Unit 3 Blog Post

The third unit in ECU517 covered four learning theories all concerned with multimedia and contextual learning. After reading and viewing materials in the course, the following is my breakdown of the theories and how they might be used in a learning environment.

Goal Based Scenarios

My initial reaction to the GBS approach is that it sounds a lot like the "choose your own adventure" novel or the early computer game "Oregon Trail" I enjoyed as a kid, so the notion that GBS is about connecting to interest and curiosity made a lot of sense to me. The process of coming up with the information in order to address "decision points" in the mission makes the learning more relevant, and working in roles provides structure but still allows for social learning. GBS also seems to give a little nod to the PBL model in that many of the missions and cover stories begin with a problem to address or define. It seems this model is less about delivering a "curriculum" to the students and more about engaging students in a project that can be infused with curriculum. Again like many of these theories we've studied recently, this seems like many of the ways I think a lot of people learn in "informal" ways outside the classroom. It also seems with the rise of the LMS and availability of websites which would allow the instructor to create pages and content, it would be much easier to implement this than even a few years ago.

Anchored Instruction

The "Anchored Instruction" seems a lot like the GBS and PBL approaches in the key way it addresses the role students play in the learning process, as well and the focus on a meaningful problem to address. It differs from PBL because Anchored Instruction has "seeds" of embedded data for students to find, but I think the approach seems like it might generate more excitement among independent learners. The social element of working in groups and the student-driven exploration into authentic problems make anchored instruction another approach from creating critical thinkers and learners. Despite the compelling case for many of these approaches, I am reminded how little I see or have seen evidence of these in my years in education. Even the narrator in the lecture video makes note of how this is a departure from the models you'll often see in K-12 and higher ed classrooms.

STAR Legacy
I like the simplicity of the model and think that might be appealing to instructors and learners. The five-step process (challenge, thoughts, resources, assessment and wrap-up) allows some independence and variation, but also could provide more structure when needed. I like that the final stage really is a reflection on what was learned and reconnects with earlier steps in the process. And a strong challenge at the beginning of a lesson could really engage students with the learning activities and resources. The STAR Legacy model is similar to others in unit 3 with the focus on contextual learning and possibility of real-world engagement but seems a little more organized in ways that might be appropriate for shorter units or courses where more structure is needed.

MOST Environments
The MOST Environment, in contrast with the STAR legacy model, seems the most complex and perhaps limited in scope. It's not to say there would be scenarios where this model couldn't be used effectively, but it's not as easily applied to diverse learning environments. MOST Multimedia Environments support literacy and at-risk learners in environments designed to be engaging and motivational. This model and some of the examples sound very specific, but at its heart it appears to be about using video or interactive multimedia and storytelling to improve literacy and learning. When reading about this model I am reminded of how many kid's websites have interactive tutors guiding the learner and asking questions or encouraging them to put stories in sequence, as well as the overwhelming number of web2.0 tools designed to help kids tell stories. While the MOST environment may be very effective, its focus on literacy and struggling students may make it less applicable for all classes than some of the above.

Would I Use These Learning Theory Models?

Since the first blog post of the semester, I've subscribed to the, "it depends on the content and learning objectives" model for whether I would use these learning theories in a course. It's also extremely important to consider the learners in these modules. I am attracted to the ideas behind many of the models in unit 3, but I am aware of the effort it would take to implement some of these, like the GBS and Anchored Instruction. The STAR Legacy seems the easiest to use as a template in many settings, while the MOST model appears to be the most difficult. With all these it seems to me these theories are not designed to be casually implemented in a class, and it would require many students and teachers to leave their comfort zones. So while I can think of scenarios where all could be well-used, it truly would take some time to examine both the learning objectives and the learners in the module.

Web-tools One Might Employ in these Models

Platforms -these modules need a platform for the content and ways to deliver content. The following are a few sites for web2.0 platforms.

Google Sites, Edmodo	both provide pages and tools for integrating multimedia
PBworks, Wikispaces	both wiki platforms could be used to create online modules
Wix , Weebly	easy website creation sites
WordPress, Blogger	very versatile blogging sites

Stand-alone tools- all these models use storytelling and multimedia creation either by the instructor, teams or individual students. The following are links to tools that could be used for creating multimedia videos or storytelling.

Creaza	a web-based toolbox for storytelling and multimedia creation
Go Animate	a site for creating animated videos
Edu Voicethread	interactive discussions
Kerpoof	create videos or an animated picture
Make Beliefs Comix	create comic strips
One True Media	mix photos with text and animations
PhotoPeach	create slideshow stories
Storybird	students create visual stories
StoryJumper	a site for story and book creation
YouTube Editor	provides some basic tools for video editing