Videos

https://edpuzzle.com/media/5ca27ac21ca47041527e85c8

https://ed.ted.com/on/Xb2Iaehu

Educational videos can be used in many ways to help teach online classes and conventional in person classes.  These types of videos can help promote learning in many different ways, but here are several. 

The first way they can benefit students is Mayer would say “promote active cognitive processes in students”.  This means that if the videos are tailored to the students correctly that they may have higher brain function that promotes learning.  This may even happen while students appear to be not learning.  If the videos are not tailored to the students correctly this will not happen.  For example: when I was in high school physics we would watch videos of Julius Sumner Miller. Julius’s videos were about physics; mostly basic physics and showed how the different theories worked.  While for myself, I enjoyed these videos.  I watched them with great intent and took something away from probably every video.  But in 2005 and with Julius being dead for 17 years (longer than many of the in the class students had been alive for yet) it wasn’t correctly tailored to the students (I was an anomaly), so promoting active cognitive processes in students it probably didn’t accomplish.

Silverman talks about multiple learning styles; this means that there are multiple learning styles.  Those styles are visual-spatial, auditory-sequential and tactile-kinesthetic.  Using videos allow us to hit multiple learning styles at once like audio and visual learners.  This allows those learners to learn using the best system they can.  Kozma found that if we use videos with spoken language, text, still images, and moving images the highest learning gains can occur using this media. 

Videos can also motivate students to learn. Motivating anyone to learn can be one of the hardest jobs of an instructor, because not everyone has the motivation to want to get praise or good grades.  Videos can be used to motivate students in several ways.  The way I have seen it used and the outcome can be very iffy. Is for an instructor to say “We learn this _____.  We can watch _______ video.”.  Whether or not the video has something to do with learning.  Students will normally push through whatever they are being taught, so they can get to that reward (the video).  Because of this push little to no learning can take place.  Videos can motivate learning by stimulating the learner.  This normally happens by taking something they like (a cartoon character) and putting it in a situation where it teaches something.  Sesame Street is a great example of this.  We take characters kids love and use them to teach letters, numbers, and life lessons. 

Visual media also stimulates a different portion of the brain, then let say just a book.  This can influence memory and can also influence cognitive learning.  Lets go back to my formative years.  In junior high, we watched the mini series Roots.  Doing this brought out emotional responses in the students on how slaves were treated.  These emotional responses have the ability to relay experiences and influence cognitive learning (Noble, 1983).

Lastly videos can take us places we normally wouldn’t be able to see/ learn from.  If we are talking about the Romans, students can view videos on the colosseum.  This shows them not only the place itself, but how things were built, how people lived, and the geography.  These can help push a lesson home or be a great Segway into a new lesson.  They help get the student’s attention.  This specific type could be replace with VR.

All in all videos are a great tool for the classroom. But we need to remember to use them correctly and not over use them.  Because too much of a good thing does hurt.

Computational Thinking

https://studio.code.org/c/827602367

Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem solving process that includes a number of characteristics and dispositions (Computational Thinking for Educators, 2019).  In other words, we are using computer sciences to support problem solving across different training scenarios.  There are many skills that computational thinking can improve, but we will only be talking about five: decomposition, pattern recognition, exploring algorithms, algorithm design, and critical thinking.

Decomposition is the breaking of problems down into smaller parts or more manageable pieces.  This allows students to focus on pieces of a problem rather than the whole.  Doing this makes problems seem less daunting and more doable for students.  Breaking problems or data into manageable pieces can help students with stress and it also shows them how the problem is put together.  Knowing how data is arranged gives the students a more in-depth look at the problem at hand.  In the Caterpillar program at Owens, we could use this to help strengthen troubleshooting skills and knowledge of how machines works.  If we break the machine down into parts, it is much less daunting for the student.  Students can take a machine component, like an engine, and, break it down into components parts (mixed up). Students can then take each component and put them in the order in which they are used.  

Pattern recognition is something that we do daily whether we realize it or not.  Actually humans will often find patterns where none exist because finding patterns gives people a sense of calm or order to their lives.  So it isn’t farfetched when using CT we may use pattern recognition.  Pattern recognition is finding and using a pattern to teach problem solving or other aspects of data.  So we may take students who are learning their shapes and give them a program.  This program will give them the first basic steps in drawing a shape and the student has to use pattern recognition to finish the shape.  After the student recognizes the pattern, we can add to it for them to make different shapes.  This can help them learn their basic shapes or go even further into geometry.

