Journal No. 1 - Assessment

The one part of the Intel website in particular that I found especially interesting and insightful was the page on formative and summative assessment types. Reading the Types of Assessments page was an "aha" moment that helped clarify my conceptual ideas of how assessments can be used to evaluate student understanding and knowlege. Having taken a course in instructional design over the summer, thinking of assessments in terms of formative and summative makes so much sense and seems so logical. Nearly identical to the concept of formative evaluation, I could immediately grasp the significance and possible benefits of "formal" (my words) ongoing assessment throughout the course of learning. Having experienced first hand the effectiveness of feedback from formative evaluation for creating effective instruction, I am in complete agreement that formative assessment is often relegated to a secondary role in favor of summative assessments. Unfortunately, formative assessments are not used nearly enough and should be implemented as part of a regular classroom instructional practices.

However, I think "formal" is the key word here. I know many teachers, myself included when I teach fly casting classes, use strategies to elicit feedback from students to evaluate student learning and adjust their teaching on the fly. This is good instructional practice, but only utilizes one possible strategy of formative assessment for monitoring the progress of student learning. As suggested on the Intel website, I think the best way to implement ongoing formative assessment is by developing a "formal" assessment plan. Similar to instructional design, creating such a plan not only ensures that the assessments align with the learning goals and lesson objectives, but more importantly that there is plenty of opportunity for assessment when all the "action" is taking place during the course of learning as opposed to after the fact. Although, I understand and agree with the need for summative assessments and do think there are effective strategies for designing them, I think the website makes a valid and important point that most of the information collected in summative assessments primarily benefits the teacher and not the student. That is unless time is taken by the students to analyze the result of the summative assessment and apply it to future learning. Unfortunately, it's often the case that students are happy to be "done" with the assessment and teachers simply do not have the time to spend and must move on to cover other subject material.

As I was reading through the material on the Intel web site, I was thinking of ways that I could use that information in current role as a GA in the educational technology department. The part of the website that I found interesting in thinking about how to use the available tools in Blackboard Vista to help instructors develop effective assessment strategies were the detailed tables on the Assessment Strategies web page listing overviews of the methods, purposes, and instruments for the five main strategies. Although many of the assessment methods are currently being used in the Vista courses I've worked in and have participated in as a student, I think there is room for further improvement.

A couple examples that immediately come to mind how formative assessments might be improved using the tools provided by Vista include:

• Using grading forms (rubrics) that can be attached directly to discussions and assignments. Makes it easier for instructors as well since all grading takes place directly within Vista. AND provides explicit feedback to students who can view the scored rubric once.

• Using the assessment tool to create non-graded self-test that can be taken multiple times to reinforce core declarative knowledge or check for understanding and misconception.

• Using the assessment tool to create non-graded self-test of prior knowledge to be complete before the course begins and again after the completion of the course

• Using blogs, wikis, or journals to have students keep an ongoing record of their learning (newer version of Blackboard 9.1 has more robust tools built into the system; KSU will be piloting to this system starting as early as Spring 2011)

In general, I thought the Intel website on assessment was outstanding. I will definitely recommend and use this resource when working with faculty to develop assessment strategies for use in their Blackboard Vista courses.


Resources

Assessing Projects: Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning. Retrieved September, 16 2010 from http://educate.intel.com/en/AssessingProjects

Journal #5 - Internet-Based Technology Resources

As a graduate student finishing a degree in instructional technology it's hard not to be enthusiastic about the potential of emerging web-based technologies and their possible impacts on learning in the classroom. Yet however great the potential, as a future instructional technologist I'm often faced with a recurring and appropriate question of "hype or hypermedia?"

Recently I was reminded of this question while reading a course textbook, E-Learning and Social Networking by Robin Mason and Frank Rennie. In a chapter titled Constraints on Course Design, Mason and Rennie comment on the possible "overblown" claims of the effects of web-based information and communication tools to mediate student learning:

"... most of these 'potentialities' are perfectly accurate. The more relevant issue is whether or not any are being actualised! There is no guarantee that these tools are wanted or desirable or without other insuperable barriers...".

