Link to Class 7     Class 6        Class 5     …      Class 1

E-Learning found on: www.emedicus.co.uk
E-Learning found on: http://www.emedicus.co.uk

Assessment 2

Upload the File: Assessm2_PGA CertIV_v2

Brief

In groups of three develop an E-learning resource that allows local prep children to improve their understanding of the English Alphabet (primary aim of project). The tool should allow the children to have as much exposure to the letters as possible. You will need to develop concepts that explore letter recognition and recreation.

The secondary scope of the project is for the children to learn to type the letters in a QWERTY keyboard.

Team Work

You are required to team up in a team of up to 3 students. There is the option to work alone, but you need to inform me and get confirmation. If your name is not in the list below you need to inform me about the people in your team. Send a message to this blog with names of all the team members.

1 – Goals of the Learning Resource

The overall goal describes what the learner will be able to do after completing the instruction. What will the learner learn?

This could be:  how to write the alphabet, to sing songs in Italian, how to draw animals.

2 – Content of the Learning Resource

The content describes what will be taught in order to achieve the objectives. What content will you include in the resource? This is just a list of points.

This could be:  the alphabet will be available in different styles, animal shapes, as fruits, or the lyrics of Italian songs will be supplied, sketches of animals and photos of animals.

3 – Methods of instruction

The methods of instruction describe how the content will be taught. This is about the specific tools, that you want to use. Mention the use of supportive tools such as sound. Will there be a narrative (a story) told by a voice over or a character (eg a teddy).

How is the learner informed about what to do? What types of instructions are available?

This could be: using video resources to explain the alphabet with sing-along-songs, writing the alphabet on a touch screen by following the shape of the alphabet.

This could be:  individual letters of the alphabet need to be drawn with the finger, the singing is matched up against the original song, the shapes of the animals can be traced with the finger.

4 – Concept for the Interface

Develop the interface as a sketch in pen, pencil or mixed media. Add arrows to describe functions and colours. Scan your concept sketches and final sketch.

Format

This project needs to be submitted in digital paper format, either as a PDF, PowerPoint presentation or a Word document. Include your sketches.

Upload the file to MyKangan.

Due Date:

23/April 2013      

Example of interface interaction - Source: http://developer.android.com/design/media/swipe_views3.png
Example of interface interaction – Source: http://developer.android.com/design/media/swipe_views3.png

Link to Class 6        Class 5     …      Class 1

E-Learning found on: www.emedicus.co.uk
E-Learning found on: http://www.emedicus.co.uk

I have broken the Assessment brief from last week down into 2 Assessments.

Assessment 1 will focus on step 1 – your research and establishing your target audience.

Assessment 2 will focus on step 2 – designing an e-learning concept (game) and documenting the idea in a  paper-based format. Paper-based means that you will create the design and planning of the e-learning resource without the actual final product. You may do this as a PDF.

Assessment 1

Brief

In groups of three develop an E-learning resource that allows local prep children to improve their understanding of the English Alphabet (primary aim of project). The tool should allow the children to have as much exposure to the letters as possible. You will need to develop concepts that explore letter recognition and recreation.

The secondary scope of the project is for the children to learn to type the letters in a QWERTY keyboard.

Team Work

You are required to team up in a team of up to 3 students. There is the option to work alone, but you need to inform me and get confirmation. If your name is not in the list below you need to inform me about the people in your team. Send a message to this blog with names of all the team members.

Teams so far:

Lucine Y, Fatma Y & Benan Ü

Justin A & Joe W

Berna K, Emel & Naşide S

Vlad K

Michael T & Tim B

1 – Establish Your Project

Read the assessment task fully and write in one or two sentences: When do you know that the E-Learning resource is complete? When do you know that this project is finished?

This will help you establish clear boundaries for your project – for any project and you will know when you have finished.

2 – Establish Your Target Audience

Write a extensive description of your Primary Target Audience as well as your Secondary Target Audience.

If your Primary Target Audience is the user group of your product (students), then your Secondary Target Audience would be a related group of people (friends of the school children), who could be a user group or maybe a provider of the service (eg teachers) or a group that is interested in the well-being of the school children (eg parents). I would focus on the teachers and other staff at a school, they would be involved in the purchase of the product.

3 – Learner Needs Analysis

Write down the needs of your target audience? Start this point of with the desired outcome: what does the learner need to learn? After establishing this you can look at what the target user will need to be able to learn.

This is a good point to brainstorm. What is it that you need to expose your learner to?

4 – User Experience

In a paragraph describe what user experience you are designing. What will the child playing the game experience? What emotions will the user go through? What emotions will your user not have?

You could aim for a user experience that is fun or interesting, you could say that the experience may be challenging and the learner will always feel like he or she needs to think and try things out before achieving success. This could result in the learner feeling more engaged and claiming the acquired knowledge.

5 – Platform

Specify the delivery platform, eg using web-based delivery, using computer based delivery, using tablets  or mobile phones, a console, etc. The operating system would be another aspect here: use of IBM-based  Windows 7, 8, Mac-based OS, Android, Linux, Open Source…

Add a minimum 1 sentence describing benefits and short comings of a specific system, software, delivery platform (eg using Flash has the disadvantage that it is rejected by Mac operating systems and more and more by Android.

