-regulated learning: Metacognition and reflection activity" by  Janet Sedgley, she analyzed the effectiveness of video prompts for activating metacognitive monitoring and reflection toward increased SRL. Study revealed that video prompts reduced participants’ tendencies to complete the study and Participants who completed the study received a course grade two letter grades higher than those who did not complete the study. I will say the study was fairly complicated and challenging to understand, and perhaps including a 5 minute video summary of the study, methods, findings, and conclusion would have been really beneficial. Dr. Sedgley asserts that "video prompts may be similar to educational video in engaging learners, reducing cognitive load, providing more immediate externally facilitated regulation, and combating the transaction distance of asynchronous WBLE." However, their is more research that needs to be conducted in this area.

Sedgley, J. (2015). Video prompts for self-regulated learning: Metacognition and reflection activity.

Computational Thinking

image source: https://www.computationalthinkers.com/product/computationalthinking/

Computational thinking is a problem solving process that involves the following skills:

• Decomposition - breaking down data, processes, and problems into smaller parts
• Pattern recognition - observing patterns and trends in data
• Abstraction - figuring the principles that generate these patters
• Algorithms design - developing step by step instructions to solve the problems
• Evaluation: Ensuring that your solution is a good one.

Computational thinking is used in computer programming and application development but can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including the humanities, math, and science.

An activity that is relevant to me that  promotes each of the five skills of computational thinking is selling clothing online to sports fans. 

My brother and I started an online clothing company called www.100tees.com and computational thinking plays a large part in all facets of problem solving for my company. For example, we first had to ask the question: How can we break down the process of selling T-shirts into all of it's smaller parts such as: What design program will we use to design the shirts? How will we market the shirts? How will we print the shirts? How will we ship the shirts? How will we manage returns? How will we manage trademark and copyright questions? By breaking the larger problem into smaller parts we were effectively able to come up with workable solutions for our company.

After breaking the larger problem of selling shirts into it's smaller parts and answered each question and began to sell shirts online over the past 6 months we began to recognize patterns. For example: shirt sales increased around holidays and weekends. Shirt sales increased when major breaking news in the sports wold happened and we were able to capitalize on it with our designs. As we  continue to collect data we will continue to observe patterns and refine our processes.

There are many variables involved in selling T-shirts so developing an abstraction model is important to separate the forest from the trees. Being able to put some of the non essential details in the background and bring the essential details into the foreground has been beneficial.  For example, there are hundreds of variables that go into the reasons people decide to buy a T-shirt online. By focusing on some key principles such as price point, social media networks, trending events, sports of familiarity, and amount of time to market help remove the non-essentials and create a more clear picture of where we are going.

Next, my brother and I created an algorithm or step by step instructions for the most efficient method to design, develop, and deploy shirts.  I would provide the main idea and my brother would begin a sketch which would go through an iterative process of refining. Once the sketch was complete we would upload the design to our T-shirt platform and I would provide all of the SEO information to help the shirt sell as well as publish the shirt. Once the shirt was published online, I would then use Twitter, facebook, and Instagram to promote the shirt.

Finally, most importantly is our evaluation of the process. One aspect of the evaluation involves receiving feedback and ratings from consumers on our shirts. Another form of evaluation is involves comparing shirts that sold well versus shirts that did not sell well. Reviewing colors, design, and content are key in the evaluation phase

Explain a rationale for integrating computational thinking in the classroom

Integrating computational thinking in the classroom is an excellent idea as it's another method of problem solving that is empirical and practical that will benefit kids throughout their entire lives. It also helps kids begin to see the kind of thinking involved in computer science, which is wildly in demand, and also prepares students for STEM fields as well as fields in the humanities, arts and sciences. Kids are often taught about the scientific method as a process to solve problems which is wonderful, but including other problem solving methodologies such as computational thinking and design thinking provide additional tools for problem solving skills to kids.

Some of the pedagogical concerns of integrating computational thinking center around how and when children should learn this ability and how it should be taught (Voogt, J., et al. 2015). Some argue that CT should not only be part of a college education but that the concepts of CT should be taught in elementary school as well. Therefore some larger pedagogical concerns remains as to what CT concepts should be learned at what stage of education across the spectrum of subjects. CT promotes collaboration and creativity so one major question that has surfaced is whether CT should strictly be a computing subject or whether it should be embedded across other subject areas (Voogt, J., et al. 2015).

Activity 1 - https://studio.code.org/c/823836349

Activity 3 - https://trinket.io/python/6cafa970af


All 5 CT skills were used while creating the two programs in Code Studio and Trinket. Using block-based coding in Code studio made it easier to visualize the breaking down of a larger problem into it's smaller parts.The use of colors and shapes also helped to see patterns emerge.  I was able to create a 3-Dimensional tunnel by repeating a pattern 20 times and moving it forward 5 pixels with each shape, which created a 3-D illusion  - I found that I am much better at reverse engineering a problem after it is complete to figure out how it works rather than to build it brick by brick. I like to explore with variables to see what they do then after I see how it changed the product I am then better able to understand the logic. For example, on the Studio project, once I was able to identify that the "that turn by degrees" block affects the shape of the object I was able to manipulate the code to create different shapes. Turning by 45 degrees=Octagon, turning 90 degrees creates a square, Turning 120 degrees creates a Triangle, and Turning 150 degrees creates a star. It's much easier to understand these ideas by manipulating the code and immediately viewing the results and then from there being able to understand why that happened.