Exploring algorithms comes down to opening up the classroom to using algorithms and CT, but not actually writing code.  This means one may come up with “step-by-step instructions that can be used to solve a problem or carry out a task” (Computational Thinking for Educators, 2019).  We can use this in classrooms many ways.  We can have a machine problem and students have to gather information and put it in order to troubleshoot that problem, or students can use a map to figure out how to get from one place to another.

Algorithm design is when students use activities to extend pre-existing code.  If we go back to troubleshooting a problem on a machine, there are things called troubleshooting trees.  These give the student or technician a map on how to solve a problem.  We can give students part of the tree and they have to write the rest.  This would be considered a very basic algorithm design.

                The last skill that CT promotes that we will talk about is critical thinking.  Critical thinking isn’t mentioned outright in any of the text that talks about CT, but critical thinking is a big part of the results of teaching CT.  Critical thinking is the ability to analyze problems and solve them.  When we look at any of the activities from code.org, we have to analyze what needs to be done to successfully solve that problem or write that bit of code that completes the game the student is designing.  This skill is part of every skill we have gone through so far.

                One of the biggest rationales for introducing CT into the classroom is that it get students interested in coding or at least opens it up to them.  This helps the student decide if they might want to take that route for a career one day, helping fill the hundreds of thousands of jobs available to those who can code.  The secondary offshoot of this is that students are able to use technology in other courses that are not technology heavy.  This helps students retain the knowledge they are being given by making it fun and something they want to do, while helping them learn a new skill.

                When using Code Studio and Trinket had to use some math skills and a lot of critical thinking/ problem solving.  The directions most of the time were pretty vague and had to be interpreted.  This made for a lot of trial and error. Even when reading the code pages one had to do some guessing if they aren't familiar with these activities.  Getting the shapes to fill on the tree was a big one for me.  As well as doing shades of color for the dots.  Code studio I found to be a bit easier, but still had to do math and some trial and error to come up with the solutions.  I can see why these are so useful in the K-12 format. 

Computational Thinking for Educators. Retrieved from https://computationalthinkingcourse.withgoogle.com/course (2019).

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AR Blog #3

450F Link

AR might promote learning in several different ways.  First is it allows students to view thing in a 3D form.  This allows students to see an object that they normally wouldn’t be able to see from all sides.  It can also be used in learning to jump start discussions.  If a student is able to view something new, in a new way like AR this may jumpstart learning.  AR may also give boring textbooks better visuals.  These visuals may help student retain information better.  AR may also bring everyday objects into learning.  Like a t-shirt that when a smartphone is pointed at it.  Give the students the inside look of the human body.  AR can be used to show us how something works internal (like an engine).  Without having to make expensive cut-aways. 

Companies like Crayola and Quiver Vision have made AR that allow people to take their 2D artwork and make it into AR or pop out onto the page.  This can be a good asset to get student interested in art. Curisope is a company that uses AR to help students learn about the human body, by seeing internal organs in AR. Popar is a AR company that is combining charts and books with AR.  While reading books students can use AR to make images come alive.   As a father with a almost one year old.  I have been seeing many book companies doing this.  Whether it is a fun story or a learning book.  They make smartphone apps that make this pictures come alive.  

AR like VR is money and technology based.  These two things may keep many people or classrooms from being able to use AR.  If a student or school can’t afford the technology to run VR, having those aspects in books will not help those students.   Access to the internet is also an issue with AR.  In many areas of the world internet access maybe sketchy or no existent.  This would mean many people may not be able to benefit from AR.   Lastly the biggest issue with AR is screen time.  Students/ kids get a ton of screen time.  And if we add one more type of screen activity will it make them more dependent on them?

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of screens, sounds, and other devices (moving chairs, controllers, gloves, and many others) to allow the user to immerse themselves into an environment out of its natural surroundings. 

