At Fairmont State University we have a diverse population for the area, but are predominately white middle-class. While developing an online Introduction to Oceanography class, title of the class is still tentative, we have had a white female go through the modules and complete the assignments to give us feedback for improvement. The course integrates a variety of technology to keep the content from being repetitive and to take advantage of the technologies available. There is now an "escalating dependence of work and other daily tasks and processes on computer-mediated texts is associated with prominent references to technological literacy and technologized curricula in education reform pronouncements, Indeed, according to Aronowitz and Giroux (193: 63), 'The whole task set by contemporary education policy is to keep up with rapidly shifting developments in technology.'" Which leads us to wanting to use more current and also useful tools that the student can use in the future.
The problem is when a student does not see the same vision with the technology as the instructor, or doesn't know how to use the technology at all. I provided, what I thought were clear, instructions for how to turn a PowerPoint into a video that they could then voice over and post onto YouTube. The assignment was the create a public service announcement (PSA) to educate the general public on Tsunami's and what to do if one is headed their way. I recommended that they filmed themselves like a news caster, but gave the option for just a voice over if they were camera shy. What I ran into the first time she sent in the assignment was that she could not figure out how to voice over the video. PowerPoint does have a built-in system to do this, but I am assuming she could not figure out how to use it properly. I then gave her detailed instructions on how to use windows movie maker and sent her links to videos and documents on how to complete this task. Though this pushed back the due date, I was still happy to see the final version sent in.
The finished product got the job done, but was BORING! It was like listening to Siri read me the powerpoint slides. Where is the enthusiasm? What makes me want to finish this video? Why don't I just read it myself if you're going to just read what is on the slide? I wonder if giving more detailed guidelines to what I want would be enough. Even though I could tell them not to read exactly what is on the slide, have a word limit per slide, or have them put in videos; what will give them the drive to want to do more than the minimum? These are technologies I thought were current and could definitely be used in the work setting. I thought this would be fun and I know when I had to do a similar assignment I had a ton of fun with it. So what can I do to push the students? What can I do to make them care and see the relevance of the technologies they're using?
At the end of the day I think I might just need to have more examples of what a good PSA is and how the student can make it more than just reading a PowerPoint. I am still unsure of how to instill this craving for an exciting PSA video, but examples is probably my best shot. I wonder if showing them my PSA video would make the students feel more comfortable knowing their instructor has already fully embarrassed themselves. My goal is to use new and exciting tools for learning, but maybe I'm just not using the right one.
Have you ever heard of the 7 Deadly Sins of PowerPoint? I was lucky to have been exposed to them by my advisor during my MAT program.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.geosci.sfsu.edu/Geosciences/classes/m595/PowerPoint_HTMLPresentations/DeadlySins.html
I teach my 7th graders about these. Overall, I'd say you might want to incorporate your expectations into a rubric, and make sure the rubric (or whatever your criteria are) are frontloaded at the onset of the assignment. It's also possible that the student was frustrated by the time they figured it out and just wanted to "get it over with."
Over the past few years, I've noticed students do better having a video demonstrating how to do something than trying to understand text instructions. You could make a PowerPoint Mix detailing how to do what you are asking, and it might be easier for students to understand. Just think of all the times you've tried to DIY in your own life and used Youtube to see how. (If this hasn't happened to you yet, don't worry, it will).
Sean,
ReplyDeleteI think what you’re looking and hoping for is digital transformation, the student using the technology they are familiar with to really show a transformation in their literacy and thinking about something. I definitely understand where you’re coming from with that. It seems like when I give assignments using technology in transforming ways, there are the groups or kids who really get excited and do amazing things that surprise me, and there are groups that do only what is required and no more, and they aren’t even very imaginative about it. In a sense they only show me that they can “follow the words across the page, getting generally what’s superficially there,” instead of “bring[ing] their knowledge and…experience to bear on what passes before [them].” (Lankshear, p. 39) I’ve been trying more often to show kids examples of what I expect from them when they do technology projects, even if I have to make the example myself. It really seems to help most of them, but not always. When I read about your case, and the frustration you felt, I immediately thought what you suggested at the end…show them the one you made. It was great (I remember it from one of our last classes), and I’m sure that they would love it, because I know I really like knowing more about my professors and classmates, especially in online classes. That’s why I think this is somewhat a case of human relations perspective. Your desire (and mine) is to see our students “demonstrate ability to reason, solve problems, apply knowledge and write and communicate effectively” (p. 129) so they will be successful in the field they are pursuing and have a deeper understanding of the content. Naturally, knowing the continued increase in the types and kinds of technology used in many fields makes us want to include some tech tools, but in a way that shows technology and content critical literacy, and this is the challenge. If our students don’t feel motivated to do that, sometimes it makes it harder to want to keep pushing them to do it.
I agree with Julie about digital transformation being your target for the assignment, and it seems like digital competence is what it all hinged on. Without the digital competence to confidently complete the assignment, the student struggled and ended up producing something you weren't totally satisfied with. I also agree that putting your own PSA out there for an example is a great idea! As noted by Lankshear, "'The same tools' are by no means the same tools," so having that concrete example might help students better see/visualize their own outcomes for using the tools. For students who are not adept or familiar with them, these tools would be part of developing a new literacy.
ReplyDeleteI feel like your case focuses on digital competence, because of the lackluster attitudes from your students, and a case of new literacies, because you were trying to teach them how to use a new teaching skill. It is a shame that your students did not show more enthusiasm for the project. You could show, as you said, examples of what makes a good PSA. You could also, have them peer review or even evaluate their own videos. In their evaluation, have them point out the attitude and overall presence of the speaker of the video. This may make them see where they were lacking. Then, they could redo their assignments or you could try the assignment again with another topic.
ReplyDelete"He [Wayne O'Neil] argued that being able to read means that you can follow words across a page, getting what's superficially there" (Lankshear 39).
ReplyDeleteOne of my cases was somewhat similar to yours. I thought I gave clear instructions, and I thought I covered research skills in their entirety, but I still had a student struggle with the assignment. I think both cases show an instance of being able to read and being literate.
"The point, finally, is that gateways will need to be developed to facilitate attention to information, to turn it into something useful for users and to enable users to use it usefully in terms of their wants and goals." Lankshear, 219. This reminded me of your case because there was a disconnect in your example between what you wanted done with the information, and what the user (student) created with it.
ReplyDeleteI remember a Social Studies teacher I worked with had an interesting way of assigning production: students would have to take on the identity of the phenomenon and narrate in 1st person For example, "I am the New River, and I ....." It helped get them thinking in a different way.