Constructivist learning and multimedia

Ian Hart, Gray Williams, Denis Meyer

CAUT Ecology & French

Biodiversity

The Constructivist Credo

Knowledge is constructed by the learner

Many world views can be constructed: there are multiple perspectives

Knowledge is dependent on context

Learning is mediated by tools and signs

Learning is a social-dialogical activity

Knowing how we know is the ultimate human accomplishment

Traditional vs Constructivist

Teach sequences of skills graded from low-level to high-level

Assist students to learn through problems, explore possibilities, develop products and presentations

Curriculum design

Traditional vs Constructivist

Match clear objectives with assessment tests

Develop global goals which require generalised abilities such as problem solving and research

Instructional design

Traditional vs Constructivist

Stress on individual achievement

Stress on collaboration and group work

Student goals

Traditional vs Constructivist

Formal classroom instruction, lectures, worksheets, mastery activities, tests

Informal atmosphere, open-ended questions, research and development, learning portfolios, descriptive assignments.

Teaching strategies

Implications for developers

The student brings prior learning and beliefs to the task

Be aware of implicit assumptions (eg. cultural values)

Provide scaffolding and context

Lemonade Stand : mathematics with cultural implications

Implications for developers

The student is in control of the learning experience (of the program)

Logical, instinctive navigation is vital

“Democratic” vs algorithmic structure

Menus can provide scaffolding (eg. concept maps)

“ Democratic” structure with concept map <http://nt.media.hku.hk/webcourse>

Implications for developers

Learning is often collaborative

Opportunities for different world views and alternative solutions

Different world views :Les Hongkongaises

Implications for developers

Learning experiences should be in context

Multimedia can provide realistic experiences and simulations

Video and immersive media can promote engagement

Immersive media puts learning in contextThe Virtual Beach (QTVR)

Implications for developers

Assessment involves evaluating evidence of knowledge construction

Open-ended problems

Unstructured data

Tools for knowledge construction

Knowledge construction in Action :Multimedia in Architecture

Implications for developers

The program should develop the student’s metacognitive abilities

Scaffolding and reflective devices: Concept maps Advance organisers Evaluative

assignments Action research

approach

Examples

Architecture

Ecology & Biodiversity

French Overall objectives Production strategy Teaching-leaning strategy Evaluation

Multimedia for Architects

Dept of Architecture/CAUT 2001 Year 4 course Students work collaboratively to

communicate complex architectural concepts to lay & professional audiences using multimedia

Medium : CD-ROM (for assessment)

The virtual lecture

Virtual School of Ecology & Biodiversity (HKU-Nottingham) Provide an on-line data bank of high-

quality lectures from experts in the field Provide tools for deconstruction and

analysis Medium : CD-ROM and Internet Player

Les Hongkongaises

Dept of French/CAUT Student-centred material

Promote viewer identification Communicative competence approach

“Errors” are viewed as valuable data Contextualisation Medium : CD-ROM

Seminar 2 : Production11 May

Digital media and multimedia

The iShell authoring environment

Production strategies and the Interactive Media Group