Storyboarding

Overview 

What Is It?

A storyboard is a graphic organizer in a form of images or sketches displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing or planning a motion picture, motion graphic or interactive media sequence.

"A primary tenet of all symbolic interaction theory holds that the self is established, maintained, and altered in and through communication" (Stone,1962).

In his examination of communication, Stone demonstrates that all communication can be broken down into two parts; discourse and appearance.
The term discourse refers to auditory whereas the term appearance is visual.
For Stone (1962), visual communication "sets a stage for, or establishes, the types of verbal discourse possible"(Huff-Corzine,1986).

Additionally, storyboards provide the visual component, the primary component for communicating with one's self as well as with others. This is the reason they serve as powerful tools for learning more about one's self, as well as for organizing "stories" to be shared with larger audiences in auditory formats.

REFERENCE
Ibiblio.org. (2016). Storyboarding 101: Turning Concepts into Visual Forms. [online] Available at: http://www.ibiblio.org/ism/articles/huffcorzine.html [Accessed 6 May 2016].
Benefits

-The product team would get an overview of the screen with one look.
They would get a clear picture of the visual that is being used, plus the suggested animation along with the interactivities involved.

-It is possible to improvise on the design ideas provided by the ID based on the visual ideas

-Most information can be compressed and summarized visually instead or presented through lengthy instructions. visual elements essentially communicates the depth of the course to both the designer or production team.

-The interface is illustrated in storyboards which helps to understand the course clearly before its development.

-Visual storyboards make it easier for a production team to integrate various course elements e.g. content, graphics and animation to create the final eLearning course.

-If sticky notes are used to make the storyboard, they can easily be moved around if necessary

Drawbacks

-A lot of time is required to make these storyboards.

-As new ideas come up, the entire storyboard might need altering

REFERENCE

Custom Training and E-learning, Anywhere Anytime!. (2016). Advantages of Designing a Visual Storyboard. [online] Available at: http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/advantages-visual-storyboard [Accessed 6 May 2016].

Further Development Of My Prototype 

I had my prototype reviewed for the very last time today. judging by what was mentioned in the feedback, it seems as though i should design the artefact to aid people of learning styles other than that of the visual learning style.

Including features such as spoken words could help the users, especially young children, to memorise the way in which the words are said. it is a known fact that children adapt to accents or pronunciations rather fast.

Initial Prototype Ideas

The Purpose Of The Artefact

The job of the artefact will be to teach children the language Mauritian Creole. Though it is not an academic language, I feel that it would be a good opportunity for them to learn something new, solely for amusement purposes.

I feel that this game could be rewarding to a certain extent as it would introduce a child of a small age to new forms of learning, i.e. learning from carrying out mini tests etc. Additionally, they would feel a sense of encouragement if they manage to get a good result by the end of the game, as it would essentially show them that one can succeed in anything if they have the will to succeed.

The Game

The game is basically voyage throughout the continents of the world. The starting point is Europe (The UK). The game consists of a world map that shows the user where they are. A boat symbol is used to display this.

A lesson will be taught then the child would need to carry out a mini test. This will occur during the voyage (to get passed each continent, a user would need to have got the question right) then after each mini test, they are shown their progress (where they are on the map). This is repetitive until they reach Mauritius.

Chosen Platform

The game will be created on a PowerPoint Presentation. This is a good 

application to use as it enables the use of animations, imagery, macros and 

minimal coding to aid with the event driven procedures.

Target users

The artefact will in the main be aimed at children aged 6-8. I felt that this was a good age range to target as it is known that young children adapt to languages faster than older aged children. Some researchers argue that “the earlier children begin to learn a second language, the easier it will be for the child” (Krashen, Long, & Scarcella, 1979).  The artefact will make use of simple and easy to understand vocabulary which should not be too hard for a young child to understand.

Theme: Imagery and Colour Palette

I would be using tropical themed images to match with the climate of the Mauritius Island such as; the sun, palm trees, a dodo or the seaside. This theme should essentially bring out a positive mood as it draws out happiness and excitement from a sunny atmosphere.

The chosen colour scheme will be bright but not intolerable to the user, so no florescent or neon colours will be made use of. If I had chosen a dark colour palette there is a chance that that the child may get easily bored.