A few paragraphs later, however, they counter their own argument with the following:

"Whether it is new, different, merely evolutionary, what the web was originally meant to be, or all of these, the fact is that it is a force to be reckoned with in education. This requires research, experimentation, and an open mind but not a gung-ho attitude." (Rennie & Mason, 2008, pp. 133-34)

While I might take personal exception to dispassionately pursuing these questions, I am in complete agreement with Mason and Rennie that successful implementation of technology in the classroom requires research, experimentation, and an open mind. And what better resource to turn to than the Internet and the World Wide Web to gain perspective on who, what, where, and how technology is being used to enrich and improve students' learning experience in the classroom.

Throughout my graduate studies I've come across a wide variety of web-based technology resources that provide both insightful and quality information for instructors seeking to improve their knowledge of technology use in the classroom. Some of these resources focus specifically on current pedagogy and instructional practices. Others offer news on the latest technology and links to open source software. Yet others provide research and studies based on current practices in K-12 and higher education. In addition to topic specific web sites, there are vast numbers of web sites that share the accumulated experience of teachers working "in the trenches" through freely available open resources such as technology related lesson plans, assessments, and grading rubrics. With the growing prominence of social networking, newer web sites are popping up that provide similar opportunities for professional educators to pool their communal knowledge, practical field experience, and peer review emerging technologies and their implementation in the classroom.

As is often the case with searching the Web the greatest difficulty lies in not in finding technology related resources for teachers, but sorting through and evaluating the vast number of web sites to identify those of high quality. A small sample of high quality FREE resources I've been able to find, or have been introduced to through the course of my studies, are listed below:

• Web 2.0 that Works is a web site devoted to Marzanno's framework for effective teaching and applied to technology tools; specifically with regard to how technology can facilitate current pedagogy and instructional practices. This web site lists an impressive number of Web 2.0 technology tools and categorizes them by instructional strategies. A similar site that features  research-based instructional practices for implementing technology in the classroom is the Focus on Effectiveness web site. Both of these websites offer excellent information and should be at the top of the list of any teacher interested in introducing technology into their classroom.

• Classroom 2.0 is a free community based social networking site devoted to anyone interested in Web 2.0 and Social Media in education. However, the discussions are far from limited to just Social Media. There are 30 pages of groups devoted to almost every aspect of technology use in education. This site is an excellent example of the power of social networking applied to the informal professional development of educators spread across the country and ranging from K-12 teachers to faculty in higher education.

• PBS Teachers offers a wealth of high quality technology related resources for K-12 teachers. The web site is organized around free technology lesson plans for the classroom (categorized by grade and subject), discussion groups, and professional development. In addition, PBS Teachers presents ongoing webinars (and an archive of webinars) featuring educational technology experts and PBS producers who share resources and strategies for creating rich technology experiences to improve student engagement and learning in the classroom. A similar type web site that offers an truly astounding number of resources for K-12 teachers, and often considered the online "bible" of technology related resources, is Kathy Schrock's web site.

• Faculty Focus web site is dedicated to providing current research and articles on "effective teaching strategies for the college classroom". As a future educational technologist desiring to work in higher education this is one of my favorite web sites. I particularly enjoy the articles that focus on current practices in delivering online courses and how to squeeze the most out of often limited course management systems using innovative instructional practices. Of course the topics are not limited to online course delivery alone and range from academic leadership to trends in higher education. This is an outstanding resource for anyone interested in online course development and delivery in higher education. A similar site that provides information for K-12 is THE Journal: Technological Horizons in Education.

• C4LPT: Center for Learning and Performance Technology is web site based in the UK that provides an extensive list of productivity and learning technologies tools. The tools are reviewed by technology users worldwide and each year a list of the top 100 technology tools is published. Although many of the tools require payment, enough FREE tools are listed to make searching through the lists worth while. Another nice feature is the comparison charts of popular tool platforms. For example, the current comparison is between twitter, Facebook, Ning, and Elgg. This is a great site to use when conducting research into specific technology tools within a particular category. A similar site that offers links to Web 2.0 technology tools is the Cool Tools for Schools web site. 