While building the Christmas Tree I was able to use the skills of abstraction and apply my understanding "objects" to import a second turtle to help build the ornaments. I recognized the pattern of code used to build circles and applied that to my code. One challenge I experienced was how crucial it is to perform commands in the exact right order.  If lines of code were in the wrong order it caused problems of the final product. Being able to use rapid prototyping to quickly run a program and identify problems and apply fixes was very useful. I experienced a challenge where after my turtle would create an object and fill it with color and jump forward to create another object, it kept adding lines that would connect the objects instead of moving with the pen up to start a new object, which was a mistake. I kept looking at my code and the examples in the lesson to try and identify a pattern that I was missing and eventually I figured it out. The order of the commands were slightly off from the example and once I corrected the order/pattern I was able to fix it.  Evaluation was used in comparing my tree with the example tree and I continued to correct my code until I eventually got very close to the original drawing.

Augmented Reality

Check out my AR BGSU Allied Health eCampus Flyer


The following are 5 reasons AR might promote learning in new ways:

1. First AR will capture the attention of your audience! Imagine going over the skeletal system and in class you have a live skeleton. You walk over to the skeleton and point your tablet at the skeleton and all of a sudden the muscles of the skeleton show up on screen. You have the students attention. 
2. Student participation will increase as each student would be able to pull out their device and also access the skeletal system on their device. Instead of simply watching you have all of the fun, they get to participate in the action. 
3. Using AR gives you access to portable and less expensive live models. Imagine how expensive it would be to have 3 different skeletal models. One showing the bones, another the muscular system, and yet another the organs. Using AR student can access all of these 3D models right from their device. 
4. Students may retain more knowledge as AR connects students to multiple learning objects. For example, a scan of the skeletal system might result in the heart showing up with a link to web page about the heart followed by a video of open heart surgery. Instead of looking at a photo and talking about it, student will retain more knowledge by interacting and engaging with the content and connecting the educational dots of the topic through multimedia. 
5. Finally, all of this facilitates intellectual curiosity. As a student explores the various aspects of the the AR skeletal system and the corresponding media they will be inclined to interact with all of the various parts of the model (Augment, 2015).

The following are 3 ways that companies are creating AR products for use in educational settings:

1. A company named Curiscope is using AR in conjunction with T-shirt designs so that when when the student points the device at the person wearing the shirt, they can see inside the human body and learn about how it works. This is beneficial because it combines visual and kinisthetic learning styles.  
2. Popar is a company that uses AR to bring books and charts to life. As a child is viewing a map of the solar system on his wall, he can point his device at the map and see the solar system come to life as the planets orbit the sun. The goal is to actively engage students in the learning process
3. Quiver Vision is the AR company that brings coloring books to life. Perfect for art teachers and artist in general. Students will color a page and then point the device at the page to see their colorful creation come to life in 3D. (Burch, 2016).

One criticism of AR is that students and teachers will need modern technology that is not cheap to obtain and will need to be updated and maintained. This makes AR less than ideal for a large amount of people especially those in a less affluent school.  Another criticism of AR is that since it's still in it's infancy, users will have to deal with a lot of glitches and hang ups in the systems which can disrupt the flow of education. If AR is not seamless, it can potentially become more of a distraction than a solution.  

Describe pedagogical contributions of AR, challenges of using AR in the classroom, and two areas for further research in AR

According to the research study, "Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education: A systematic review of the literature," the following pedagogical contributions of AR were identified: AR enhanced enjoyment of the learning activities, increased engagement and interest, enabled more collaborative opportunities, promoted self-learning and experiential learning. Additionally AR is student-centered technology that enables multi-sensory learning that enables learners to quickly receive information. The most notable advantage was enhanced learning achievement and the biggest challenges of using AR included usability issues and technical problems such as GPS errors, camera, internet, etc (Akçayır, M., & Akçayır, G., 2017). When using new technology that requires a lot of variables to work, one often runs into problems. For example, does the wifi work? Does the camera work? Is the device charged? Though AR offers a variety of benefits the technology involved is far from friction-less.

The article indicated that further research is needed in the area of AR and special needs because very few technologies are designed for students with special needs. Additionally further studies need to be conducted to uncover whether a novelty factor played a large part in the student experiences with AR.

References:

Aaron Burch (14 Oct. 2016.). 12 Companies Working on AR Technology for Kids - Touchstone Research. Touchstone Research. Retrieved from https://touchstoneresearch.com/12-companies-working-on-ar-technology-for-kids/

Akçayır, M., & Akçayır, G. (2017). Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Research Review, 20, 1-11.

