Multimodal Learning Through Media- What the Research Says

Hey guys, this is Charlie. I'm terribly sorry for the delay and having to post on Drew's account. Anyway, here goes the post...

The introduction to Mr. Fadel's research clearly presents his thesis on multimedia based learning. Students using a well-designed combination of visual and text learn more than students who only use text. He is likely intentionally vague on this claim as factual evidence has historically been misused.

Namely, the cone of experience is hotly criticized in this article. Its original author, Dale, intended for it to be a visual metaphor depicting learning from the visual (bottom) to the abstract. It had nothing to do with percentage of retained information regarding these experiences. Instead it was taken by educational researchers to diminish the importance of learning through abstract means such as reading and hearing. As it turns out, this basic claim does a terrible job and explaining the complex nature of learners, their environment, and how material is presented. In other words, recent research has detailed the effectiveness of presented material based on how the brain works, how students learn best, and how much interplay exists between media and text in this material.

What factors of the brain must be considered when presenting any material? The first (as those in Heideman's minute sketch class are certainly aware) is the three types of memory and how they relate to actual learning. Before acquiring knowledge, learners must be sensorially alert. Obviously, information must actually be picked up by one of the five senses in order to enter working memory. This, in short, is why so many accidents occur while drivers are on their cell phones. Secondly, Working memory is, as Dr. Moore would say, the grappling process. It is creating, analyzing, and grouping schema. Finally, this information can be stored in long term memory in what we define as knowledge. Multimedia, should then seek to keep students alert by using all senses while helping to group and process information without distracting learners' attentions.

"How students learn", a topic general enough to describe human life; but in this article used describe three essential features to optimize learning. These are: Student preconceptions must be built on prior knowledge, expertise is developed through deep understanding, and the appropriate use of metacognition.

Fadel's final subsection presents the meat of the article in how it relates to our class: multimedia design in its visual and verbal modes. He presents 7 basic tips (one of which seems to completely contradict his message). One should always include text and visuals as retention increases when words are paired with media. Group words and pictures of the same idea in the same spatial region. This allows students minds to organize information better. Present similar ideas simultaneously rather then successively as students learn better this way (Does anyone have a hypothesis for why this may be true). Exclude any extraneous information that may be distracting. Positive benefits of this method are greater for low knowledge and high spatial learners. One heuristic that I'd like to analyze in further detail and get the group's opinion on is the Redundancy Principle. It states, "Students learn better when information is not represented in more than one modality-- redundancy interferes with learning." This seems to go against his conclusion with affirmatively says, "the most effective designs for learning adapt to include a variety of media, combinations of modalities, levels of interactivity, learner characteristics, and pedagogy based on a complex set of circumstances." Any thoughts???

This article details the complexity of the learning process that the "cone of ignoran...-I mean- learning" does not do justice. Using a variety of media in a succinct, flowing manner which is at harmony with students' natural learning process is certainly the take home message. The challenges of doing this are great. Our minds are constantly flooded with information, especially through the media. Teaching should not flood the mind, but allow our learning circuits to process and store information appropriately. In my opinion, effectively choosing what media to use in your classroom is a tremendous challenge. Suggestions or experience with well-tailored media would be lovely.

The Silver Screen

Life on the Screen

In this interview, George Lucas outlined his beliefs that our educational system should be teaching students how to properly utilize all forms of communication. He feels that it is currently stuck in the nineteenth century, merely focusing on the written and spoken word, while failing to give any sort of emphasis to visual, and other nonverbal forms of, communication. Lucas also points out that there is a great communication circle: one part, math, is completely unemotional, whereas its opposite, music, is nothing but emotional; in between these two parts lie all other forms of communication.

Lucas says that it is vitally important to teach students how to understand visual communication because that's what they are bombarded with day after day: "Students understand that they need to have these skills in order to exist in this world, so they're way ahead of us. Most kids relate to each other through music or graphics. They are regularly bombarded with images and sound. Most of their awareness comes through the language of moving images and cinema. That's why it's so important that they learn the language of it." He also points out that there are a number of highly educated professionals who have no clue how to put together a good visual presentation, with the result being a very convoluted lecture in deed.

According to Lucas, teaching emotional knowledge is just as important as teaching intellectual knowledge in the schools: "All these forms of communication are extremely important, and they should be treated that way. Unfortunately, we've moved away from teaching the emotional forms of communication. But if you want to get along in this world, you need to have a heightened sense of emotional intelligence, which is the equal of your intellectual intelligence. One of my concerns is that we're advancing intellectually very fast, but we're not advancing emotionally as quickly."

