5. Platforms and Technologies

Kolb and Learning

Having read through the three key questions and considered my responses, I totally agree with Sandra's (ocTEL participant) comment.

I too try and include a range of ways of engaging my audience, my personal interaction and selection of technologies varies depending on the topic and the environment of delivery.

I start by recognising how I prefer to learn and the journey I have undertaken learning the subject matter and how I have learned to use the technology. I consider the value in the learner engagement with the technology, development of transferable skills.

In my role I am usually assisting staff to learn a specific technology for their own use in teaching and would use other complementary technologies and resources to assist.

In learning how to use the institutions VLE (Blackboard Learn), staff are exposed to the following technologies and tools, and may use them at ant stage of the learning experience depending on the outcome of the learning activity.

• Staff account 
• email 
• Web Browser 
• Tools within Blackboard (Bb) 
• content collections (text, image, video, URL collections) 
• quizzes 
• surveys 
• assignment 
• discussion 
• announcement 
• Third party tools and applications provided through Bb 
• CampusPack (CP) blogs 
• CP wikis 
• CP journals 
• CP lab reports 
• Turnitin 
• Video (VStream (Echo360) and YouTube 
• Document creation - html (Bb), Word or similar 
• PDF - Creation and Reading 
• Presentations - PowerPoint, Prezi, Notable 
• VPN - Remote access to networked drive 
• Images - VUW collection, Flickr 
• Library resources 
• Hard copy texts 
• Digitised texts 
• Dynamic content through the library collections 
• Digitised database collections (internally hosted) 
• Digitised database collections (externally hosted) 
• eTV 
• bibliography software- endnote, zotero 
• Social media 
• Facebook 
• Twitter 
• Participant response technologies - installed hand held devices and web devices 
• OER - what these are and how to find them for NZ 
• Copyright and Creative Commons NZ 
• Student submissions during class activities for for assessment, 
• Text 
• Audio 
• Video 
• Image 
• Cloud storage solutions 

Teaching space technologies - They would also learn to use the technologies in the teaching spaces, document cameras, white boards, they would also master specialist equipment and technologies of their discipline.


and more ...


Participant response technologies (clicker technologies) have the potential to be very powerful tools. With skilfully crafted questions, engaging activities and skilled facilitators/ moderators to receive 'back channel' questions and conversations, students can experience a rich and rewarding learning experience synchronously, whether face to face or on-line, and asynchronously via facilitated and moderated 'back channel' communications after the event.

Having participated in both mode of delivery and in face to face and on-line environments using web browser clicker technologies I am excited about the opportunities 'clicker technologies' provide learners.


The challenge is to choose the right technology/tool for the learning activity, the  learner and teacher and then use them well. 

Activity 4.3: Creating your own material

Have a look at one of the following tools (choose one you are not already familiar with) and consider its application in your context:

Xerte
Glomaker
Cmap (click the small document and tool icons)
Camtasia or Jing
Screencast-o-matic.

Please respond to at least one of the following questions:

• How easy was it to understand how this tool worked?
• How quickly and easily would you find it to use?
• How could you apply this tool in your own teaching?
• What does this tool offer that has advantages over your current practice?

I would have liked to explore Xerte or Glomaker, however like my colleagues reflecting in the ocTEL forums, I too am constrained by the securities and permissions regarding installing non institutionally supported technology on my work PC.

Screencast-o-matic certainly looks like a good tool, thank, Jim, Sue and others for your feedback as a users. I like the interface and found it intuitive and easy to use. I like the option of distribution via an existing YouTube account and the change to either share publicly or unlisted. If we didn't have an alternative then this is likely to be the freeby for me.

Fortunately we have a screen capture software (Echo360) in pilot so we will have an institutionally supported equivalent. Our capture recordings are uploaded into an authenticated environment so at the moment the default is private. Our intention is to have the option to create public viewable resources soon.

4. Producing Engaging and Effective Learning Materials

Look for a resource in an area which is important in your teaching in one of the following resource banks.

1. How easy was it to find a relevant resource?
2. How could you incorporate this resource into your professional practice?
3. Which source did you find more useful (and why) – the ‘official’ resource bank or the open search?
4. Are there any limitations to the use of your preferred resource for your learners (e.g. copyright licence; login requirements)?
5. Would your own students agree that the resource you prefer is accessible?

My primary role is to support academic staff with their professional development in relation to TEL so the resources I need must have the 'academic' voice. Staff have commented on the appropriateness of some resource which are aimed at the 'FE/HE student body' on previous occasions.

So I set out to search for resources which would be beneficial for  academic staff who are developing their own digital literacy skills. and focussed on "Lecture Capture".

Where available, I used the advanced search in each repository to try and locate sources only for my particular audience.

• Jorum (85 relevant )
• Merlot (nil)
• LearnHigher (nil)
• Higher Education Academy – Resources Centre (2)
• Open University – OpenLearn (nil)
• Re:Source (Further Education orientated) (nil)
• University of Nottingham’s Open Nottingham. (nil)

• YouTube (estimates 3880) 
• TED (nil)
• iTunesU (I don't have a iOS device)

1. Finding the resource - I did not have any problems with conducting a search however the filtering of results was variable. Jorum and YouTube provided the most appropriate resources, reviewing the abstracts to determine suitability was time consuming.
2. Once I have reviewed the results I selected the most appropriate resources and linked them as supplementary resources in the resource collection we are compiling for academic staff. The resources need to give examples of Lecture capture, or reinforce  'good practice'.
3. I found both sources useful however the software provider has branded examples on YouTube which are product specific (marketing style) but clear messages. Several YouTube are usable but as they refer to another institutions use some may struggle with feeling a connection with the resource. Were the other resource banks ‘official’?
4. Regarding limitations, Copyright legislation will be the main one as the resources are not NZ based so legislation is different. However providing access to the actual resources was not problematic.
5. I hope so.

These are a few of the resources I selected:

• Lecture capture - an introduction - http://dspace.jorum.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/10949/16121
• Lecture capture - the benefits - http://dspace.jorum.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/10949/16122

Activity 3.3: Designing or reviewing a learning activity

We hope soon to be launching our new streaming service with Lecture and desktop capture capabilities.
My colleague and I have drafted a programme for our presentation and workshops and intend to include an activity similar to this within the launch events.

• Title of activity
• Creating video using PCAP (VStream/ Echo360)
• Intended learning outcome/s
• To use PCAP (VStream/ Echo360) to create a 2 minute video
• Upload video to VStream echo centre
• Locate the URL to distribute your video
• Activity description
• Using VStream and PCAP software, you will create a short video introducing yourself to your students;
• Refine your script/prompts/notes
• Log on to the computer
• Open the PCAP software
• Configure your webcam
• Create your recording
• Review and edit your recording
• Open your preferred browser
• Log in to VStream EchoCentre
• Upload to the VStream EchoCentre
• Once the file is processed, locate URL to share with students
• Time
• 20 minutes
• Prerequisites
• PCAP and HD Webcam installed on your computer;
• Already read PCAP user documentation 
• Prepared notes/prompts for your script.
• Link to technology used
• VStream https://vstream.victoria.ac.nz 
• Broadband connection
• Windows/Mac device
• Links to additional resources
• http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/wiki/images/f/f8/VStreamPCAPGuideStaff.pdf
• http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/wiki/index.php/VStream
• Follow up activities
• Edit your file, add closed captions, add bookmarks
• add link to specific content area in your Blackboard course