Journal #4 - Digital Image Libraries

Perception and Learning

Whether we realize it or not, we are ALL visual learners. For example, reading the text on this blog requires visual perception skills. In order to understand what I am writing, you must first perceive the information visually before it can be processed and a meaning "interpreted". Though we may not be accustomed to thinking of reading as such, it is primarily a visual skill that requires discriminating between foreground and background, size, shape, and position/grouping in order to create meaning through the connection of mental representations of knowledge with the shape and form of symbols we call "characters" when grouped together form "words" that are organized into "sentences" all of which contain individual meaning when combined express ideas, thoughts, concepts, etc.

It's not surprising that since much of the learning that takes place in the classroom is focused on interaction with textual materials, heavy emphasis is placed on developing reading skills. However, learning content through text alone can require complex cognitive skills and increased cognitive load, the effort expended to create or establish connections and relationships between the visual and mental representations of knowledge. This is especially true for learners that might have no prior knowledge, and therefore no mental representations, for a given content area. Or for communicating complex concepts and procedures that might require "holding" several mental visual representations at the forefront of one's mind while trying to create or establish mental connections and relationships between written text and meaning.

Images, like text, convey meaning through visual perception. However, images have a distinct advantage over text. Images have the ability to convey a far greater amount of information in a much smaller space with far less cognitive load to process the information. Hence the truism, "a picture is worth a thousand words." As a result, images are powerful "shortcuts" for representing both simple and complex ideas, concepts, emotions, information, and procedures and have been used throughout history, well before the written word, as a communication medium.

In fact, in many ways our brains are hard-wired to process visual information with maximum efficiency. Consider the following regarding learner's predisposition to visual perception in processing information and the implications for student learning (University of Minnesota's Mind Mapping web page)

• Between 80 and 90 percent of information that we receive from our environment is visual. 
• Our brains can process 36,000 images every hour. 
• Our memory for visual images is extraordinary. In one study, subjects were shown up to 10,000 pictures. Later they were shown some of these images again, mixed in with pictures they hadn't seen. Subjects were able to identify previously seen pictures with over 90 percent accuracy. 

Visual Literacy

"Visual literacy is defined as the ability to understand and use images, including the ability to think, learn, and express oneself in terms of images"

Roberts Braden

Given that most of the information we process on a daily basis is received visually, it makes sense that visual images have a crucial role to play in student learning. Both in transmitting information and transferring meaning through understanding. Without question the new personal computer, networking, and World Wide Web technologies have revitalized and refocused the need for K-12 teachers and students to develop sound visual literacy skills.

Access to the Internet and World Wide Web has opened up a universe of information to both teachers and students, including a vast wealth of publicly available digital images that can be used to facilitate student learning. Perhaps the most significant development brought about by the new computer and Web technologies is the ease with which teachers and students can now take an active role in creating visual images to enhance their learning environment. This is due in large part to two factors 1) intuitive image editing and production software, especially newer Web 2.0/3.0 tools and 2) the growing existence of free digital image libraries on the Web which provide almost unlimited resources for visual content on every subject matter imaginable.

Give such ready access, teachers can incorporate digital images into a variety of instructional practices in the classroom.

• To enrich text based content and support problem based learning with images that illustrate, demonstrate, and explain

• Provide multiple mediums of information with use of text, visuals, and audio to engage dual modes of processing information for deeper learning

• To provide alternative or additional means of processing information for ELL students or students with learning disabilities that may struggle with large amounts of text

• For use in project based learning allowing students choice and the ability to express themselves creatively while demonstrating understanding of content matter
• To keep students focused and on track; used appropriately, digital images can be very stimulating and engaging

While such access to the vast image repositories on the Web can be an incredible boon to teachers and students alike, with great access comes great responsibility. Namely that of respecting copyright and attribution licenses for use of digital images. Indeed, an important aspect of visual literacy is learning how to determine when, where, and how digital images may used for educational purposes. Both teachers and students should be aware of the guidelines for educational fair use policy, different types of creative common licensing, what is meant by "attribution" and the "public domain" and most importantly how to properly check or research whether or not a digital image is "safe" to use.