Personally, I'm not so sure I agree with everything Lucas said. After telling his interviewer that our educational system is bound up in nineteenth century ideas and methods, the interviewer then asks what he would change. In his answer, Lucas states: "we . . . need to understand the importance of graphics, music, and cinema, which are just as powerful and in some ways more deeply intertwined with young people's culture." I agree with these things being just as powerful as the written and spoken word. However, this is not a new phenomenon. People in the nineteenth century understood the power and importance of graphics, music and cinema. They did not have TV, movies or iPods to entertain themselves with. Not everyone could read. Graphics, music and cinema were vital to their world and they knew it. For someone who was illiterate, having a graphic on a sign outside of a business identifying what the business offered (i.e., a saddle for a business that made and sold horse-related items) was most necessary. I don't think Lucas realized all of this when he made his statement. Depending on their wealth, some were taught these appreciations through education, others, just given the monotony of their daily lives, understood the power of these forms of entertainment.

Lucas also made this statement: "We have to ask, What is important for the kids to learn? The old idea of education as a way of storing facts is not that significant because nobody can store the number of facts there are. Every year it seems to double. Instead we need to teach students how to tell a story. It's not enough to learn geometry; you have to learn how to build a house. We need to treat the language and grammar of the screen exactly the way we learn writing or music or painting." I both agree and disagree with parts of this quote. First, I think education should be treated as more than just a way to store facts. I also like how he takes it further by saying that learning geometry is not just enough: you have to learn how to build a house, too. I like this because having an education is a good thing, but one needs to apply that education to life. Otherwise, it is useless. However, I don't understand what he means by "we need to teach students how to tell a story." Is he saying that education should completely shift its focus to storytelling? Sometimes, you do just need to "learn the facts." If we had a country full of people who knew how to tell a story, but could do nothing else, we wouldn't have a country and I daresay that the mantra of the day would be "Teach them the facts!"

I did like his point that a country survives on its educational system, especially his statement of "The society that has a great educational system becomes the prominent society because that's the way the human race survives." It is unfortunate that so many seem to not get this bigger picture.

One final thing that I cannot leave unturned: I did not appreciate his shameless jab at the military. How would he feel if we were under attack and all of his freedoms and visual communications were threatened? Should the military really “bring [us] zippo,” would he be content with this? Or, better yet, if we didn’t have a military in this country at all, would he truly be glad of that fact? It would save us a lot of money.

Digital Directors Guild
This site explains the importance of digital moviemaking in the classroom. It shows how such activity can help students of all ages learn in a fun and effective way, while being able to validate and express how they feel about certain topics. The site also gives advice for how to incorporate this form of education into the classroom.

Podcasts
This site does much the same as the Digital Directors Guild site. It explains what a podcast is and how to access them (something that I was unsure of until I read through it--I know, I'm completely out of touch with digital reality . . . ), as well as gives reasons of why it is an important educational tool. I liked the podcast examples, especially the one of students explaining their hometown of Bristol, England.

What value do these add to education in general?
I think the value of these things lies in the fact that this is the stuff kids are interested in today and by incorporating items that hold preexisting interest into the classroom, kids will be apt to participate at a deeper level.

What value could they add to my classroom?
In the social studies classroom, digital moviemaking and podcasts have the potential to "make history come alive" for my students. They could see and hear things from the past. Such interaction with the past always makes it more interesting that just bookwork.

What types of learning are these best suited to?
Clearly audio and visual learning, as well as Kinaesthetic (hands-on). Although, the latter might facilitate a greater learning of how to make a digital movie or podcast, rather than subject matter.

What types of students will most likely benefit?
Those who learn best by the ways listed above. Also, students who are outgoing will probably benefit more than those who are shy. I was a shy student in grade school and I would have felt completely overwhelmed and intimidated by an assignment of this sort.

Copyright & Fair Use

Nathan--
I liked your point about cheating and how it relates to copyright infringement; I never would have thought of that. I also highly doubt that anyone would ever get indicted for it, though. Regardless, I think it's an interesting point--one of those things that made me go "hmmm."

As far as all of this copyright and fair use stuff goes, there is absolutely no way I'm going to be able to remember all of it; at least not right off the bat. I imagine that as a seasoned teacher, it might be easier to do so . . . although, on second thought, laws change so much (and so fast), that it might never be possible to keep it all straight. To combat this, I think I'll just find the laws online and double check that what I'm about to do/use will be within the legal limits.

Another thing that I found interesting, and liked, is the fact that the law tackles the "quantity vs. quality" issue. I appreciate that our lawmakers recognize that someone could steal a relatively small portion of a work, but, if it is its most critical point, then that person is guilty of copyright infringement.

One last comment. On the quiz, there was a question about showing a Disney movie for young kids during a Back-to-School night. I understand the points in the articles, but the school wasn't using the video for monetary gain. Why is this considered copyright infringement? It was for the general benefit of the public attending that school event and general benefit of the public is considered Fair Use.

Leader for Reading

Taking the Lead for Readings on:

Copyright and Fair Use 9/14- Nathan

Video and Podcast 9/21- Erin

Technology-Enhanced Interactivity 9/28- Charlie

Parent Communication 10/19- Amanda

Horizon Report 11/30- Drew