 Initially Planned Content

The game will be teaching children a simple selection of useful vocabulary such as; numbers, weather, animals, objects. I might also teach them the way to describe facial expressions.

To teach the facial expressions, the game could show an image of a facial expression and have the describing word either beside it or below the image along with the translated word. Later the user could be tested by being shown the image then asked how to say the expression in creole without any hints provided.

Feedback Methods

The feedback which is to be used in the artefact will be somewhat effective. A child is provided feedback after every time they click on an answer, so it can be said that the feedback is timely. The method used to give the feedback is a message shown on-screen.

Words of encouragement is used to make the child not feel disconcerted for getting answers incorrect. The artefact is designed to constantly give the child a chance until they get the answer right before moving on to the next lesson. This applies to the mini tests.

Additionally, the child is not told where they had gone wrong, it is up to them to remember which answer they clicked previously to get it wrong in the first place. I felt that this method should help to improve a child’s remembrance skills.

A child is also given feedback for the final assessment. They are shown their deserved trophy, if they did not achieve the gold trophy, then they are encouraged to retake the test. 

Assessment Types

The artefact will be using three types of assessment methods; formative, formal and the objective method.

Formative – Mini tests would be carried out throughout the learning course. These are just used to keep the users mind active and does not contribute to the end result.

Formal – This assessment is brought to the user at the end of the program (after all the mini tests) it is designed to see whether the child has been able to memorise what had been taught all the way from the start of the course. A trophy is awarded based on however many answers were correct.

Objective -  The final assessment will consist of four questions which would be one word answers.  One will be a “true or false” type while the rest is translation-based. I felt that this would be an essential means of assessing children as it is a common approach used in online gaming. So this means that the children would be familiar with this method.

QR Codes

What Is A QR Code?

Qr Codes (Quick Response Codes) are machine-readable codes consisting of an array of black and white squares. Additionally, they are similar to barcodes however they are able to store a lot more data. QR codes are typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone or any other QR reading devices.


How Useful Are They In A Learning Environment?

QR technology provides many benefits for teachers. Listed in the following are the three major reasons why QR codes are useful in education:

1) QR codes can hold over 4000 characters of information. This means that instead of printing out a long web article for students, QR codes can give them direct and immediate access to resources. This can either be achieved in class or at home. A lot of time is saved.

2) They are quite easy to generate. To make one, one would only need to copy and paste the address of a webpage into a QR generating tool. Once the code has been produced, it can then be transferred to the teaching resource or used on a piece of paper on a whiteboard, or left up on a smartboard screen for students to scan in class.

3) QR codes are printable on any material; paper, textile, walls etc. Some schools use them in the main reception area to provide extra information about school events etc.

Bibliography:

Bbcactive.com. (2016). QR codes in education. [online] Available at: http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/QRcodesineducation.aspx [Accessed 29 Apr. 2016].

My QR Code



This QR code was made as part of a class exercise. the QR code generator found on the website below, was used to create it.

website: https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/

How Could They Be Useful In My Artefact?

The QR code is a good means of gaining instant access to information. My artefact will be about the Island of Mauritius. So a good reason to make use of this would be to allow it to reference an url providing key information about the place.

Virtual Learning Environments

So What Is A VLE?

A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a set of teaching and learning tools designed to enhance a student's learning experience by including computers and the Internet in the learning process.

The principal components of a VLE package include curriculum mapping (breaking curriculum into sections that can be assigned and assessed), student tracking, online support for both teacher and student, electronic communication (email, threaded discussions, chat, Web publishing), and Internet links to outside curriculum resources.

In general, VLE users are assigned either a teacher ID or a student ID.

The teacher sees what a student sees, but the teacher has additional user rights to create or modify curriculum content and track student performance.

There are a number of commercial VLE software packages available, including Blackboard, WebCT, Lotus LearningSpace, and COSE.

Rouse, M. (2016). What is virtual learning environment (VLE) or managed learning environment (MLE)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] WhatIs.com. Available at:http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-learning-environment-VLE-or-managed-learning-environment-MLE [Accessed 28 Apr. 2016].

