I Might Be Having an Art Attack!

     For this week's post, we have been asked to choose one of three scenarios, and reflect how best to manage the design aspect of the scenario through the use of technology. The scenario I chose deals with creating a distance learning experience via an interactive art museum. The scenario is given below.

     A high school history teacher, located on the west coast of the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits being held at two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her students to take a "tour" of the museums and be able to interact with the museum curators, as well as see the artwork on display. Afterward, the teacher would like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have the students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As a novice of distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher turned to the school district’s instructional designer for assistance. In the role of the instructional designer, what distance learning technologies would you suggest the teacher use to provide the best learning experience for her students?

     I chose this scenario from the three presented because it applies well to my background in K-12 education. I can also relate to the teacher who is still a novice with web 2.0 technologies, and to the designer who is being asked to supply a design plan that will be a dynamic engaging experience for the students as well as a valuable and manageable learning experience for the teacher.

     When I started this assignment, I was not entirely sure how to approach the methodology. In my research, I found some really interesting resources available online that would work great in a module suitable for this topic. For instance, the Museum of Fine art in Boston http://www.mfa.org/explore has a great interactive museum web site that allows the user to tour the museum and interact in limited fashion with the artwork (Museum of Fine Art Boston, n.d.). I also found Google's art Gallery http://www.googleartproject.com. The Google Art Gallery is an extremely impressive site. It features links to twenty museums from around the world. It is a virtual museum that allows the user to tour the museum by using Google's Street View (Art Project, n.d.). When one chooses a particular piece of art, they can click on information provided with the picture. It truly is an amazing site. My first thought was to reply to this scenario using the Google Art Gallery technology as my starting point. However as I thought about it, I decided to take a different approach. Here is a piece of my reasoning. Though I really love the Google Art Gallery, the scenario mentions an interactive piece with the curators. Though Art Gallery does offer videos with the curators, I thought it might be interesting to get a more personal view from them. I feel like the students being able to interact with the curators would give the students a more real world feel to the assignment. Though it will take more work on my part as the designer, it could be an experience the students can apply to other learning situations (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012).

     As the designer of this project, I would need to begin by sitting down with the teacher and getting to know her and her students. This is an instance where I as the designer can get a really good feel for the type of learners I will be working with. This is critical in forming a learner analysis for the module (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2011). The next step is going to be to assess the technology that is available to both teacher and students (Simonson, et al, 2012). Followed by a discussion of leaning outcomes and any information I can get from the teacher about both teacher and student experience with technology (Simonson, et al, 2012).

     Ideally (and this may be a stretch, obviously there would be a lot of homework to do regarding the cooperation of the curators and the museum), the design would look something like this. After the teacher and students contact the two museums for the focus of the assignment, and a few of the curators agree to take part in the activity. The curators would take raw video footage of the new exhibits. In these videos, the curators would narrate about their favorite parts of the exhibit, provide information on the artwork, and any tidbits of information not readily available to the public. The videos would be short, ten to fifteen minutes maximum. The raw footage would then come back to the designer, and using technology such as Movie Maker I would edit the videos so they could be posted to the teacher web page. Students could then choose which exhibits they would like to view. The reason I like this process better than using a tool like Art Gallery is that it gives the students a view of the exhibit through the eyes of the curator. The next piece of the assignment is the collaborative piece the teacher wanted. The teacher wanted the students to be able to critique pieces from the exhibits. I this case I would set up a wiki with those pictures as well as information on the picture, artist, museum, etc. The students could choose which pictures to critique and post those to the wikis. Students could then respond to those critiques via the wiki. A final piece that might be fun would be to have a web cast with one or more of the curators so students could interview the curators and get their thoughts on the pieces chosen for the wiki. This last piece would take some logistical work, but it could add some wonderful enrichment to the activity.

     Here is some of the rationale I used in deciding on these particular technologies. Like I said before, using video that is enhanced with the narration of the curators gives the students a bird's eye view from the lens of those closest to the exhibits. This type of authentic experience is very difficult to recreate (Simonson, et al, 2012) in an online virtual tour. The use of a wiki seemed like a great way to get students to collaborate (Simonson, et al, 2012), while addressing writing standards that are often required by school districts as well as state governments. I also like the wiki format because students who are often not comfortable speaking in class have a forum to express themselves in a way that feels safer for them. Another advantage to using the wiki is when having students use this technology, you are asking them to take some initiative in their learning experience. This initiative is a way to build autonomy in the learners, which will be necessary as the learners advance in their education (Simonson, & Saba, n.d.). I found  a short video that shows how wiki's can be used to augment classroom instruction.  Click the following link to view the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pR5yogCmkA (Richardson, n.d.). The final piece of technology, the web cast is a great way to get direct interaction between the students and the curators. This interaction allows the separation between the curator and the students to be greatly reduced by allowing two-way communication (Simonson, et al, 2012).  For an example of how a classroom teacher used this technology to connect his class with a nanotechnology expert, click on the following blog link.  http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/02/interview-with-nanotechnology-expert.html (Davis, 2007).

     Ultimately, there could be many ways to create a module based on the given scenario. I feel like the methods suggested here could create a great distance learning experience for the students while introducing the teacher to some of the technologies available that can narrow the distance in a learning community.