Augment (13 Feb. 2015.). 5 reasons to use Augmented Reality in Education - Augment News. Augment News. Retrieved from https://www.augment.com/blog/5-reasons-use-augmented-reality-education/

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is a believable interactive 3D computer created world that you can explore in such a way that you actually experience it and feel like you are physically there (Explain that Stuff, 2018). The potential uses for learning with VR are far reaching, however, limitations include but are not limited to, additional equipment costs, management costs, update costs, technical support, platform dependence, and heavy reliance on internet connectivity. Before deciding to implement a VR lesson, the question should be asked, what can VR do for the learner better than a 2D environment?  How can we use VR to stimulate cognition in a greater way?

Three forms of virtual reality include fully immersive, non-immersive, and collaborative. Fully immersive VR is believable, interactive, computer generated, explore-able, and immersive. This kind of virtual reality typically involves a headset and controls for the hands to manipulate the environment. Non-immersive would meet most of the the criteria above yet is not fully immersive. A flight simulator or a 3D modeling system would fit in this category. A collaborative VR environment might be a computer 3D game like Minecraft that enables users to walk around in a 3D world, communicate with on another, and build the landscape together.  The following is an example of Minecraft in Education

Doctoral students only: In two additional paragraphs, describe the relationship between VR and cognition and the implication for using VR in educational settings.

The use of VR and AR assist the students cognitive abilities. Mental imagery and visualization are critical to understanding the cognitive processes of the mind (Zap, N, Code, J, 2016).  AR and VR provide cognitive support for challenging tasks. Examples include complex chemistry experiments, surgery, and astronomy.

Think about the difference between reading about how chemicals bond with one another and entering into the world of molecules via VR. Immersing yourself into the molecular world creates new kinds of cognitive connections, otherwise impossible. Additionally, a student learning about the stages of pregnancy and the size of the baby from books and articles provide one level of cognition, but through VR one can enter into the world of the growing baby and experience the different stages from an immersive and deeply meaningful perspective. This sort of immersion could have effects on how we understand life.

The implication for using VR in educational settings are far reaching and getting easier for teachers to access as prices come down thanks to projects such as Google Cardboard and Google Expeditions. Think about VR in the classroom and how students might take virtual field trips to the Roman Colosseum or even a school in small village in Kenya.  Reading about it, watching videos, and talking about it only effects some of our senses. However, through immersive VR environments more of our senses are activated and therefore the experience becomes more meaningful and sets the stage for deeper learning. We are only scratching the surface of AR and VR. The barriers are real and like all technology can sometimes be hindrance to learning, but as technology advances and becomes more accessible, cheaper, and reliable, there is the potential to embark on a brave new world that leverages these cutting edge immersive environments.


References:

Explain that Stuff (14 Mar. 2018.). What is virtual reality? - A simple introduction. Explain that Stuff. Retrieved from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/virtualreality.html

Zap, N., & Code, J. (2016, June). Virtual and augmented reality as cognitive tools for learning. In EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 1340-1347). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Trends & Challenges

Describe 2 trends of technology in either, K-12, Higher Education, or Industry Training.

Blended Learning
Blended learning has been a trend in higher education for over 10 years and has now become ubiquitous within the educational setting of academia.  Instructors are asking themselves, how can we leverage technology in the educational process to maximize in-class time? For example, in a math course students could watch Khan Academy video for homework and then in class discuss the challenges and work through them in real time.

Collaborative Learning
A second trend, collaborative learning, is directly related to blended learning. For example, in years past students would work on a group project and would have to share various versions of a document with each other via email. This was cumbersome for students to make sure they were working on the most recent document. However, with the advent of cloud computing, groups can work on a single document in the cloud together. A teacher can use a blended approach to learning where groups can collaborate in the cloud using a variety of technologies and then come to class prepared for discussion and project based learning.

Describe 2  challenges that impede adoption of technology in your setting and the implications of these challenges.


Advancing digital equity continues to be a challenge. 

One challenge is figuring out how to advance digital equity by ensuring technology such as broad band communication, access to new devices, and other technological advancements are available to all. The good news is that 94 percent of all school districts in the country meet minimum federal connectivity target (source). Broadband is becoming more affordable and accessible than ever before. The challenge, however, is that the devices, servers, administrators are all still quite expensive and the richer districts will always have an advantage.

Fixing the achievement gap continues to be another challenge.
Because of the digital inequity, another challenge rises and continues to plague students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds resulting in an achievement gap. If kids attend high schools with little money or resources for the technology and support necessary to prepare students for success, it can make the college experience more difficult and thus create an achievement gap for students. If these schools are unable to provide blended learning environments or collaborative learning environments because of slow internet connection or dated technology, they put students at a disadvantage.

Source - Horizon Report - 2017 Higher Education Edition