Main Advantages Of VLEs

- The teacher can place lesson material on the VLE in the form of electronic files. A student is then able to download a copy for themselves and open it to complete tasks

- Students are able to upload their class or homework onto the VLE for the teachers to mark

- The VLE can contain quizzes or tests for the students to utilise

- Some tests could be marked electronically with the teacher immediately being able to see the results

- Students are able to work together on a project as they are able to share work

- Electronic messages can be sent from one another

- Social media i.e. Forums could be set up

- It is accessible from home and so enable students to obtain their resources and work from home

The Disadvantages Of VLEs

- Non technical teachers may find it complicated to use

- If the VLE is run 'in house' then regular backups and maintenance is required. this adds to the costs of running the VLE. Some schools may not have network staff or a teacher who would be willing to undertake this extra responsibility

- The VLE becomes inaccessible if the internet or network is down 

Learning Styles And Theories

Overview

The term "learning styles" refers to a range of theories which indicate that people can be classified according to their style of learning. Each theory present different views on how the styles should be defined and categorised. A common belief is that individuals differ in how they learn.

This belief came about in the 1970s and had influenced education. Teachers are advised to assess the learning styles of their students and to adapt their classroom methods to best fit each student's learning style.

There are many different learning style models about. One of these will be described below:

VAK

Walter Burke Barbe and colleagues proposed 3 learning modalities.

1) Visualising Modality

2) Auditory Modality

3) Kinesthetic Modality

These three are often identified by the acronym VAK.  

Descriptions of learning modalities:

Barbe and colleagues reported that learning modality strengths can occur independently or in combination (although the most frequent modality strengths, according to their research, are visual or mixed), they can change over time, and they become integrated with age. They also pointed out that learning modality strengths are different from preferences; a person's self-reported modality preference may not correspond to their empirically measured modality strength.This disconnect between strengths and preferences was confirmed by a subsequent study. Nevertheless, some scholars have criticized the VAK model. Psychologist Scott Lilienfeld and colleagues have argued that much use of the VAK model is nothing more than pseudoscience or a psychological urban legend.

Table & Info Reference: Willingham, D., Hughes, E. and Dobolyi, D. (2015). The Scientific Status of Learning Styles Theories. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), pp.266-271.

The video on this link describes each of these learning modalities in detail: http://www.virtualearninghub.com/teaching-strategies-learning-styles/

Introduction

About Me:

My name is Hannah, I'm 24 years old. I'm currently a full-time student, studying a degree course: Bsc Hons Computing And Information Systems. 

Hobbies / Interests:

I enjoy taking part in various sports, cycling and generally keeping fit. Other hobbies include socializing, being creative, gaming

and taking challenges.

What Sort Of A Learner Am I?

I'm not too sure myself however, after carrying out a few on line quizzes, it appears as though I am a mixed type of learner but mostly a Visual One.

Here's a brief look at my score from this site:

http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml?event=results&A=6&V=8&T=6

 

What's My Learning Style? The Results:

• Auditory: 30%
• Visual: 40%
• Tactile: 30%

You are a Visual learner!

If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You can picture what you are learning in your head, and you learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. You like to see what you are learning.

As a visual learner, you are usually neat and clean. You often close your eyes to visualize or remember something.

Why Did I Choose CBLE?

The decision to choose CBLE was in fact made last year after I tested the some of the class of 2015’s artefacts, I gained some knowledge of the module as a whole and asked about the assignment elements. I found out that the artefact itself is what makes up most of the marks. Most said that it is enjoyable and simple to carry out as the age group could be as little as of those who would attend nursery. This basically influenced my decision as I knew from then that the artefact would not need to be too complicating.

I have had little experience in creating a game in the past. The task was to make a game of any genre using the software Game Maker. I chose to create an arcade style game which was based on one of my all time favourites SEGA game; Streets Of Rage.

Part of this unit is about teaching methods, which is something I have a slight interest in as I have considered becoming a teacher in the past. So I feel that the information that will be learnt from the work could be of some use for my future career (if I will eventually become a teacher).

The major part of the module is to create an artefact (a game) aimed to teach, this could be made using, among many methods, PowerPoint and or VBA which I believe I would be able to design and create fairly simply as I find that the programming language is quite easy to manage.