References

Art project by Google. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.googleartproject.com/

Davis, V. (2007), February 12). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/02/interview-with-nanotechnology-expert.html

Museum of fine arts Boston: Explore online. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mfa.org/explore

Morrison, G.R., Ros, S.M., Kalman, H.K., & Kemp, J.E. (20110.  Designing effective instruction. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley, & Sons, Inc.

Richardson, W. (Writer) (n.d.) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for the classroom [DVD].  Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pR5yogCmkA

Simonson, M. (Writer), & Saba, F. (Writer) (n.d.). Theory and distance learning [Web]. Retrieved from          http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6493362&Survey=1&47=888416 1&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

An Evolving Definition of Distance Learning

Distance Learning Mind Map

                

     When I was a little girl, I loved Saturday afternoons.  Saturday afternoons meant several things depending on the time of year.  In the spring, summer, and fall it meant endless hours (or what felt like endless hours) in the fields near my home, playing kickball, or hide and seek, or baseball, or football.  However, in the winter, it meant something else.  With the snow falling, the wind blowing, and the temperatures well below zero, Saturday afternoons meant indoor time.  Saturday afternoons meant my sister, mom, myself, and Julia Childs. 

      In this week's application prompt we have been asked to give our initial definition of distance education, and then create a new definition based on what we have learned about its evolution using this week's resources.  As this class began last week the only definition that came to mind concerning distance learning, was higher-level online education.  I suppose this is because I have been so deeply immersed in online education for the past year, that I could not expand my paradigm to include anything else.  However, when I took some time to reflect on my experiences with distance learning, I realized that my childhood was filled with distance learning experiences.  I did not realize it at the time, but my first distance learning experiences were those Saturday afternoons filled with the melodic voice of Julia Childs, my mom, her handy yellow legal pad and the PBS station out of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

     By definition, the education I was receiving on those Saturday afternoons cannot be considered distance learning.  Distance learning is defined as "institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors."  (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 32).  This definition can be expanded to include that the separation of learner and instructor includes geography, time, and intellect.  (Simonson, n.d).  Though Ms. Childs was educating me on the finer points of cooking (and eating), nothing in that education could be considered institution-based or formal.

     What is interesting about the definition of distance learning is that it is continuously changing.  The definition given in the previous paragraph is well suited to today's education ideas and available technologies.  However, the definition of distance learning was very different in the past, and will evolve again in the future.  The history of distance learning stretches as far back as two centuries.  Early in its history, distance learning was defined by the written word and the ability to deliver that writing.  Correspondence courses in countries such as Sweden, England and France in the mid 19th century opened the doors of education for many who would otherwise not have educational opportunities (Tracey, & Richey, 2005). These correspondence type courses made their way to the United States in the later part of the 19th century at the University of Chicago, and gained acceptance throughout the country as a viable form of education (Tracey, & Richey, 2005).  This method of distance learning remained steady throughout the 20th century, but began to evolve with the advent of technologies such as the radio, and then again with the invention and wide distribution of television. 

     When considering a definition of distance learning, one cannot omit the importance of technology in the evolution of the definition.  With the emergence of each new technology, there has been a corresponding change in the number of people who can access this learning, as well as changes in learning theory as it applies to distance teaching and learning (Simonson, et, al, 2012). Presently, computer-supported online learning is growing faster than any other type of distance learning (Tracey, & Richey, 2005).  This is not surprising when one considers the combination of Web 2.0 and a wide variety of high-powered portable devices available to run this technology.  However, it is not the technology alone that has changed the scope of distance learning.  A student population that needs a broader range of education options (Simonson, et al, 2012), is tech savvy and able to evolve with the technology has helped foster the current evolution in the definition of distance learning. 

     When I think about the future of distance learning, many visions of expansion come to mind.  The first is how current economic times will contribute to the increasing demand for online distance education.  In the past, many workers could depend on a single steady job they would keep until it came time to retire.  This option is quickly disappearing from the landscape.  As a result an increasing number of workers will need to re-train or re-educate themselves in a way that works with a busy schedule.  A second vision deals with the expansion of higher education institutions that will increase the scope and depth of distance learning because of the potential financial benefits that could come about by making their programming accessible to more students (Tracey, & Richey, 2005).   A third vision deals with the implementation of distance learning into K-12 education.  As more school districts struggle with increasing costs and decreasing budgets, many schools may start to turn to distance learning as a way to alleviate costs due to facilities and transportation.  The challenge for K-12 educators will be to find ways to offer distance learning that can foster important skills and relationships between learners, and educators that will offer meaningful collaboration,  as a way to keep novice learners motivated and interested (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008). 

     In the end, I started this class with one definition of distance learning.  My narrow view of distance learning based on my own experience.  I can now expand that definition to include the definition provided in this week's resources.  A definition that expands the scope to include formal, institution based, technology driven education where teachers and students are separated by time, space and knowledge (Simonton, et, al, 2012).  What will be fun to watch over the next years will be to see how this definition will evolve again.  What technologies will emerge, and which human needs and ideas will change this definition?  All I know are the chances of the definition of distance learning evolving again are excellent.  For me, I am really hoping that whoever creates the new definition of distance learning will find a way to include the excellent lessons of Julia Child.

References

Huett, J. Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008).  The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: Training and development). Tech Trends, 52(5), 63-67.

Simonson, M. (Writer) (n.d.) Distance Education: The next generation[Web] Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6493362&Survey=1&478884161&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: foundations of distance education. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Tracey, M., & Richey, R. (2005). The evolution of distance education. Distance Learning, 2(6), 17-21