Week 4 - Images, Audio and Video

source: www.intellivisiongames.com

This week we explored technologies which included digital images, audio and video.  I have endeavoured to have a go at creating an example using each of these mediums.  The defining factor in this week's activity is the scope available to us as educators in incorporating these tools into our teaching in a meaningful way.  I find myself constantly loosing valuable time by exploring the myriad functions these mediums can provide.  

Although I appreciate the value of each I have tried to be economic with my time so have only explored the basics in each technique.  Examples can be viewed in my previous blog post.

Using these tools in a teaching Context

I can imagine how all of these digital technologies could be included in a teaching context.  If scaffolded well into the learning design and are given a purposeful function within that scaffold I can see that they could be incorporated seamlessly and effectively.

Digital Images

I had a lot of fun playing with images this week.  The possibilities are endless.  I had a go at manipulating an image using some of the recommended software.  With more and more children having access to digital cameras, ipods and ipads sharing pictures no longer involves trawling through dusty old photo albums.  Images are readily available, many are free, children can take them themselves and many have the technology to share, manipulate and enhance them.  Incorporating the use of digital images into how we teach is the challenge, although not a difficult one.  It is in my opinion offering a visual cue, in this case a digital image, as part of a teaching concept would enhance learning.  

As Meris Stanbury discusses in her article "Analysis: How multimedia can improve learning" by using multimedia as part of teaching design can enhance learning:


"... based on meta-analysis, the average student’s scores on basic skills assessments increase by 21 percentiles when engaged in non-interactive, multimodal learning (which includes using text with visual input, text with audio input, and watching and listening to animations or lectures that effectively use visuals) in comparison with traditional, single-mode learning."


source: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/03/26/analysis-how-multimedia-can-improve-learning/

Podcasts

I particularly liked one of the examples that I came across through my reading this week where students made podcasts as part of an art assignment where they provided commentary on various paintings within a collection. A concept like this could be used for a range of age groups.  A virtual gallery could be set up within the classroom using a web page where photographs of the artworks are recorded along with a description and some history.  Students could then explore the work more deeply, research the artist, the historical period etc and add this to the website.  They then may be asked to prepare a podcast commentary on each artwork that they then exchange with each other.  

Video

Making movies has always seemed beyond the grasp of the masses but this weeks exploration has made me re-assess this opinion.  It seems the technology and the software is there, all you need is the know how!  I particularly enjoyed the C is for Cookie video.  This example made it look so easy.  I am sure students as part of a scaffolded topic could incorporate this technique into their learning.  Again as an extension to the art project example outlined above, students could be asked to use movie making software to showcase their conclusions about the artworks in a short movie.  Each artwork could be photographed, perhaps animated, audio could be added, as their final presentation of the concept.  A project such as this is encouraging students to range of multi media applications and research material culminating with a movie as the finished product.