1. THE LEARNING TEAM ORDER OF PRESENTATION: 1. Katie Byrnes 2. Divya Ashok and Henry Doan 3. Aaron Schram and Ryan Coyer 4. Chris Magill 5. Ali Hassani and Javier Velez

2. Technology: Potential as Tools of Learning Distance Education & Video Games Katie Byrnes

3. Paulo FreireCarl RogersJohn Dewey Humanistic, Constructivist Learning Theory » » » » Designer-Oriented Learning Environments Ivan Illich Gerhard Fischer

4. Possibilities of Technology in Learning Will these new learning tools open doors for people that were not available through our traditional system of education? Will technology bridge the gap between the student, the curriculum, and the teacher? Will technology humanize or dehumanize learning environments: for students? For teachers?

5. Transitioning from Passive, Consuming Learners to Active, Designing Contributors “A major illusion on which the school system rests is that most learning is the result of teaching.” (Illich) “I realize that I am only interested in being a learner, preferably learning things that matter, that have some significant influence on my own behavior.” (Rogers)

6. Transitioning from Passive, Consuming Learners to Active, Designing Contributors “The teacher’s thinking is authenticated only by the authenticity of the students’ thinking... In problem posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world and with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation.” (Freire)

7. Transitioning from Passive, Consuming Learners to Active, Designing Contributors “If the subject matter of the lessons be such as to have an appropriate place within the expanding consciousness of the child, if it grows out of his own past doings, thinkings, and sufferings, and grows into application in further achievements and receptivities, then no device or trick has to be resorted to in order to enlist ‘interest’.” (Dewey) Organic connection, motivating, complex, interesting problems

8. Technology as a Learning Tool Gift-Wrapping Approach –Used to enhance traditional ways of teaching and learning. –Could reconceptualize the teaching & learning process (Fischer, 1996) Beyond Binary Choices –Enhancing individual and social creativity. –Collaborative design possibilities –Interesting, meaningful learning problems (Fischer et al, 2005)

9. References Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & education. New York: Simon & Schuster. Fischer, G. et al. (2005). Beyond binary choices: Integrating individual and social creativity. IJHCS paper. Accessed on March 30, 2005 through in-class lecture. Fischer, G. (1996). Making learning a part of life: Beyond the ‘gift wrapping’ approach to technology. NSF Symposium June 26, 1996. Accessed on January 19, 2005 through in-class lecture. Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: continuum. Rogers, C. (1961). On becoming a person. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

10. Technology as Applied to Distance Learning Divya Ashok & Henry Doan

11. Technology as Applied to Distance Education "When people write their comments, they pay more attention to detail and get to the meat of the subject." – Fran McCall Source: USNews.com

12. VHS Tape What it is… Advantages –Cost-Effective –Common Platform Disadvantages –Not Portable –Difficult to Navigate –Limited Data Storage –Not Dynamic

13. CD-ROM What it is… Advantages –Cost-Effective –Portable –Easy to Navigate –Large Data Storage Disadvantages –Not Dynamic

14. Web Site What it is… Advantages: –Easy Access –Dynamic Updates –“Unlimited” Data Storage Disadvantages –Technical Difficulties –Inconvenient for Complex Situations

15. Forums/Message Boards What it is… Advantages –Interactions –Discussion Retrieval Disadvantages –Abuse –Unrelated Discussion –Unorganized

16. Video Streaming: Tegrity What it is… –Classroom capture and Video streaming –Digital student notes. Advantages –“Most natural” –Real-time –Live Transmission vs. Pre-recorded Disadvatages –Poor Quality Website: www.tegrity.comwww.tegrity.com Examples….

17. Video Games as Learning Tools Ryan Coyer and Aaron Schram 4/20/2005 CSCI 4830: DLC

18. Overview Two primary subjects: 1. Which traditional education subjects would be best suited to learning via video games? 2. Are there other settings that are particularly well suited to using video games as learning tools?

