Learning in the Future

Teaching with Classroom Response Systems:

Creating Active Learning Environments

by Derek Bruff

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Jossey-Bass (February 17, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0470288930
ISBN-13: 978-0470288931

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/5otp9r

The most difficult aspect of using personal response devices (”clickers”) is not how to select or set up the hardware and software, but how to use this technology effectively based upon proven pedagogical strategies.

About a year ago UNLV began an investigation of the various clicker vendors and their products.  The goal was to recommend one vendor product that the University could select to support and upon which to standardize.  The clicker workgroup committee (of which I was a member) found that every product had strengths and weakness and that the technology was still much too immature and volatile to select only one product.

What was very clear, however, was that faculty would need support not only in identifying a suitable product, but also in how to use this technology effectively.  While various vendors provided basic tutorials in how to set up their products, few provided resources for educators regarding how to actually teach using these tools.

Fortunately, Derek Bruff’s book, Teaching with Classroom Response Systems: Creating Active Learning Environments (2009), fills this void.  Based upon his personal experience and research, Bruff provides a practical guide for educators interested in using this new technology that is useful regardless of hardware or software.  No vendor products are mentioned by name, and the strategies are useful in any scenario.

Bruff interviewed almost fifty instructors in various disciplines at different institutions about the kind of clicker questions they pose, the way they use clickers to structure class activities and discussions, and the challenges they encountered when using this technique.  These interviews provide useful case studies and concrete strategies throughout the publication.

The book covers a variety of helpful topics.  The first chapter concentrates on active learning techniques such as the use of clickers to facilitate classroom discussion and peer instruction.  Chapter two explores assessment issues including the use of clickers for assessing on-the-spot comprehension, and graded quizzes or exams.  Clicker question development is the focus of chapter three, identifying and providing examples of at least nine question types.  The fourth chapter examines several issues instructors may face when using clickers (such as how to balance class time, how to respond to reluctant students, etc.) while the fifth chapter investigates technical and logistical aspects of classroom response systems.  The final chapter provides a summary of reasons to use classroom response systems (including sixteen concrete suggestions for instructors).

Fortunately, Bruff recognizes that every educational context is different.  The book’s stated goal is “not to tell instructors how they should or should not use classroom response systems” but to help instructors make informed and intentional decisions about the use of this technology.

Regardless of whether you are new to the use of classroom response systems or a veteran of this strategy, this book is highly recommended.

Do you know of other helpful resources for faculty using classroom response systems?  Please feel free to comment.

While randomly searching through the UNLV faculty Web directory, I recently stumbled upon Dr. Rebecca Wood’s Prelaw Podcast site.

As the UNLV Law School Prelaw Advisor, Dr. Wood found that she was answering the same questions over and over again.  In order to provide consistent information to students, she created a series of podcasts answering typical questions.  She developed short videos using a webcam, PowerPoint and Camtasia Studio.  Once the videos are created, she generates the necessary XML files using a shareware generator, then uploads everything to the faculty Web server.  She’s also created an account on iTunes so that students can subscribe to her podcast directly.

To further promote her program, she’s also created a UNLV Prelaw Facebook account.   Here she can promote upcoming events (such as an upcoming Internship and Job Fair) provide additional links to useful resources, and give contact information.

In addition, she also manages the UNLV PreLaw Notes blog (through Blogger) which contains “latest information of interest of UNLV’s prelaw students.” Interested prospective lawyers can find out about scholarship opportunities, upcoming deadlines, summer programs, events on campus, and more.

To support her courses at UNLV, she has created multiple pages on wetpaint (a social network development site) that includes (among other things): a wiki so that students can develop documents collaboratively; discussion forums regarding constitutional issues, a glossary of terms; online content developed by students (with commenting), and exam review questions.

Using these technologies has been exciting…but also challenging, she says.   Students enjoy the ability to collaborate, but assessing the deliverables can be difficult.

Are you using Web 2.0 technologies in your course?  Have any experiences with these strategies?  Please comment!

