KFLC 2006 FLASH to the Rescue Automating Student WebCT Orientations with a Video Tutorial

KFLC 2006 Elementary Spanish 40 sections per semester, 900 students Graduate Teaching Assistants Part Time Instructors College of Liberal Arts core course

KFLC 2006 WebCT Usage 1 hour “lab” credit WebCT site –Course Documents –Resources –Electronic Workbook –Videos and Video Quizzes

KFLC 2006 Previous WebCT Site

KFLC 2006 Course Documents

KFLC 2006 Course Calendar

KFLC 2006 Study Guides

KFLC 2006 Lab Materials

KFLC 2006 Lab Materials

KFLC 2006 Electronic Workbook

KFLC 2006 Our Students From College of Liberal Arts Incoming Freshmen First course with WebCT Complex site

KFLC 2006 Previous Solutions Multimedia Cart or TEC classroom Introductory PowerPoint presentation Lab Orientations

KFLC 2006 What happens when you try to bring 900 Spanish students to the Foreign Language Multimedia Center during the first week of classes? a.Schedule conflicts with other languages b.Confusion as students add courses c.Coordinator loses her voice d.General chaos

KFLC 2006 e. All of the above!!!!

KFLC 2006 Ideal Solution –Automated presentation –Available for all Elementary Spanish students –Internet based –Content specific –Unlimited usage for reference

KFLC 2006 Ideal Solution –Individual pacing –Easy to use –Visual and aural –Cross platform –Limited software, plug-in or hardware requirements

KFLC 2006 Team Members Coordinator, Elementary Spanish Program Assistant to Spanish Coordinator Producer/Director, Media Production Group Graphic Designer, Media Production Group Director, Foreign Language Multimedia Center IT Coordinator, College of Liberal Arts Graduate Student Technology Assistant

KFLC 2006 Development Process Demonstrate and discuss site Brainstorm Determine important elements Redesign WebCT site Develop script Design Video Tutorial Implement Tutorial Assess Results

KFLC 2006 Discuss Site Opportunity to evaluate current site “Fresh” eyes Reflect on language used in orientations Determine assumptions about our students and how they use the site

KFLC 2006 Brainstorm Flexibility Ability to pause Talking head or not Screen shots versus video To stream or not to stream Small chunks Length

KFLC 2006 Important Elements What elements are crucial to student success in course? –Finding Syllabus –Navigating site –Locating online assignments –Registering Electronic Workbook –Taking Video Quizzes

KFLC 2006 Site Redesign Reorganize Adjust terms Simplify New visual look and feel

KFLC 2006 Develop Script Record an orientation session Transcribe script Review transcription Back to the drawing board/re-write script Judicious editing by group Record script and listen More editing Even more editing

KFLC 2006 Why FLASH? Cross platform No specific media player required No slow download or stream Flexibility of presentation

KFLC 2006 Build Flash Tutorial

KFLC 2006 Finished Product

KFLC 2006 Challenges Placement in WebCT Window resizing and pop-up windows Java script solutions Tracking mechanism

KFLC 2006 Challenges

KFLC 2006 Challenges Create a “command / response” situation like a traditional classroom

KFLC 2006 Challenges

KFLC 2006 Challenges Screen shots and an animated mouse arrow timed with the narration Simple click sound effect makes enormous difference in focus

KFLC 2006 Implementation Added to newly re-designed WebCT sites in Spring 2006 Tutorial was pointed out in class No classes brought for orientations Two “Help Sessions” scheduled in Multimedia Center Students with questions were directed to the tutorial

KFLC 2006 Results Much less chaos in lab No lost class time Very few students with WebCT questions Low student attendance at “Help Sessions” Tracking indicates video accessed 200 times during first two days of class Accessed 1128 times by mid term

KFLC 2006 Access

KFLC 2006 Results

KFLC 2006 Student Reaction Responses to online survey –238 responses –Some unreliable data “After I watched it once I really felt like I was on the right track. There is a lot to do in this class and this help me feel like I ready for all the work.”

KFLC 2006 “It was wonderful! I would hate going to the WebCT site if the tutorial had not helped me figure out what I needed and how to get to it.” “Didn’t know about it” “Tutorials are for suckers” “not at all. it wasn't necessary.”

KFLC 2006 Timeline Initial project approximately 6 months –Planning and scripting (4 months) –Development (2 months) Subsequent projects 3-4 months

KFLC 2006 Future Plans Other Elementary and Intermediate Language sequences Core courses in Liberal Arts with common WebCT sites

KFLC 2006 Success Strategies Choose your team wisely Take advantage of resources on your campus Be flexible and open-minded Revise, revise, revise

KFLC 2006 Stacey L. Powell Director, Foreign Language Multimedia Center Auburn University Jason Adams Graphic Designer, Media Production Group Auburn University

KFLC 2006 Brian M. Cole Assistant Coordinator, Elementary Spanish Program Auburn University