VISUAL DESIGN CRITIQUE

I think using graphic and audio in an IT presentation are fantastic ways to get students to understand better. Some students may find it difficult to understand on certain information but through pictures or drawings, they are able to capture them in their mind.  Anyway, after viewing the PowerPoint given, below are the comments for the slides: 

SLIDE 1

The strength of this slide is that the colour scheme and colour appeal were good for the presentation. This is because the colour of the background used complement and has the effect of harmony. Certain texts information was highlighted with red in colour as to attract the viewer’s eye and the importance of the information. It had a simple drawing which was good as to help student to understand what the topic was all about. It also used audio in this presentation slide which was good as it would enhance students’ learning but there were too many different types of frog sound effects presented. This may confuse students. Other than that, the lettering style for the heading was not suitable. Furthermore, the lettering colour for the heading was not obvious. They should be in Arial style and in capitals as to attract the viewer’s eye. The placement of the frog picture should not be placed too close to the sound icons as it was confusing. Also, the instruction on this slide should be make clearer.  

SLIDE 2

The strength of this slide is that it used photographs instead of drawings when showing the types of frog. This was a good idea as it introduced viewer to the type of frog that he/she has not seen before and viewer too can learn better through photographs. The colour for certain text was highlighted which was good as it emphasize the important word used. The title of the slide was in big capitals letters which was excellent. In addition, the lettering style, colour and the size of the heading used were eligible and clear to the viewer.

However, the directionals used such as the use and choice of bullets were not advisable.  It looked annoying and may confuse the viewer. It will be much better to use rounded bullets instead. The number of lines used for the text should be reduced because viewer may lose interest of the slide if long texts were used.  

SLIDE 3

The shape of the visual was arranged in a circle, a wise choice as it represented a cycle of a frog. Using this shape, students can see clearly the stages of a frog’s life cycle. The drawings were used instead of video because they were simpler to understand and less distracting. If the viewer would like to see a certain stage, he/she can just click on to the stage. Using this way, it would be much easier for the viewer to view and understand on the information given for every stage.

In spite of that, the lettering of the text was in big capitals letters. It should be in lower case instead as it would be much easier for viewers to read them. I find that the spacing between the lines should be slightly far apart because the text looks indistinct. I prefer that some colour to be added on the drawings as to capture the viewer’s attention and also help them to understand the stages easily. 

SLIDE 4

The strength of this slide is the good lettering size for the text used. This is because the texts were divisible to the viewer’s eye as the size of the texts was 24 points. There were icons for the other stages of the frog on the slides. Viewer can click on them after they have viewed the current stage that he/she is viewing. What can be seen on this slide were tadpole and young frog icons that were convenient for the viewer to access on these stages.

Nevertheless, the headings should be in big capitals letters as it would enhance main message of this slide. The spacing between the lines must be slightly a part so that viewer can look at it more clearly. A frog drawing which was not related to the topic given should not be used. This is because it may distract viewer from the main message. The directionals such as the bullets used were not suitable. They should be replaced with round bullets instead because these round bullets could attract the viewer’s attention more. Indication should be given to the viewer for accessing the other stages of the frog.   

SLIDE 5

The frog graphics were clear and were useful for the viewer to learn the development of the frog. The connection between the element and the graphic was clearly connected. This is because the alignment and text used were along the same horizontal lines.

However, the lettering size of the text was too small. The lettering size should be bigger so that the text can be read by the viewer easily. Furthermore, the spacing of the line should be far apart so that the texts would not looked unclear. It would be better if the number of lines for the text to be shorten. As usual, bullets used were not suitable. Bullets that are obvious should be used instead to get the viewer’s attention. Also, the lettering for the heading should be in big capitals letters. The placement of the action key buttons was located on the top of the slide. They should be consistently placed in one location like the rest of the other slides. This will help the viewer to find the action key buttons easily.  

SLIDE 6

The main strength for this slide is that the size of the lettering was good as the size was 24 points and I personally that they were clear and divisible.

On the other hand, the number of lines should be shorten as too many lines of text could cause viewer to lose interest. If this slide was the last slide, conclusion should be done. I prefer that the heading of the slide to be in big capitals letters for good visibility. Indications should be given for accessing the other stages of the frog. This is because the icons that were placed on this slide looked confusing. The frog drawing which was not related to the subject or text of this slide should not be used. It may distract the viewer.

Conclusion, all these 6 slides of this presentation should be improved as to give a clear message out to the viewer. I strongly advise using IT when presenting information to viewers. IT helps us to organize our data/information easily and also makes our presentation looks more creative and interesting.   