In preparation for my presentation last week on Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Increase Community of Learning in Higher Education, I found numerous great resources related to social media and education.  Following are some of my favorites:

Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:  Mass Education for the 21st Century (PDF)
A quiet revolution is occurring in our society.  As a result of technology and Web 2.0 concepts, we now expect to participate in our media.  How does this affect education?
(Jenkins/MacArthur Foundation - 2006)

A review of current and developing international practice in the use of social networking (Web 2.0) in higher education (Doc)
The results of a five-nation survey of social media use in education
(Armstrong/Franklin - September 2008)

Web 2.0 for Content for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PDF)
“Web 2.0 will have profound implications for learners and teachers in formal, informal, work-based and lifelong education. Web 2.0 will affect how universities go about the business of education, from learning, teaching and assessment, through contact with school communities, widening participation, interfacing with industry, and maintaining contact with alumni.”
(Franklin/Harmelen - May 2007)

101 Uses for Second Life in the College Classroom (PDF)
An overview of Second Life and a handbook of sorts for using Second Life for education.
(Conklin, February 2007)

 Web 2.0 tools: underpinning pedagogy, uses, and best practices in education (PDF presentation)
“An illustrated PowerPoint PDF introducing the underpinning pedagogy of Web 2.0 tools, their uses and best practices in the context of higher education, together with a comprehensive Webliography about the subject. The presentation covers wikis, blogs, wikis vs. blogs, podcasts, and confluence of Web 2.0 tools, e.g., blikis and voice wikis.
(Boulos, June 2007)

Wikis in Higher Education (PDF)
“An explanatory report about the value of wikis in higher education, from a faculty perspective.”
(University of Delaware, May 2008)

Can We Use Twitter for Educational Activities?
“With a solid experience in using Web2.0 technologies in education, the authors are trying to provide arguments for using Twitter as microblogging platform / social network in education, underlining its advantages, but also possible bad points.”
(Grosseck and Holotescu, April 2008)

Drive Belonging in the Classroom with Facebook (PDF)
“This explains how Facebook should not be used to advance learning in social networks, but rather social networks should be used to advance learning by building community”
Some great tips!
(Staton, 2008)

Collaborative tagging, metadata creation and learning: A study within a higher-education course (PDF)
“In this paper we present a study regarding metadata creation by students and discuss the implication of such learning activities.”
(Or-Bach, year unknown)

Creativity Through e-Learning: Engendering Collaborative Creativity Through Folksonomy (Google)
“This paper sets out to demonstrate that creativity can be fostered in learners through the use of such Web 2.0 technologies and, in particular, through tagging and it’s social form, folksonomy.”
(Lapham, 2007)

Nineteen Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom (GoogleDoc, PPT)
Although geared more toward K-12, this presentation has some innovative strategies for using Twitter in education.
(Barrett, year unknown)

Also, here is a nice collection:

socialmedia items tagged via Delicious

If you have other online resources, please feel free to comment below so I can include them for other educators! 

I’ve been invited to present at the “Virtual Worlds and Interpretive Communities: Opportunities for Global Dialogue” international conference hosted by the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies and the Sammy Ofer School of Communication held on February 16-17 in the Greenspun Hall Auditorium.  Following is the title and description of my presentation:

 Harnessing the power of social media to increase community of learning in higher education
Marketers have learned that simply publishing information about a product is no longer effective—consumers want to feel part of something; they want to belong to a community. These same concepts apply to higher education. Media tools like blogs, microblogs, folksonomies, and wikis have revolutionized the educational landscape and helped usher in an era of collaboration and camaraderie among students.

I’d like to be able to discuss how social media has the potential to increase the sense of connectedness and enjoyment that students (and faculty) feel when participating in online learning.

This train of thought comes as a direct result of my recent experiences exploring social media.

At a recent local blogging conference (WordCamp: Las Vegas), I heard blogging strategist and presenter Liz Strauss say:

“I don’t care what you know, until I know that you care.” 

While I know she was speaking in reference to marketing and customer loyalty, I couldn’t help but consider the implications for education.

I was also struck by a re-tweeted quote from Shane Ginsberg, executive director of marketing agency Organic:

“Social Media is a party. Brands are the narcs in the corner taking notes.”

This makes sense to me.  Social media networks seem to fill a basic need for people to connect with each other and belong to a community.  Sensing a profit potential, entrepreneurs capitalize on the gathering.