6 – Research of existing E-games

Collect research on existing e-learning games for your target audience. List a number of websites and available games on the platform of your choice. Take screenshots or find images on Google or other search engine.

Describe your favourite 3 sites / favourite 3 e-games. Describe what you like about each (graphics, game play, actions)

Format

This project needs to be submitted in digital paperformat, either as a PDF, PowerPoint presentation  or a Word document.

Due Date:

16/April 2013       Upload your completed Assessment on MyKangan!

Sea-Saws  http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm
Sea-Saws http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm

PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org/
PBS Kids – http://pbskids.org/
dirtgirlworld http://www.dirtgirlworld.com/
dirtgirlworld http://www.dirtgirlworld.com/
Example of interface interaction - Source: http://developer.android.com/design/media/swipe_views3.png
Example of interface interaction – Source: http://developer.android.com/design/media/swipe_views3.png

-ba Link to Class 5     Link to Class 3/4      Link to  Class 2     Link to  Class 1

fusa2_main
FuSA2 Touch Display – http://www-human.ist.osaka-u.ac.jp/fusa2/

Design an E-Learning Resource -The Design Document

Team Task and Brief

In groups of three develop an E-learning resource that allows local prep children to improve their understanding of the English Alphabet (primary aim of project). The tool should allow the children to have as much exposure to the letters as possible. You will need to develop concepts that explore letter recognition and recreation.

The secondary scope of the project is for the children to learn to type the letters in a QWERTY keyboard.

Format

This project needs to be submitted in digital paperformat, either as a PDF or a Word document. The sketches and flow charts as well as brain storms and mind maps can be created by hand sketching and scanning.

Teams

Get together in teams of 3 for this first assessment task. Please leave a comment on this post with your team number and the names of all team members. You will be allowed to work as individuals, but please check with me.

First Things First

The first task is to ask yourself a central question: When do you know that the E-Learning resource is complete? When do you know that this project is finished?

Write it in a sentence. The sentence should include the tasks that you will have to perform to complete this project.

Learning Experience/User Experience

Define the Learning Experience that you want your learner to have. What exactly do you want the user to experience? Describe the motions that your typical user might have when using your product.

When describing the user experience I would like you to look at or think back of a positive experience that you have had with a product. What was it that made the experience so good and how did it make you feel?

How can you integrate that experience into the resource that you are creating?

This is a far important question to answer than you may initially think. By answering this question you actually find out what your e-learning resource will or should feel like. Every decision that you will make will have to fit this criteria.

Sea-Saws  http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm
Sea-Saws http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm

Target Audience

Define the target audience, what age group, gender, socio-economic (culture, income group, education) group are you dealing with. Next describe what a person from this target audience likes and he or she may enjoy in your resource.

You may deal with a primary and secondary target audience – who else will be important in the purchase of the product besides the end-user? What other groups of people are affected by your product?

Learner Needs Analysis

What are the needs of your target audience? Start this point of with the desired outcome: what does the learner need to learn? After establishing this you can look at what the target user will need to be able to learn.

This is a good point to brainstorm. What is it that you need to expose your learner to?

Platform

Specify the delivery platform, eg using web-based delivery, using computer based delivery, using tablets  or mobile phones, a console, etc. The operating system would be another aspect here: use of IBM-based  Windows 7, 8, Mac-based OS, Android, Linux, Open Source…

Add a minimum 1 sentence describing benefits and short comings of a specific system, software, delivery platform (eg using Flash has the disadvantage that it is rejected by Mac operating systems and more and more by Android.

Tools and Activities

This point is for research only: What tools can you currently find out there? What type of apps,  Video viewers, Sketch Pads, audio apps, games and other activities are currently available?

Consider primary tools that could be integrated into the resource. For example a Sketch Pad that allows children to draw shapes of letters that look like fruit or animals. A video viewer window for instructions or fun songs performed by other children.

Consider secondary tools that can be external and your learning resource can hyperlink the tool. You need to ensure that there is no copyright infringement.

Research hardware – are there any new developments (eg a touch sensitive modelling tool) and existing hardware product: stylus, graphic pads, tec

Learning Resource

Goals of the Learning Resource

The overall goal describes what the learner will be able to do after completing the instruction.

Content of the Learning Resource

The content describes what will be taught in order to achieve the objectives. What content will you need to include in the resource? This is just a list of points. Write down what you want to include in the resource. This could be: using video resources to explain the alphabet with sing-along-songs, or drawing instructions with an interactive sketchpad.

How will the content be presented. See example below of PBS Kids.

Create a layout concept for the menu of the overall learning resource.

PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org/
PBS Kids – http://pbskids.org/

Methods of instruction

The methods of instruction describe how the content will be taught. This is about the specific tools, that you want to use. Mention the use of supportive tools such as sound. Will there be a narrative (a story) told by a voice over or a character  (eg a teddy).

How is the learner informed about what to do? What type of instructions are available? Give a text example in the layouts.

List a number of 10 potential tools, and describe 2 tools and methods in detail.