REFERENCE

Wong, A. F. L., & Cheung, W. S. (1999). Using IT for Lesson Presentations. In Tan, S.L. & Wong, A. F. L. (Eds.), Teaching and Learning with Technology-An Asia-Pacific Perspective (pp. 118-132). Singapore: Prentice Hall.

HOW DOES COTF PROMOTE STUDENT-CENTRED LEARNING?

The COTF (Classroom of the Future) looked so exciting and interesting for students. Modern technologies incorporated in classroom and students’ life were seen in the COTF. I have visited the 5 different scenarios which were the cafe, mrt train, bio-medical laboratory, home and classroom. Below are my views on all these scenarios: 

1) Cafe

The cafe which had a touch-screen monitor on the café table was impressive. With this technology, students will be able to order food without the help of waiter/waitress. This makes the students to be independent as they are able to carry out task on their own. The touch-screen monitor on the table was connected to UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC). Students can use the individual UMPC to carry out their task easily, be it a group or individual work. They could key in their names and from here, they will actively engaged with the tools. With these tools, students can play the music that they like with the touch of the button. Of course, with these tools in a cafe, they can play games that promote thinking anywhere and anytime. Students are able to interact with students outside the cafe with these tools. They can share and exchanged ideas easily. I remember during the COTF tour, we were introduced to a French lady online and some information on certain bacteria. The cafe had good ambience, lighting, great devices and looked cozy too. I think that this cafe will attract more students to hang out there frequently. Therefore, it is a good place to discuss any project work with friends and furthermore, they are able to use these technology tools in their work without difficulty.

However, the devices must be handled with care as drinks and food maybe served to students. And if there are spillages and damages, these devices are too costly to be replaced. 

2) MRT Train

When the students feel bored, students can check on their work by scanning their UMPC with the sensor monitor in the train. This is a good way as students can learn and explore information even though they are travelling. With their UMPC, they can track their friends’ location. With this tracking device, students’ life will be easier as for example, they are able to ask their friends to borrow certain books from the National Library if they are around that area. Other than that, with the UMPC, the students can be reminded on certain important dates for example during the COTF tour, it was demonstrated that a Physics teacher could remind their students on certain task to be done. Therefore, with these tools in a train, it will encourage students to be motivated with their studies and work/task given.

On the other hand, with this technology system installed in a train, students have to be aware of the surroundings. They could get engross to their technologies tools and may lead them to miss their destination station/place. 

3) Bio-Medical Laboratory

This lab was equipped with motion computing. During the tour, what was unique about this lab was that students were able to test their skin samples as to check on the presence of certain bacteria by just using the information stored in the individual students’ UMPC. They just scanned through the motion computing with their UMPC and in seconds, the results were computed and would be shown on the monitor screen. Comparison of the skin samples could be made and shown on the graph. Students could learn and analyze the results. Therefore, they can depend less on the teacher as they could carry out any lab testing and analysis easily with these tools. Furthermore, with these tools, students are able to carry out live chat with people around the world. Example that was demonstrated in the lab was that the students were having a chat with a professor from Canada and a French teacher regarding with the skin samples tested. Through this way, students can develop ideas and even shared their views with people around the world. Language would not be a barrier as there was software that could help to translate any language to the required ones. Other than that, through communication with people around the world, students can enrich their understanding on different cultures and backgrounds.  

4) Home

In the comfort of students’ home, learning could still take place. Students are able to do their assignments and communication with their friends through conferencing. They can share ideas and views by this conferencing and therefore, the students are able to finish their task with no problem. It was demonstrated that the home had voice activated system and this would make the students’ life easier. Students will definitely get interested with this system and they may actively participate in their work.

In spite of that, to have these technologies at home can affect the students’ studies. This is because they may carry out too much conferencing with their friends, talking about things that are unrelated to their work. Furthermore, with the available technology, they can be addicted to online games.  

5) Classroom

With technology in the classroom, teacher could take attendance easily instead of using pen and paper. When students are seated with their UMPC, their names will be taken and screened on the table monitor. This saves times and gets the class well organized. As demonstrated, students could get into groups easily with their individual UMPC. Furthermore, the wall of the classroom has shots of scenes and pictures. This is a good idea as the students can engaged in their learning. For example, if mathematics subject is conducted during that period, pictures of quadratic graphs or differentiation equations can be projected to the wall. And this will makes the student to have the sense/feel of the subjects. Student could also scribble important notes on the monitor PC during the lesson. Instead of using textbook, teacher could use the tablet PC to teach the class. From this way, the student will find the class more fun and interesting to learn. Students could solve the questions on the spot using the monitor on the table. It was demonstrated that two group of students were asked to draw a Cosine Graph on their screen. Once they have discussed and decided on their answers, they could draw the answers straight on the monitor screen. The results would be computed instantly and scores were shown too. This technology is good to have it in a classroom as the students may get challenged with the group activity given and therefore, this will enhanced their learning.