Digital Image Libraries

Digital image libraries exist in many forms encompassing a wide variety of visuals including stock photography, clip art, illustrations, historical and news photographs, charts, maps, diagrams and more. Collections of images on the Web are organized and curated by private individuals, public institutions, non-profit organization, museums, and the U.S. government. Another fast growing source of digital images are user created image libraries, a by product of the "gift culture" of new social networking tools that encourages users to give as well as take.

A few examples of digital image libraries that might be of interest to teachers and students is listed below:

• Photos8 - Over 11,000 professional stock photography images free for use with link back attribution.

• Open Clip Art Library - Over 35,000 pieces of clip-art in the public domain.

• Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library - Online collection of 90,000 digital images from rare books and manuscripts

• The National Art Gallery - All images are available for education use. Separate web site for younger school children to interact with real pieces of art and modify them to create their own "original" works of art.

• The New York Public Library Digital Image Gallery - 700,000 images digitized from the The New York Public Library's vast collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more.

• Great Images in NASA - Collection of over 1000 historical images mostly in public domain, but all free for use in education.

In addition there many Internet search engines that can help teachers and students conduct searches on the World Wide Web for images:

• Google Images - The most comprehensive image search tool on the Web.

• The Internet Archive - Thousands of public domain digital movies uploaded by Archive users which range from classic full-length films, to daily alternative news broadcasts, to cartoons and concerts.

• BestPhotos.US - Custom Google image search engine for public domain photos including images taken by employees of all departments of U.S. government.

• Spiffy.com - Search engine aggregator that searches a multitude of other public domain search engines. Claims to search over a billion public domain images.

Journal #3 - Healthy and Safe Computer Practices

For many people, myself included, using personal computers has become a integral part of everyday life. Whether using the computer as a productivity tool at work, a research and production tool for graduate school, or simply surfing the internet in my spare time the computer has become not just another tool, but THE tool of choice. Therefore, it's not surprising that like most people I have devoted a significant amount of time learning how to use the computer, and a myriad of computer applications, to make my life easier and more productive both professionally and personally. However, it wasn't until I began researching several sites on healthy and safe computer use that I realized how little training, or thought, is devoted to such critical issues  as MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) and personal safety/identity issues that can result from careless computer use.

Ergonomics

Of the many web sites I visited, the two that were most relevant to me as a graduate assistant and student who spends between 5 and 10+ hours a day working on computer are the Alison.com and Mayo.com web sites that deal with workstation ergonomics and stretching exercises. Ergonomics is the study of the fit between people and their work. Its purpose is to identify poorly designed tools, workspaces, or work process and procedures that may cause unnecessary strain resulting loss of productivity or even illness and provide preventative measures and solutions.

I especially liked the Alison.com web site which provides a free interactive course titled Workstation Ergonomics and Safe Use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE). After signing up for a free account, I was able to take three lessons that included animations, quizzes, case studies, and an assessment at the end. Not all of the information was entirely new to me, and a fair amount might be deemed "common sense". Although by then end I had taken three pages of notes and resolved to pay far more attention to how I use the computer and what I can do to ensure staying healthy. From my notes I've created a list of the primary ergonomic factors that contribute to healthy computer use:

• Physical - body posture, position of limbs, and support for the back. There are three keys to maintaining good physical condition. 

1.  Holding the head and neck upright in line with the torso, i.e. sitting up straight, and facing forward without twisting to access the keyboard and mouse.
2. Adjust the computer seat so that my thighs are parallel with the floor, my legs are perpendicular to the floor, and my feet are flat on the floor.
3. Adjusting the seat or workstation so my arms can be held with elbows into my sides and forearms nearly perpendicular in a "neutral position" to type and move the mouse. That also means positioning the keyboard and mouse properly for access.

