Putting Me in Media

Like learning to read or write, or acquiring the fundamentals of mathematics, screen media literacy is rapidly becoming an essential life skill. This dominant and expansive interface for contact, culture, and commerce has become the way we communicate now. Given the power and reach of the screen, it seems essential that as with any other fundamental skill, we must begin to understand and create within this medium in a more foundational, intentional way. But the language of the screen is complicated, rapidly becoming almost as multidimensional and multifaceted as the number of users it encompasses. Additionally, given its reliance on technology, it is an ever-changing landscape fraught with the challenges of chasing the elusive cutting edge. This chapter looks at a more back to basics approach to screen media literacy by offering instruction in what screen media really is and how to create it in a more foundational and transferable fashion. Using simple, accessible technology, people become more screen literate and the creation process enables deeper, more authentic learning, with the credence and accountability of a potentially world wide audience. Focusing on an integral part of a process developed by the Rosebud Institute – an organization committed to making screen media literacy more broadly understood and accessible – this step-by-step, integrated method delivers a new understanding of media literacy. Using simple, accessible technology, participants create dynamic, original ePortfolio websites themselves and distribute their work to an ever-expanding audience. Developed along with Rosebud’s founder and director, Paul Chilsen, the process encourages individuals to find their own voice and embrace the me in media, moving us towards a future where people will instantly capture, identifiably own, intelligently store, and instinctively know what to do with their digital assets, allowing us all to communicate more effectively and thrive in a media-saturated world.

Media and the Moving Image

We are immersed in a culture of spoken media, written media, and – like it or not – screen media. Just as writing and speaking skills are keys to functioning in society, we must consider that the future increasingly demands proficiency in “mediating” as well. Doing anything less leaves this powerful medium in the hands of a relative few. By offering instruction in what screen media is, how it is created, how it relates to other literacies, how the internet is changing it, and how this all informs everyday teaching and learning, the Rosebud Institute seeks to make screen media literacy more broadly understood and accessible. This chapter follows a program developed by the Rosebud Institute and looks at how – using simple, accessible technology – people can become more screen media literate by creating digital films and ePortfolios themselves. Developed along with Rosebud’s program manager, Christine Wells, the creation process enables deeper, more authentic learning, allowing us all to communicate more effectively, to self assess more reflectively, and to thrive in a screen-based world.

Videagogy

Capitalist economics posits that increased competition between entrepreneurs in an economy leads to better, more consumer friendly products. As colleges compete for students, the same could be said for how modern learners have driven traditional pedagogy to new heights. In the last 30 years, education has witnessed the transformation of distance learning via the internet and home computing, the growth and inclusion of non-traditional learning methods, and most recently, the growth of a ubiquitous video culture via the usage of digital video recording, phone cameras, and web vehicles such as YouTube. This chapter attempts to connect research with the practical components of using technology in the form of humorous, short videos as a new teaching technique called videagogy: from the words video and pedagogy, pronounced vid-e-ah-go-jee. Using humorous videos and allowing students to select video content brings self-directed learning to students in a non-threatening way that actually makes them laugh out loud.

Making Learning Reel

As more students bring powerful pocket-sized computers to class in the form of their smartphones and tablets, faculty need to take advantage by devising curriculum that incorporates mobile video production as a means of contributing to the discourse of the university and the world at large. Projects where students use mobile devices to make videos create active learning environments where they are more likely to build and connect their classroom learning with what they already know. These types of projects also develop student digital composing skills while navigating several issues pertinent to a 21st century participatory culture. These assignments engage students with themes and issues that not only promote success in higher education but throughout their careers.

Video Projects

Video projects offer valuable opportunities for students to engage in the academic enterprise and demonstrate what they are learning. This chapter explores what will be referred to as the Helix-Flow: an amalgam synthesizing and strengthening three theoretical frameworks of instruction, including Project-based Learning, Universal Design for Learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain. The Helix-Flow captures the essence of these three theories and serves as a backdrop for understanding and appreciating video projects as a learning artifact. As a helix, the spirals wrap around the cylinder or cone. Each spiral represents one of the theories and the cylinder or cone represents student engagement with video projects. The spirals or theories support the cone or student engagement with video projects. Each theory or spiral has its own inherent and prescribed set of principles and guidelines. Each theory integrates with the others while keeping its own strengths, providing a comprehensive approach to instruction and student engagement. Each theory scaffolds differentiated instruction. This chapter will also examine the five Rs as guidelines for multimedia projects – Rationale, Roles, Resources, Rubric, and Readiness as well as the design of video assignments, assistance, production phases, and assessment.

Digital Story-Making in Support of Student Meaning-Making

Learning design is critical to success when using visual media to enhance learning. This process involves beginning with the end goals in mind and working backwards to craft a thoughtful learning sequence. Through a pair of case studies, this chapter demonstrates the role student-generated digital stories can play in helping students make meaning of firsthand learning experiences. Digital story-making engages students in a multi-modal, multi-sensory experience that deepens engagement and improves the memorability of learning. Educators are under increasing pressure to provide evidence of the impact that coursework has on student learning, and student-generated digital stories provide valuable artifacts of learning.

Using Video and Web Conferencing Tools to Support Online Learning

This chapter examines effective methods for using video and web conferencing tools to support online learning. The authors discuss the concept of presence, how web conferencing can be used to support presence in online courses, and why it is important to do so. Because of the impact web conferencing can have in learning, this chapter explores a variety of teaching roles that best leverage these conferencing tools. The chapter includes information on various web conferencing software programs (paid and open source). Best practices for using web conferencing tools in online learning are also explored.

Creating and Implementing a Virtual Math Tutoring Lab for Undergraduate Students

This chapter discusses the construction and implementation of a Virtual Math Lab for undergraduate students. The main technology used in the construction of the site was the Livescribe® SmartPen. Pros and cons of using this technology is discussed in detail. In addition, current usage numbers illustrate how the Virtual Math Lab has filled a need that this level of student desperately needed filled.

Toward LessonCapture

LessonCapture is an approach to the creation and recording of presentation content (course lecture or demonstration), delivered either face-to-face or via screen-recording, and based on effective public speaking, presentation design, and multimedia learning principles. The combination of these principles with particular procedures and practices helps to ensure effective learning and reusability of content. The field of education faces many challenges: budgets, time limitations, new delivery approaches, and effectiveness. LessonCapture is one way to help maximize the return on the financial investment in recording technology and the instructor time needed to create high quality instructional materials.

Student Performance and Perceptions of Business Courses Delivered Using Lecture Capture

This research compared student performance and withdrawal rates in undergraduate business courses taught using lecture capture and face-to-face. Student perceptions of lecture capture are also described. Lecture capture refers to storing videos of live course lectures, which students may view at their convenience from anywhere with an Internet connection. Results indicate no significant difference in student performance between the lecture capture and face-to-face conditions. Withdrawal rates also were similar, although freshman and sophomores had higher withdrawal rates in lecture capture than in face-to-face. Student perceptions of lecture capture were quite positive. Students were satisfied with the video instruction they received, they liked having more control over their learning, they liked the convenience that lecture capture provided, and about 70% said they would take another course that used lecture capture. However, the majority of students did not feel that lecture capture enhanced their performance or their interest in the course.