However, if some of the UMPC are not working, it may affect the lesson as some students with the faulty devices could not carry out their task.   

Conclusion, I think COTF helps to promote student-centred learning. With the available technologies, students are willing to look for information actively and this allows them to widen their knowledge. No matter what, careful consideration must be carried out when developing a COTF.

Part 2: MANAGING ICT-ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTS

a)    Do you think the classroom environment chosen is appropriate for the learning activities? Explain why. 

Each classroom environment seen from these 4 videos was appropriate as compared to case study (Story no. 4) that I chose in part 1. This is because for example the students were  assigned to work in different activities and roles as can be seen in the learning centres video. They would learn different styles and widen their knowledge on the new activities that were performed. As from the case study from part 1, the teacher, Juliana did not assign her students into groups or pairs when looking for information using the internet. Therefore, some students had difficulty in searching for information during her second lesson. Other than that, there were two teachers around in the half computer lab and it was easier for the students to get help. With the two teachers present, they could help to put together the resources and enriched the learning experience as mentioned in the video.

 In one computer classroom, the students were seen challenged in the game activity and this would engage them in learning. Every student was focused in his/her work in the full computer lab as the teacher had given good instruction and rules.

On the other hand, the full computer lab environment can also be seen as not appropriate as it was more to individual work. Students assigned to groups would be much better as more discussion and learning can be carried out. It looked rigid and should have more challenging activity to enhance learning.

 

  b)     The students seem to be focused and on task. What strategies do you think the teacher has used to achieve this outcome? 

The strategies being used by the teacher were as below:-

Students were grouped and each group had 4 students to engage themselves in the one computer classroom video. Before the game had started, the teacher had given a clear note and instruction to the students. This strategy was similar to the case study from part 1. The students had no problem and managed to work independently as the teacher, Juliana had given a clear instructions to her students too. From the one computer classroom, the activity went smoothly as there was an IT representative assigned to ensure that the LCD and projector were in orderly manner. Scores were carried out as this motivated and challenge the students more.

In the full computer lab, individual work was seen as every student was given a work sheet to do. The teacher assigned the students’ seat based on their index number and also assigned leaders to collect the CD-ROMS. He also created the idea of introducing coloured plastic cups to the students. The red plastic cups were only used for students with computer problem or required attention from the IT representative. He would dim the lights of the classroom to get full attention from the students. Furthermore, he gave a clear instruction to the students to switch off their monitor and returned all CD-ROMS to the group leader. The group leaders were also asked to ensure that all mouse computers were turned over.

The students were assigned into pairs as seen in the half computer lab video. One student was to record information on the worksheet and the other student was to use the navigation guide for the CD-ROM. Therefore, this strategy would be best if it could be carried out in Juliana’s class of the case study from part 1. Therefore, I think her class was lack of student’s involvement. In the half computer lab, the teacher would probe question as to ensure that the students had no problem with the task given. This strategy was good and it was also used in Juliana’s lesson.

Students were assigned to different stations in the learning centres. Students in station 1 were asked to discuss among the group on the work sheet given. The computer and the basic of the CD-ROM usage were to be handled by the students in station 2. All these students were assigned with different roles and duties. The activities were planned with the same amount of time so that the students had the sufficient time to proceed to the next activity.

  

c)     What potential classroom management issues can possibly occur? What proposed solution(s) do you have?

Some students may have difficulty working on their task individually in the full computer lab. This applies similarly to the case study from part 1. I proposed that the students assigned into groups or pairs as the students would be able to carry out their task much better. Also, this would enhance their learning and more ideas could be generated and shared among their group.

Issue that might arise in half computer lab is that some students may not know or confused on who to look for as they were 2 teachers in this video when compared to the case study (part 1). Therefore, to solve this issue, these 2 teachers in the half computer lab must specify in detail before this problem occur. They could explain to the students that the students should look for example Teacher A who is assigned to specific problem and look for Teacher B for the other problem.

The learning centres would be in chaos when students changed from one activity to the next activity together. As can be seen from the video, the science lab in the learning centre video had small area for the students to move about, therefore the students may trip, fall of hit on to something when students walked to the next station. Therefore, in my opinion, changing from one activity to next activity must be carried out in an orderly manner. The class may get noisy in one computer classroom as it was a game activity. The teacher could go around the groups, checking on them and making sure the students participate during the activity as how Juliana from the case study from part 1 had carried out. Her intention was to check and observe on her students when she went around them during her second lesson.

Part 1: HOW STUDENT-CENTRED WAS THE LESSON?

