using free web 2.0 media tools to promote student … · “using free web 2.0 media tools to...

3

Click here to load reader

Upload: dangdung

Post on 20-Aug-2018

214 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student … · “Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student Engagement and Instructor Presence in Online Classes.” Risa Blair and

“Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student Engagement

and Instructor Presence in Online Classes.”

Risa Blair and Sheryl Hartman

Miami Dade College

Instructor presence in the online classroom is a vital to promote student engagement in the online

classroom, including both instructor to student interaction and student to student interaction (Picciano,

2002). To that end, Jin et al (1998) provided a model to simulate the professor to student relationship in

the distance-learning environment. This model shows the professor on one side in his or her own world,

and the students on the other side in their own world. Although this model is old by bleeding edge

technology standards, it still holds true in the online environment. There is a clear gap, especially in

terms of communication, providing an opportunity for creating a bridge between the professor and the

students through the use of free Web 2.0 media tools.

Figure 1: Distance Learning Model with Socially Constructed Knowledge (Jin et al, 1998)

Free Web 2.0 tools used in the online classroom to promote student engagement include Animoto,

Xtranormal, Eyejot, Fix8, and Twitter. Animoto is a very easy-to-use tool to optimize student engagement

in the first “Meet & Greet” discussion. Students are generally able to upload picture, so the learning curve

is very short with Animoto. Essentially, students upload pictures, choose music, and are create a video

snapshot introduction to post on their first discussion board.

Xtranormal may be used by students, but can serve a variety of very useful purposes in the online

classroom. The free software download provides a variety of characters for use in scripted dialogue

animations with music and sets. The quality of the characters and the voices is fair, but the overriding

meaning possible is exceptional. Xtranormal can certainly be used for course announcements or

reminders, but the really interesting use is to create characters that conduct conversations about the

course. For instance, early in the semester, the two characters may discuss expectations in the course

and whether they think it will be easy or difficult, as well as strategies for success. The students really

don’t have in depth at the point of this dialogue, so there is some guessing. As the instructor, one can

front-end load the dialogue with Shakespearean foreshadowing. At instructor designated hot spots in the

course, these same two (or maybe different) characters may appear and take their conversation to the

Page 2: Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student … · “Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student Engagement and Instructor Presence in Online Classes.” Risa Blair and

next level. These two characters may discuss any specific assignments or notable aspects of the course.

This is a useful edutainment tool to bridge the gap between the instructor and the students, as music,

dancing, or other software enabled features may be integrated into the animated video.

Eyejot is a simple video email tool. It may be used directly to speak to someone and provide a video.

However, a more interesting use of the tool is for course announcements. An instructor may send a video

and then cut and paste the embed code into any HTML document, or course announcement. Obviously,

since students will see the instructor, he or she would want to present well in the video. For those early

mornings that instructors spend grading online, prior to meeting and greeting the public, there is Fix8.

The free version of this tool provides a lesser quality video; however, the video is enabled with hats,

glasses, beards, or other embellishments. Additionally, in lieu of a video of the instructor, Fix8 allows the

instructor to speak through an avatar that follows (albeit somewhat crudely) the instructor’s facial

movement. Overall, using Eyejot or Fix8 add interest and engagement to the course, as well as provide

an instructor presence, whether using the instructor’s voice alone with an animated character (Fix8) or the

instructor’s voice and video (Eyejot).

Twitter can be a very powerful tool to broadcast messages around the world in a flash. Twitter can also

be used to broadcast drivel. With guidelines in place, Twitter can be a very useful tool to stay connected

to students in an online class.

In summary, the literature supports providing a strong instructor presence in the online class to promote

student engagement. Free Web 2.0 tools, such as Animoto, Xtranormal, Eyejot, Fix8, and Twitter, when

used with intent, can be extremely helpful in bridging the instructor to student gap, as well as for

promoting student engagement in online courses.

Page 3: Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student … · “Using Free Web 2.0 Media Tools to Promote Student Engagement and Instructor Presence in Online Classes.” Risa Blair and

References

Jin, Z., Mason, R. M., & Yim, P. P. (1998). Bridging Us-China Cross-Cultural Differences Using Internet and

Groupware Technologies. The 7th

International Association for Management of Technology

Annual Conference, http://www.cim-oem.com/bridge_8c18c.html.

Picciano, A. (2002). Beyond student perceptionsL issues of interaction, presence, and performance in an

online course. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 6, 21-40.