Technology Poster
"Whatis now known about learning provides important guidelines for uses oftechnology that can help students and teachers develop the competenciesneeded for the twenty-first century. The new technologies provideopportunities for creating learning environments that extend the possibilities of "old"--but still useful--technologies--books;blackboards; and linear, one-way communication media, such as radio andtelevision shows--as well as offering new possibilities. Technologiesdo not guarantee effective learning, however. Inappropriate uses oftechnology can hinder learning--for example, if students spend most oftheir time picking fonts and colors for multimedia reports instead ofplanning, writing, and revising their ideas. And everyone knows howmuch time students can waste surfing the Internet. Yet many aspects oftechnology make it easier to create environments that fit theprinciples of learning discussed throughout this report." (Chapter 9,How People Learn)
Technology-centered environments,although not explicitly labeled as one of the core learningenvironments in the book How People Learn, have drawn a great deal ofattention in educational research and the learning sciences over thelast couple of decades. However, as the above quote states,"technologies do not guarantee effective learning" In this assignment,you are asked to read both chapters 3 and 9 in addition to the articlelisted below in order to become familiar with the range of technologyapplications and their explicit goals for learning that currently existin education.
Next,with one other person, you will select, do research on and compare twotechnology games, simulations or tools that are marketed as having aneducational goal. These can either take the form of academicapplications or more commercial ones such as tamagochis, Civilizationor specific Leapster products. Try to select two that have similareducational foci. Based on the knowledge that you gain from yourresearch, you will create a poster presentation anchoring your analysison the affordances/drawbacks of your chosen applications in the fourlearning outcomes listed in the Roschelle article: 1. activeengagement; 2. participation in groups; 3. frequent interaction andfeedback; and 4. connections to real-world contexts. Other criteria youwill need to include in the evaluation of the tools are age orgrade-level appropriateness, what the company or research group claimsare the learning affordances/drawbacks, what other's say are thelearning affordances/drawbacks and any reflections you may have if youhave used them before. Also provide a final assessment of them in termsof appropriateness as a learning tool.
Posters will be presented on Tuesday, Dec 1 in class. Posters will be instructor-assessed and given a holistic grade on the extent to which the poster criteria was met.