The main and largest barrier for virtual reality is cost.  While at the moment there are lower cost solutions and options for VR, to be able to use or create in-depth VR can cost a great deal of money.  With most people owning a smartphone and Google Cardboard being relatively inexpensive, almost everyone can use what I am going to call the base model of VR.  But again, if one wanted to create or use a more or total immersive VR, it would cost them $350 for an Oculus Rift to tens of thousands of dollars.  Please note that similar technology would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a few years ago and, with VR growing, the cost will continue to go down.

Another barrier, at least for me, is strain on the body.  After using VR (Google Cardboard) for less than ten minutes, I had the start of a headache.  More time could have resulted in a migraine.  While I know I may be in the minority for this, it is a concern we need to take into account if we are having students use them for long periods of time.

The last barrier we need to take into consideration is the medical condition of the person using the VR and what they will be doing.  Those people who are more susceptible to seizures may not be able to use VR.  VR can have many fast changing lights and images.  Take the Kaleidoscope in the Google Cardboard app.  This has many changing colors and shapes.  This could result in a medical episode.  I was surprised that I haven’t seen any warning on the apps yet, like you see on your normal video games. 

While the potential uses of VR are almost limitless, I will hit on just a few.  First is where extensive cost is involved.  Take the example everyone likes to use: learning to fly a plane.  Depending on the plane, the plane could cost millions of dollars, not to mention the fuel and the upkeep of the plane as well.  Because the cost would be so high, VR would make a great training tool to get the student acclimated to the plane and many of the scenarios that may occur without endangering lives or assets.  The next area in which VR could be used is where someone may die if mistakes are made.  VR has been used for teaching surgeons.  This allows them to practice without endangering a patient’s life.  The next potential use of VR is to show people places they can’t go, whether is it just a museum across the country, the bottom of the ocean, or all the way to Mars.  VR allows people to explore places they may never be able to go to otherwise.  Lastly, we can use VR for recruiting, whether it is just to get people to come into your booth at a convention to try a simulator or to show people the types of environments they may be working in.  It can be used as an attention getter.

Full immersion is one type of VR.  This type gives the user the full experience of an activity.  These activities can be in a room that is outfitted with screens and speakers to give the user the feel that everything is real.  It may also use a head-mounted display (HMD) with speakers and controls, allowing the user to sit or stand while in the VR.  Lastly is a simulator type. This can use the full room model or the HMD, but can add aspects like a chair or cockpit that moves while the user is moving the controls.  This gives the user the feeling of what each action may result in.

Non-immersive VR is a VR where one uses a computer or wide screen with surround sound to display what is happening.  This is one of the most common VR types.  One of the most known in this type are flight simulators.  They are also used in the construction industry to teach operators how to run different machines.

Lastly is collaborative VR. This is the fastest growing type of VR.  This type of VR is where virtual worlds are built online.  These worlds can be used for gaming, social aspects, or business and collaboration.   This type doesn’t at the moment offer full immersion, but it does offer collaboration.  This means that people miles apart can work together or socialize in this VR setting. 

Trends & Challenges

Two trends that I have seen in both higher education and industrial training (in the program I teach in, they go hand in hand) are the use of the internet and simulators.  We are seeing the internet being used more and more to give student the basic information that they need.  By doing this, students are able to learn at their own pace, while their school or employer can keep track of their progress with very little effort (not even have to talk to the student to see their progress). This allows companies and the education providers to save money by not needing the student to always be in the classroom.  Simulators are also playing a larger role.  They allow students to practice a task, gaining muscle memory, while also cutting costs of fuel and damaged equipment and, in the worst cases, preventing loss of human life. 

When it comes to implementing these two forms of technology, the biggest impediment is money (especially in higher education).  Everything comes down to the dollar.  Technology, especially with startup costs, does not always happen.  Whether we look at it from the higher education or the industrial side, new or newer technology is not always a priority.  So those that use that technology every day in their classrooms have to fight for it or find a way to get the money for it themselves (.ie. grants).  Another challenge that we see is changing the mindset on education or training in the workplace.  Over the last 5 years, I personally have seen many training programs being updated, designed, or restarted.  But to get there, those who know the training needs to happen have had to fight and show the benefits greatly outweigh the cost of it.  If we cannot work past these two large hurdles, students will suffer and be behind when they get into industry.  Please let it be known that not all the technology in the world can replace hands on experience and teaching.