19. Traditional Education Settings The Oregon Trail © (circa 1980) Jimmy has Dysentery!

20. The Oregon Trail © cont’d Well suited to education because, among other things, it was fun. As a byproduct, players learned about history, geography, geology, economics and anthropology.

21. Another Traditional Application All your multiplication table are belong to us. Math Blaster © (circa 1994)

22. Math Blaster © Again, players learn as a byproduct of having fun. Various mathematical and non- mathematical skills are developed and honed, including chart reading and understanding abbreviations.

23. Non-Traditional Situations Flight Simulators

24. Flight simulators allow pilots to not only develop and perfect the skills that they need to fly and fight their aircraft, but they allow the pilots to do so without risk to man or machine. Flight simulators are used by the almost all of the world’s Air Forces and commercial airlines.

25. Non-Traditional Situations Combat Simulators

26. Less Practical Uses Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 ©

27. Combat Simulators Advances in virtual technologies are enhancing the military’s ability to simulate reality and teach skills that are far too dangerous or otherwise impossible to practice.

28. More Tiger Woods Side wind

29. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 © Playing this game will make you a better golfer. (We can support this with evidence) The gaming engine presents the player with relevant information throughout the game. The accomplished TW2k5 player, now knowledgeable about the effects of wind, elevation and grass type, uses said knowledge on the course.

30. Chris Magill An educational video game design informed by readings in hands-on learning

31. Hands-on learning and… video games? –Hands-on (embodied) learning is the most effective way for children to gain elementary science and math knowledge. (Frances Hawkins, Journey With Children) –The LOGO programming language uses turtle geometry (embodied or “body syntonic” coordinates). (Seymour Papert, www.papert.org/works.html)

32. Hands-on Pencil-and-paper Increased motivation and engrossment Students easily distracted Faster learning overallFaster apparent progress through topics Increased retentionContent quickly forgotten Concepts available to students in other contexts Rote learning, not generalized Increased student enjoymentBoring Messy, lots of potential connections Neat, linear sequence of topics Demanding of teachersEasy for teachers Difficult to assess learningStandardized content, standardized testing.

33. A Game about Geometric Optics Mirror Vision is an example of a Critical Barrier. Critical barriers are elementary concepts that many people have not learned. Until these critical barrier concepts have been mastered, it is difficult to understand more advanced topics in science or mathematics. (David Hawkins, The Roots of Literacy)

34. Goals for this game Bridge 2 coordinate systems –Embodied (relative, body-syntonic) –Cartesian Be linked to hands-on activities –Game activities are repeatable in the real-world Model the uses of, and develop student intuition about, geometric concepts. Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection Complementary angles Perpendicular lines, parallel lines, and transversals Cartesian coordinates in 2 and 3 dimensions

35. Why is most educational software “games”? Information media have epistemological biases. –Print media—coherent, expository content –TV media—incoherent, visually entertaining content –Computer media— ??? (Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death) Much educational content is packaged as games –Is this evidence that computer media are biased towards interactive, but (like TV) essentially trivial content?

36. The need of a topic for future learning Javier Velez Ali Hassani

37. Did technology improve learning? A release in 2000 by the SIIA showed the effectiveness of technology in schools. Based on the report: –Technology has increased students’ achievements –Technology is useful to students in collaborative learning situations and to students with special needs –Technology improves inventive thinking, digital literacy, effective communication, teamwork, and the ability to create high quality products.

38. How could technology improve learning further - Bring exciting curricula based on real-world problems into the classroom -Provide scaffolds and tools to enhance learning -Give students and teachers more opportunities for feedback, reflection, and revision -Build local and global communities that include teachers, administrators, students, parents, practicing scientists, and other interested people - Expand opportunities for teacher learning.

39. Technology: A sword with 2 edges If technology is used inappropriately it could: - Prevent learners from acquiring the right knowledge - Develops a big dependency in technology - Creates sciences that are not needed and that could be developed to be dangerous

40. The need for experience surpasses the need for simulation - Not all students will have access to the computer systems required to operate the programs - Technology may be threatening to novices - Academics may not have the skills, time or support required to best use educational technology. - Computer programs are not good substitutes for books