Module 6 Blogroll

I was able to find other examples on YouTube of videos for this course by searching for 8842. But I was pretty sure most of what I found did not fit the requirements for what Dr. Moller was looking for. Many of them had too much text, too much of slide and narration, or video that at first seemed unrelated. It's a very tough thing to present research data without being lecture-y (new word).

This module I visited the following blogs and video presentations:

Martha Bless
http://marthabless.posterous.com/video-presentation-trial-run
I suggested cutting some of the historical parts of the presentation in order to save on time, but overall I am very impressed with the quality of the editing and the personal tour she provides to illustrate the idea of a personal learning network.

Charles Gibson

https://charlestimelineproject.centraldesktop.com/thenextgenerationofdistanceeducation/doc/22232427/w-MobileTechnologiesPresentationCharlesGibson

I commented on the disadvantages of using PowerPoint for a video presentation especially without any narration and recommended using a service like Brainshark since it does have a mobile app.

LeAnn Morris 
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/02/module-6-video-presentation.html
She was very thorough in presenting the purpose and the keynote and then showing us samples of different LMS solutions. LeAnn's teacher video, she told us on Skype, was actual teachers in her district that were discussing Edmodo. What a nice catch on finding relevant video!

Sarita Ivey
http://iveylearninggarden.blogspot.com/2013/02/credibility-of-online-learning-video.html
I mentioned the idea of the MOOC and Ivy League universities getting into the online learning game. Sarita purposely showed the negatives in order for her keynote to have something to address, I remember her mentioning this in our Skype conversation.

Allison Hill
http://allisonsedtechviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/plagiarism-video.html
I liked the use of showing snippets of the research in the comic strip theme. The video movements were exciting to keep my interest but slow enough so that I didn't get seasick/whiplash! Nicely done. I was also expecting to hear about TurnItIn or other plagiarism detection technology automatically integrated into an online environment.

Lori Dodd
http://loridodd.blogspot.com/2013/02/sychronized-interactions-in-virtual.html
This video was way too long, the opening was wow but then I lost interest at the still slides. And the only reason I watched the whole thing (in 3 sittings) was because of comments left by others.

Karen Wagoner
https://plus.google.com/u/0/113502076689425175978/posts
Another long video, but it was all recorded video. The camera felt too close to the IWB and we could not see the whole screen. But there was also too much text on the slides. The technology snipets were cool like animate and socrative, but still too much time on other things that I lost the message in the medium.

Reflection

I know I had to cut a lot out from my original plans for the video, the information I wanted to share would have lasted more than five minutes. It took me one minute to even explain a general outline for what I would cover. The trickiest part was of course editing the video as I got recorded interviews that were too lengthy to include in their entirety. I opted to use a Web2.0 technology for the video editing, in retrospect I could have used YouTube for it all (including audio sound track), but I wanted to give WeVideo a shot and I liked the variety of themes it has to give my video a unique feel without me fussing over what music selection. Aside from the difficulties over the implementation of the video, I found that I did learn something from this journey into learner engagement. The person I selected for the keynote, Dr. Eric Mazur, gave a 1 hour lecture on what he discovered regarding Peer Instruction in the physics classroom and I watched the whole thing because it was of interest to me. I also could have chosen Crowd Computing as an offshoot of learner engagement as I also watched a presentation by Rob Miller. The key thing I discovered though, the key strategies for online learner engagement are precisely the same as in the on-ground classroom, but there are developing technologies to help facilitate learner interactions.

Meanwhile, on Saturday I was able to get together via voice/Skype for an hour with other classmates and talk about our experiences with the video creation project. It was a relief to know that we all struggled with interpreting the directions on how to include video, research, introduce the keynote, and avoid slideshows and overuse of personal screentime all within five minutes! eghads! It was also good learn about the different technologies we used in creating the video, which seemed to be a big hurdle considering this was not a video editing course. All in all, it was a productive conversation about why we chose to do the things we did in our presentations and general smalltalk.

Cheers - Shar

Module 6: Video Presentation

Here is it, some opening and overview thoughts on Learner Engagement in Distance Education. Keeping in mind that this presentation is an introduction to the keynote speaker Eric Mazur, the video does not cover the entirety of topic of learner engagement. There are too many avenues to explore, each with their own merits. But I chose to pursue the path of the student involvement and ways to get students working with each other in the online environment.

Purpose

Our keynote address by Eric Mazur will talk specifically about why we should be getting learners involved with each other and the similarities and differences between the on-ground and online experience with this philosophy & technology of peer instruction.

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Behind the Scenes

My biggest frustration with the video was trying to reduce the amount of content to fit into alloted time and trying not to overload the presentation with narrated slides. I used WeVideo service to handle the final video construction, I wanted to use a Web 2.0 technology to emulate how learners can get engaged with each other in teamwork activities online, like creating a video. I used a wiki to serve as a storyboard for my initial placeholder of the presentation.

Sharmaine Sharusan
PhD in Educational Technology
Pacific time zone, Washington state

Module 5 Blogroll

We further explored the technology tools we identified last module and sorted them into categories based on their static or dynamic nature. I prefer to think of the technologies as single author versus crowd-sourced knowledge.

This module I responded to:
Sarita Ivey
http://iveylearninggarden.blogspot.com/2013/02/static-versus-dynamic-technologies.html
I asked about there is a place for static technology in DE, to serve as a foundation further knowledge creation.

LeAnn Morris
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/02/module-5-moving-toward-dynamic_3.html
I asked for clarification on how social networking is defined as static technology. And agreed that eBooks are a static technology that is definitely needed.


Reflection
In creating the final video, I was challenged to limit the amount of time on the video clips from others. I found the words and experiences of people who interact online (students, admissions) to be very revealing about the very nature of DE and the limitations that cause students to not engage in their learning environment. This knowledge coupled with the technologies we evaluated in this module shows me that there is a chance for increased probability that the student will be motivated to use the technology available to them in their online classroom. Is the key to learner engagement more tied to motivation or to the draw of the technology?

Cheers - Shar

Module 5: Static versus Dynamic Technologies

The big difference in technology used in the learning environment can be boiled down to looking at Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 technologies and how users interact with each other through the technology. A still image of a concept map or infograph can be informative, but it is static. A dynamic concept map allows for the items to be moved and arranged by others as learners build knowledge together.

Created with Wallwisher

Click the > to Hide dock. Add or move comments around. Go ahead, try it. Let's create together.

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My main focus this quarter has been on the learner engagement in the online environment; I believe dynamic technologies allow the users to feel part of something greater than themselves and gives them the feedback to know that their actions matter. Sometimes we take risks with our thoughts and knowledge, but without these bold moves we stand still and merely remain as consumers rather than curators of knowledge.

Sharmaine Sharusan
Phd in Educational Technology
Pacific time zone, Washington state