This course utilized a variety of technologies to create learning experiences and instructional materials. The projects in the course were developed with the learner's needs at the forefront, with particular attention to the use of meaningful technology. The content of the course focused on visual communication, instructional design, educational psychology, human-computer interaction, and instructional media development. The following artifacts were designed in this course.
Artifacts
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Interactive Learning Object
Objectives:
Power Point has some incredible features; the possibilities for learning activities are only limited to the time it takes to create projects. The goal of this project was to utilize the functionality of Power Point to engage the learner in a meaningful and effective way. I used animations to create clickable images to navigate the learner through the presentation. I also used embedded checks for self assessment throughout. Creating the non-linear project in Power Point was challenging, but I found it very applicable to my position as a teacher. I frequently use Power Point presentations paired with guided note for class lecture. I am always looking for ways to engage students on a deeper, more meaningful level to achieve mastery and I found this interactive project to be engaging and meaningful. The embedded quiz checks and self-pace of the presentation lends itself to students of all skill level. |
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Instructional Handout
Objectives:
The purpose of this project is to explain in detail how to obtain and use a feature of Universal Design for Learning on a device. I chose a Chrome extension that I use in my classroom for one of my students. Initially I was truly aggravated by using Word for this assignment. If I need to create a poster or flyer, I typically use Pages. I used screen shots and arrows to direct the user's attention throughout the document. I used a black background with white font to create a strong contrast between the type and the images and left white space (or in this case black space) to streamline the project. I found this project to be very useful. I enjoyed exploring the capabilities of Word and how to achieve a quality flier using it. |
Podcast
Objectives:
Reflection: For this project, I used Garage Band on my MAC. It was extremely easy to use and I enjoyed the process. I really liked the time parameters of the project; I found it challenging and fun to instruct a lesson in such a tight time frame. After the first read through I was over by eleven seconds and I had to edit my script to accommodate the sixty second requirement. It took several takes to get the recording done well. I had noise interference and I reworked some sentences that were grammatically correct, but sounded odd when read aloud. I also enjoyed listening and selected the music for the podcast and editing the two together. For the tag line, I chose minute masters to elude to mastering a new concept in only one minute. Garage band was very user friendly and the editing was a cinch. It was very easy to navigate the tools to yield the desired result. |
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Instructional Video
Objectives:
This project was really involved and pieced together all of the previous elements we worked on in the course. For this project, I created a story board to keep the various components in logical order. Then I used screen casting software, digital video and audio files to complete the project. It took a lot of time to navigate the software, but once I got over the learning curve, the project came together quickly. I was happy with the final result, but I found it difficult to edit the video of myself. I re-recorded the audio several times and found it difficult to make the final cuts. Self-criticisms aside, I found the project meaningful and obtainable. I can see using these skills to create video lectures and learning materials for my classroom in the future. |
Poster Project
Objectives:
The poster project focused on using Adobe Photoshop. At first, I was really excited to use the software, as I enjoy art and creating pleasing designs. However, I struggled a lot with this project. I found Adobe to be difficult to work with and I spent the majority of my time frustrated with the software. I watched a lot of tutorial videos which showed mostly manipulating digital photos and videos. I felt that the learning curve was steep and something as straight forward as a poster became an enormous obstacle to overcome. In the end, I really like the resulting poster. I struggled with the parameters of the project and I disagreed with the peer feedback that I received. I chose the color blended background to mimic the three distinct types of inequalities and used visual components to avoid covering the poster with words. I chose the inequalities topic to present something simple and easy. In a classroom setting, posters that over explain have to be covered up or removed for testing purposes. This simplicity of this design would allow it to remain up year round. |