Create a flow-chart for each with a step-by-step  instruction of what the learner will do in the activity.

Create layouts with instructions on how to interact with the application (eg how to move things) and instructions for users.

Create basic concepts for icons

Learner evaluation strategies (test with results)

The learner evaluation strategies describe how the learner will be evaluated to see if he or she has obtained the objectives (eg a test or a level is achieved and a new level unlocked).

Useful Links:

10 Best Educational Websites for Kids

Top Ten Educational Websites for Children

Below are examples of graphics.

dirtgirlworld http://www.dirtgirlworld.com/
dirtgirlworld http://www.dirtgirlworld.com/
Example of interface interaction - Source: http://developer.android.com/design/media/swipe_views3.png
Example of interface interaction – Source: http://developer.android.com/design/media/swipe_views3.png
Example of a Flowchart Image Source: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/confirming-acknowledging.html
Example of a Flowchart Image Source: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/confirming-acknowledging.html

Link to Class 3/4      Link to  Class 2     Link to  Class 1

Overview:

  • Instructional Design
  • Instructional Design on a Macro Level
  • Learner Needs Analysis
  • User Interface Design
  • Instructional Design on a Micro Level
  • Your Task
Photo by DTL on morgueFiles
Photo by DTL on morgueFiles

Instructional Design

Instructional design operates on a macro and micro level. On a macro level it looks at the learning on a larger scale (it may consist of several resources) on a micro level you need to ensure that your individual resource is suitable and easily understood.

Macro Level

To ensure that you applying good instructional design to your e-learning resources ensure that your resources include:

Step 1 Pre-requisites:

  •  Learner Needs Analysis
  • Prepare the content (by content expert)
  • User interface (User-centred design)

The content needs to be prepared by or with the help of a content expert, eg a learning resource on how to bake a variety of breads using sourdough for some as well as yeast for other breads needs a content expert, a baker to ensure that the steps taken are correct and the ingredients are suitable.

The User Interface is extremely important for e-learning resources. Some user interfaces use touch screens (tablets, smart phones), mouse, keyboard or a  joystick  (computers) or a controller (Xbox360 or PS3). Some new technologies work with motion capture technology, such as Xbox Kinect or with a hybrid such as the PS Move and the Wii.

The most central aspect of a User Interface is that it is easy to use.

Step 2:

  • The overall goal
  • Objectives
  • Content
  • Methods of instruction (create a Flow-chart of steps of E-learning resource)
  • Learner evaluation strategies (test with results)

The overall goal describes what the learner will be able to do after completing the instruction.
The objectives describe what the learner will learn during the lesson.
The content describes what will be taught in order to achieve the objectives.
The methods of instruction describe how the content will be taught.
The learner evaluation strategies describe how the learner will be evaluated to see if he or she has obtained the objectives (eg a test or a level is achieved and a new level unlocked).

Micro Level

A lesson should commence with the objectives and an overview of the main ideas to be learned.

Normally the instructor also states the motivation for learning the content, the prerequisites the learner needs to learn the content and the agenda for the lesson.

In your e-learning resource you might be able to use an alternative for the instructor; there could be the option of a narrator or simply a written instruction.

During the lesson the content will be explained and demonstrated, and then the learner will practice doing what the instructor demonstrated (recalling facts, identifying concepts, predicting by using principles, or performing a psychomotor skill). The instructor may provide feedback on the practice and the learner may have the chance to repeat the lesson.

Next the learner or user will take action.

At the end of the lesson the instructor summarizes what was learned, integrates the lesson with the previous and next lessons, restates the objective, and tests the learner.

In short the micro level includes:

  • Objective
  • Overview
  • Motivation
  • Explanation (to allow learning)
  • Taking Action
  • Evaluation

Task 1

For 25 minutes research Graphic User Interfaces. Choose Google, DzineBlog, WIRED, Mashable or even CommArts (see links at the side – Links to inspire you.) Collect your findings in a PowerPoint Show.

Discussion: Select 2 GUIs and discuss how they work. Do they use buttons? Do they use touch screen technology? Do they use a device, controller or motion capture device? How well do they perform for their intended function.

Select 2 of your favourite GUIs and place links in a comment (below this post) with your full name.

Discussion: Compare WordPress and MyKangan as platforms. What are your experiences? Are the buttons intuitive?

Here are two resources I recommend to you to read before next class (open the link or the Word document)

If you missed the class please supply a sample of a GUI as a link in  a comment.

Next Week:

We will simplify and existing interface.

Link to Class 3/4

Link to Class 1

For your second class we will start off by discussing the different learning styles.

What category do you fall into?

Team up and brainstorm a basic learning resource for How to make Italian style coffee. 

Focus on 3 types of coffees, Caffe Latte, Cappuccino and Espresso. What steps are there in making a coffee? What ingredients will you need?

Think of a resource that will allow the user to use a smart phone, tablet or computer.

Brainstorm ideas for how the interactive content can be taught to the user. Brainstorm the ideas based on different learning styles. List the learning styles and develop ideas for each (except the solitary learning style) – use this site to aid you:  http://www.learning-styles-online.com/

Document your ideas in form of a mindmap.

Enjoy!