But where does education fit into the equation? I had to think about that.  I think I’d like to append Ginsburg’s quote:

“Social Media is a party. Brands are the narcs in the corner taking notes. Education is the quiet guy at the party…trying to figure out how to turn this experience into a learning opportunity.”

I’d love to hear your feedback on these concepts.  I’m especially interested in any research that has been done on social media and its effect on education.  Please feel free to comment!

I’ve been facing this problem for years:  I can’t record all the parts of my presentations with any clarity.

To capture myself presenting, I can use a digital video camera.  Okay, so far, so good.  I set the camera on a tripod, point it at where I’m standing (most of the time), then edit the digital video later in Final Cut Pro.

Audio captured with consumer digital video cameras generally stinks, however.   Since the camera is positioned far enough away to see you, it records room ambience, audience fidgeting, coughing, etc.  I’ve tried a variety of microphones for digital video cameras…and so far they all work pretty poorly.

Okay, I bought a fancy standalone portable recorder to capture high quality audio.  I love it.  I bought a Zoom H2 and the quality is amazing.  Although the four built-in microphones work incredibly well for concerts and interviews, I bought a lapel microphone to capture just me.  I stuff the recorder in my pocket and run the lapel microphone under my shirt.

Alright, I transfer the audio to my computer, import the file into Final Cut Pro and sync it up with my video.  So far so good.

Sadly, I’m stuck on the last part.  I want to record what I’m doing onscreen so I can cut it into my video.  After all, no one wants to just hear me talking about something.  They want to see what I’m doing or what I’m talking *about.*

I’ve tried a variety of techniques and software.  I’ve tried Camtasia,  Snapz Pro, CamStudio, and many more.  So far, they all have the same problem:  they either choke and give up after a few minutes of capture, they slow down my computer so I can’t present naturally or they’re so obtrusive while recording (flashing screens, flashing cursors, etc.) as to be distracting during my presentation.

At least CamStudio is open source.  I’m going to give it another chance in hopes that it can suit my needs without dying.  Apparently there’s both a Windows version *and* an Apple version.  I’m crossing my fingers.

I’m not giving up.  I’ll find something sooner or later that can capture my screen without bogging down the whole system.  I shall be very happy when that happens.  Any suggestions?

One of our recent goals at the Teaching and Learning Center has been to reach out to faculty and other agencies on campus in order to learn and establish new connections.  The more we’re in touch with people, the better we’ll be able to serve the educational needs of the University.

I’m really enjoying this opportunity.  I’m able to go out and meet some very intelligent people and learn what new techniques/strategies they’re using to support education.For example, Dr. Kendall Hartley ( http://ci.unlv.edu/faculty/hartley ) in the UNLV Curriculum & Instruction department showed me how he’s using audio/video screen capture combined with online video sharing to grade student assignments quickly and easily.

As I understand it, here’s how he’s accomplishing this:

1.  First, students send their assignments digitally to the instructor.  These could be research papers, presentations, graphic design projects, Web sites, photographs, etc.

2.  Next, the instructor opens the assignment in the native application (Word, PowerPoint, InDesign, Firefox, Photoshop, etc.).

3.  The instructor turns on his or her favorite video screen capture application (such as Camtasia Studio or the open source CamStudio), then provides verbal critique using a microphone.  Using a mouse to highlight a section or zooming in on an area, the educator can focus on specific parts of the assignment.4.  Lastly, the instructor saves the resulting video (with audio) to a favorite video sharing site such as YouTube or Vimeo and provides a link to the video back to the student (such as embedded in a private area of a Web site, in e-mail, etc.).  To provide privacy, a video sharing site can be password protected.

Naturally, this process would require some set up and practice, but after a few tries this method might be faster (and perhaps more enlightening) than scribbling marginal notes or using Word editing methods.  Turn on the microphone and screen capture software, provide sagely wisdom and send it on!

Dr. Hartley also makes creative use of wiki permissions to allow only specific students to see specific content.  I recent found a nice resource on wiki organization and access here.

I’m fascinated by data visualization.  Information becomes so much clearer when you present it in an innovative fashion. This word cloud of the Obama/McCain debate, for example, reveals some interesting differences in the candidates’ campaign strategy.  