• Environmental - I thought these were pretty self-explanatory and things I find myself adjusting automatically; factors include light, heat, noise, and ventilation (humidity or dryness). I think the biggest factor here would be adjusting for glare from the computer screen to avoid eye strain and fatigue; this might mean paying attention to placement of the workstation in relation to light sources and also adjusting monitor settings such as screen brightness and resolution.

Not surprisingly, the Alison.com course pointed out the most common health related issues to heavy computer use are eye strain and MSDs such as RSI (repetitive stress syndrome) and carpal tunnel syndrome. Some recommendations for preventing these types of health related issues are listed below:

• Take regular breaks, at least 5 min every hours. Get up and move around and allow your eyes to refocus; looking at an object in the distance can help refocus the eyes.
• Use eye drops to avoid eye strain.
• Adjust the position of the monitor so that when seated the top of monitor is at eye level and about an arm's length away.
• Use appropriate ergonomic tools such as mouse pads and wrist pads to rest hand and wrists when not typing or using the mouse. Using a foot rest is also recommended.
• A comfortable chair that doesn't pinch the underside of the thighs and most importantly has good lumbar support is essential.
• Regular stretching while seated in front of the computer is critical

In particular, the Mayo.com web site has great slideshow and video tutorials on work place stretching exercises. I found these to be very valuable as I find myself frequently suffering from symptoms of RSI due to the long hours of computer use at work then at home in the evenings - another reason I'll be glad to graduate sooner than later! What I liked best, however, is the exercises are simple, easy to remember, and effective. An entire stretching routine can be performed sitting at a desk in a matter of minutes while I allow my eyes to refocus elsewhere. One tool that is not mentioned, however, but that I personally use and find very helpful for my hands and wrists is the Dyna-flex ball.

Security


Another critical aspect to safe computer use is protecting personal identity and personal safety, especially because much of current computer use is centered around accessing networks such as the Internet and World Wide Web that can potentially leave a user's computer vulnerable to malicious attacks from computer hackers or virus software. Being a long time computer user, and a savvy tech person, the research regarding safe practices didn't turn up anything anything new for me on this front. Over the last couple of years as computer attacks have increased in proportion to the increase in dependency for using the computer to help facilitate every aspect of our modern lives the news media has actually done a pretty good job creating awareness of computer safety issues; much more so than ergonomic issues regarding computer use.

Nevertheless, in the course of my research the best site I found regarding safe practices for computer use is the On Line On Guard.gov web site. Not only is the site well organized and easy to use, but it offers authentic and practical advice from the technology industry which has partnered with the US government to create awareness regarding all manners of computer security issues. Everything from general best practices to how to properly dispose of computer ensuring all your personal data has been completely erased from the hard drive. The site also features interactive videos, games to teach younger computers about safety issues, and lots of information about how to stay safe while computing online.

The seven tips they list for safe computing (and I heartily endorse having been a long-standing practitioner myself) are:

• Protect your personal information, it's valuable - NEVER, EVER give out your personal information to anyone for any reason unless you are absolutely sure they are a legitimate business or organization. Check up on them online if you're unsure. Look for "https" in the URL indicating a secure site. Make sure there is a written and easily accessible privacy policy. Avoid all pop ups, email, phone messages asking for personal information. When in doubt, call and speak to someone in person. Even then make them establish their credentials.

• Know who you're dealing with. Same as above, but also includes safe file sharing practices. Always make sure to isolate the files or folders you share so no one has access to other information on your computer. That means learning how to properly use sharing software security features BEFORE letting someone download music from your iTunes folder on your computer.

• Use security software that updates automatically. Most important for MS Win users, however, Macs are increasingly under attack from hackers and Apple has been paying more attention to releasing security updates. All computer users should know how to update their computers and do so on a frequent basis.

• Keep you operating system and web browser up-to-date and learn about security features.

• Protect your passwords. Many browsers now store passwords, but it's not clear just how safe those features are. Better to use a dedicated password generator and storage/protection application such as 1 Password for Mac and Win.

