Constructivist learning and multimedia

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Constructivist learning and multimedia

• Ian Hart, Gray Williams, Denis Meyer
• CAUT Ecology French
• Biodiversity

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The Constructivist Credo

• Knowledge is constructed by the learner
• Many world views can be constructed there are
  multiple perspectives
• Knowledge is dependent on context
• Learning is mediated by tools and signs
• Learning is a social-dialogical activity
• Knowing how we know is the ultimate human
  accomplishment

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Traditional vs Constructivist
Curriculum design

• Teach sequences of skills graded from low-level
  to high-level

• Assist students to learn through problems,
  explore possibilities, develop products and
  presentations

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Traditional vs Constructivist
Instructional design

• Match clear objectives with assessment tests

• Develop global goals which require generalised
  abilities such as problem solving and research

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Traditional vs Constructivist
Student goals

• Stress on individual achievement

• Stress on collaboration and group work

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Traditional vs Constructivist
Teaching strategies

• Formal classroom instruction, lectures,
  worksheets, mastery activities, tests

• Informal atmosphere, open-ended questions,
  research and development, learning portfolios,
  descriptive assignments.

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Implications for developers

• The student brings prior learning and beliefs to
  the task

• Be aware of implicit assumptions (eg. cultural
  values)
• Provide scaffolding and context

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Lemonade Stand mathematics with cultural
implications
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Implications for developers

• The student is in control of the learning
  experience (of the program)

• Logical, instinctive navigation is vital
• Democratic vs algorithmic structure
• Menus can provide scaffolding (eg. concept maps)

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Democratic structure with concept map
lthttp//nt.media.hku.hk/webcoursegt
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Implications for developers

• Learning is often collaborative

• Opportunities for different world views and
  alternative solutions

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Different world views Les Hongkongaises
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Implications for developers

• Learning experiences should be in context

• Multimedia can provide realistic experiences and
  simulations
• Video and immersive media can promote engagement

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Immersive media puts learning in contextThe
Virtual Beach (QTVR)
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Implications for developers

• Assessment involves evaluating evidence of
  knowledge construction

• Open-ended problems
• Unstructured data
• Tools for knowledge construction

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Knowledge construction in Action Multimedia in
Architecture
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Implications for developers

• The program should develop the students
  metacognitive abilities

• Scaffolding and reflective devices
• Concept maps
• Advance organisers
• Evaluative assignments
• Action research approach

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Examples

• Architecture
• Ecology Biodiversity
• French
• Overall objectives
• Production strategy
• Teaching-leaning strategy
• Evaluation

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Multimedia for Architects

• Dept of Architecture/CAUT 2001
• Year 4 course
• Students work collaboratively to communicate
  complex architectural concepts to lay
  professional audiences using multimedia
• Medium CD-ROM (for assessment)

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The virtual lecture

• Virtual School of Ecology Biodiversity
  (HKU-Nottingham)
• Provide an on-line data bank of high-quality
  lectures from experts in the field
• Provide tools for deconstruction and analysis
• Medium CD-ROM and Internet Player

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Les Hongkongaises

• Dept of French/CAUT
• Student-centred material
• Promote viewer identification
• Communicative competence approach
• Errors are viewed as valuable data
• Contextualisation
• Medium CD-ROM

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Seminar 2 Production11 May

• Digital media and multimedia
• The iShell authoring environment
• Production strategies and the Interactive Media
  Group