  

Thanks to JS Wright for generating this word cloud: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jswright/2892073561/ 

Years ago, I told students in my Multimedia class that the Internet would one day be displayed in 3D.  While that hasn’t quite happened yet, it’s still fun to play in Second Life, a virtual world where students and educators can meet, travel, build and discuss regardless of where they exist in real life.

I’ll have to admit, I don’t spend much time “in world,” but I pop in on ocassion.

My identity is Michael Whittlesea, and I’m generally found at “Ed Tech Island,” although I’ve been known to explore.

Someday I’ll take the time to find an avatar with a grey goatee. 

PowerPoint has long been a staple in the face-to-face educational community. In the right hands, it has the ability to deliver clear, understandable “chunks” of information that includes animation and interactivity. (In the wrong hands, however, it can be a sloppy, confusing mess…but that can be the focus of a later posting.)

Problems arise, however, when you try to deliver your presentation over the Web. “Save for Web” features built into PowerPoint, for example, cause as many problems as they solve, forcing students and instructors to comply with Windows marketing in order to function, often losing many of the presentation’s primary functions.

Numerous companies have capitalized on PowerPoint’s firm anchor in the desktop realm, providing conversion tools that transfer your presentation to alternative formats.

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While Adobe Captivate, for example, is primarily a screen-capture tool, it also has the ability to convert PowerPoint presentations to the ubiquitous Flash format. At nearly $700 (not counting educational discounts), the price tag is generally well out of reach of the average college professor.
http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/..

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TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio also has the ability to record PowerPoint presentations complete with animation, sound effects, video, etc., and output to a variety of formats (Quicktime, WMV, Flash), but the final product is linear in display. The final “movie” can only be started and stopped. At $299, the price is a little less painful than Captivate, fortunately.
http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

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I’ve heard good things about Impatica’s Impatica for PowerPoint, but haven’t had a  chance to use it yet.  The product has been around for several years now and has been accepted by many in the educational community.http://www.impatica.com/imp4ppt/
 

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I’ve not yet tried Wondershare’s PPT2Flash yet, but I’ll give it a try soon and see how it compares. http://www.wondershare.com/e-learning/ppt2flashstd/ppt2flashstd_overview.html..

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Recently, I’ve been using iSpring’s iSpring Free 3.2 at the suggestion of a colleague, and I would have to say I’m impressed. Not only is this conversion tool free, it really does the trick! If course, the free version leaves some branding visible, but it’s so unobtrusive who cares? If you go full screen (a feature I haven’t seen in any of the other products) you don’t see the branding anyway.
http://www.ispringsolutions.com/So far, conversion of my PowerPoint presentations to Flash (including the necessary HTML) has been flawless. The resulting file keeps my audio, animation, images and transitions. Woo-hoo!The only minor hiccup I’ve found has been that the iSpring product doesn’t allow you to turn off “Advance on mouse click”…something you’ll need to do if building interactive non-linear presentations.The pro version (iSpring Pro 3.2) is still a bit pricey ($199), but educators get a 50% discount. I may have to consider it…If you regularly use PowerPoint as part of your curriculum, and you want to make the switch to online education, check out iSpring Free. Bottom line is you can’t beat the price for the value.

In an attempt to explore and reveal interesting new technologies of interest to online educators, I’ll be posting small reviews and explanations of tools I find on the Internet.

You can find more by visiting my delicious page:

http://del.icio.us/living_in_the_future

If you haven’t heard of it before, Delicious is *very* useful.

According to the Delicious Web site:

“Delicious is a social bookmarking service that allows users to tag, save, manage and share web pages from a centralized source. With emphasis on the power of the community, Delicious greatly improves how people discover, remember and share on the Internet.”

Personally, I use it all the time.  While reading articles, listserv postings, listening to colleagues, randomly surfing the Internet, I encounter great resources that I want to find later.  Rather than bookmark the site in a browser (which is then only accessible from *that* workstation), I tag the site in Delicious, which is accessible from anywhere!

I’ve also found great resources by browsing the link collections by other learning technologists. Give it a try sometime…check out the tagged links by like-minded colleagues!