 After viewing the case study that I selected which is Story number 4, what I think of the 6 aspects relating to this story are as below:- 

a)      Teacher Roles (Score: 5)

The teacher has been guiding the students on the usage of the internet. The students know how to explore the ePALS project without difficulty as they have the knowledge of using the internet. The teacher had given some tasks to them which were to look up for places of interest and writing an email to their pen-pals using the internet. She acted as a facilitator whereby she just followed through her students’ lesson and making sure that the students worked at the same pace and at their own ability. Example can be seen when Pei Hua, her student initially had difficulty on writing a letter to her pen-pal. But she eventually managed to complete her email without the teacher’s help. At times, the lesson can be more teacher-centred than student-centred and this can be seen when the students were told to only use the 3 pre-selected websites given by the teacher. I think this had narrowed down the students’ search and this also would not develop their knowledge. Each student was given an information sheet by the teacher. It seems that the students had to follow the teacher’s instruction and could not explore more. Anyway, this problem was rectified on the teacher’s next lesson.

 b)      Student Roles (Score: 3)

What I feel is that the students were not assigned into groups or work in pairs. I think working in groups or in pairs would be much better as they could share ideas among themselves. It would be more challenging for the students as they may get excited on the topic and this lead them for better understanding. The students learnt the same thing which was searching for the same information through the internet. There was no role being assigned to the student to take greater responsibility. If they were assigned to carry out certain duties, maybe the students would perform better as they would feel that the role given is important. 

c)      Curriculum characteristics (Score: 3)

The students were reminded on their experiences of the recycled bowl out of papers that they had done. From this experience, they understand the recycling concept and knew how to carry out their poster. On the other hand, I feel that this lesson was more teacher-centred because the students were too young to bring out their skills and using them to apply. And therefore, the teacher had to be mainly in control of the class. The teacher taught her students one skill after the other such as logon to internet, explaining the toolbar, hyperlink, etc. This is because she found it important to teach the students these skills before they could handle the computer. 

d)      Learning Goals (Score: 5)

From the day the students were taught the skills to use the computer, such as using the internet, ePALs, etc, they could work independently carrying out the tasks. The students managed to search for places of interest and emailed to their pen-pal.  However, this lesson can be seen as more teacher-centred at times. This is because only 3 websites were given by the teacher during the lesson. And I think that this lead to students finding less information and therefore, would not enhance their learning skill. Furthermore, the URLs were numbered and they were easily spotted by the students to work on it. This problem was solved during teacher’s second lesson whereby the students were not restricted to the internet search.  

e)      Types of activites (Score: 5)

The teacher had carried out demonstration such as logging onto certain search engines, emails, etc using the computer before the students carried out their tasks. She also had to give talk/lecture during the beginning of lesson as the student listened. The teacher had to check on the students during the second lesson as some students had some difficulties. The difficulties that the students had encountered were such as forgetting password, information not relevant, etc. In spite of that, the student had done a good job by working on their own. They managed to work independently when being asked to search for information using internet. They took down notes and even wrote letters to their pen-pal. They had no problems using ePALS.One of the students was willing to share with what she had written in her email to her friends. They explored on their own, using Art Dabbler for their poster design during the second lesson. 

f)        Assessment Strategies (Score: 3)

During the task, an information sheet was given to every student. In my opinion, it is more teacher-centred than student-centred during this lesson. This is because the teacher wanted the students to follow the instruction and the pre-selected websites from the sheet given. Occasionally, the teacher asked question in the class to ensure that the students understand their tasks’ purpose. Sharing lesson was carried out during the second lesson so that the students could share their views and what they had learnt. Anyway, the students type their work in ePALS and their work can be viewed by their teacher after class. The purpose was to check their capabilities in their writing and computer skill.  

g)      Use Of ICT (Score: 8 )

The students used internet to search for information that they required. I think finding information through the internet is much faster. The students could improve their learning skill and studies too. They used ePALS as a way of communication to other students around the world. As can be seen from the lesson, the students managed to type and write letter to their pen-pals. Using this type of communication, the students’ writing skill would be improved and the knowledge of getting to know other countries could be gained. The teacher could also check on the students’ progress through this. Using ePALS, the student also learned how to send and receive emails. CD-ROM entitled Art Dabbler was used by the student during the second lesson. The student used it for designing their recycling poster. It is a tool that could enhance their drawing skill and especially improve their creativity.  

In conclusion, I think this case study was more to teacher-centred than student-centred. I feel in this lesson, more could be done on the students’ role and the technology too. Initially, the teacher had restricted her class on certain websites. But it was good that she had rectified that problem during her second lesson and more students managed to find information on their recycling. As can be seen from her second lesson, the students were very independent doing different things Students actually could find more information through other means of technology such as watching videos, listening to radio, etc. I find the students of primary 2 were young and effective ways must be considered when presenting or delivering information to them.

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