• Back up important files. Regular back-ups to an external hard drive should be part of every computer users weekly or monthly routine. The only fool-proof way to stop hackers from accessing a networked computer is to store sensitive information on a hard drive that is NOT connected to a network. Many free back-up applications exist, such as Carbon Copy Cloner for the Mac.

• Learn what to do in an e-mergency. Develop a procedure for what to do if you suspect your computer has been hacked or has a virus. Run virus scanning software, know who to contact at the FTC or FBI, be aware of technical help and support options. Try to identify when and what caused the problem and change your habits of behaviors, for example don't open any more joke emails or titillating videos your friends sent you. If necessary, wipe your computer clean and reinstall a cloned "clean" copy of your operating system including all your apps and files from an external hard drive.

Although I didn't experience any major revelations during my research on computer health and safety issues, my awareness of ergonomic best practices and a revisiting of safe computing practices has resulted in several excellent resources for both personal and professional use. I'll definitely pass on these web sites and health and safety tips to co-workers, peers, and instructors that I work with through my graduate assistantship position.

Journal #2 - Website Evaluation

The two sites that I picked for my website evaluation dealt with researching historical materials that could be used in the classroom. They are Docsteach.com, a web site of primary resources available through the National Archive, and Historyteacher.net, a web site with extensive hyperlinks to historical information and organizations. For evaluative purposes I used this form: Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Web Sites for Use by Educators © 2006-09. Kathleen Schrock Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/. 


A link to each web site and their evaluation is provided below:

• Docs Teach website
• Docs Teach evaluation

• Historyteacher.net website
• Historyteacher.net evaluation

Using a form with set criteria to evaluate a web site for educational purposes was a new experience for me. Having designed web sites, I'm use to evaluating them from a slightly different perspective. As a designer, I'm more concerned with composition and layout, navigation, and "tidy" validated Xhtml and CSS code. Of course, all of those criteria can be applied to education web sites as well. Especially when determining factors that affect usability such as site appeal, information architecture, and unity of purpose in design. I guess having tinkered with creating web sites for almost twenty years these thing have become almost second nature.

Yet, what makes a web site good for educational purposes can be very different than what makes a site good for commercial purposes. Using the form developed by Kathy Schrock provided a different perspective from which to evaluate web sites that I would recommend to other teachers. At first, I questioned the usefulness of the form itself. After all I've looked at lots of web sites with a critical eye for a long time. And I think I'm a pretty good judge of the quality of information. However, once I started to use the forms to evaluate the sites I began to see the benefits of using a systematic criterion-based checklist. Not only did it make the process faster, but I wouldn't have remembered all the criteria if I were just looking at a site. The form also provided a chance to reflect on the suitability (she uses valid(ity)) of a site specifically for educational purposes. As a result, I found myself paying attention to details that might have been easily overlooked and also developing a better "feel" for what is important when evaluating web sites for educational purposes. 

Beyond usability features, which though important are not the main determining factors for determines a good educational web site, the focus is primarily on the content. And rightly so. As a consumer of information, and graduate student, I'm aware of this. Evaluating the web sites, however, made me take a closer look at multiple ways to determine the authenticity, authority, and validity of information for use in teaching and learning. As the say goes, "the devil is in the details". Details such as using the "link:: command" to check and see who is linking to a web site, i.e. who else considers this information to be valid, accurate, and relevant to the particular topic. Whether or not there are external links to professional organizations, a biography of the author, citations with links to primary resources, dates on information or the website. Does the information adhere to research-based principles of teaching and current pedagogy, and is the information enhanced with appropriate use of multi-media. Theses are all important considerations when evaluating web based information for use in the classroom.

Overall, I think the exercise of using a form to evaluate web sites was worthwhile. It certainly increased my awareness of the issues related to determining good web resources for teaching and learning. Also, I plan to hang onto this evaluation form and use it in my future role as an instructional/educational technologist. I think it's a good tool that more teachers should be made aware of.