Current trends in education are showing a gradual evolution or shift from what educators perceive as a distance education model (involving students accessing course content both synchronously and asynchronously exclusively online) to one of an eLearning model (where learning is more blended with face to face classroom instruction combined with content which is accessible from the Internet). Even the evolving concept of the “flipped classroom” embraces a merging of online content and the teacher in the classroom.
In the eLearning model, both online and face to face teachers are using resources from the Internet (mostly free) to both enhance and supplement the learning experience for the learner. As all teachers are finding, there are systemic problems with this.
- First of all, most of the content that is “free” is in video format. While the range of quality in this content is huge, it is still content that forces the learner to be a passive participant. Simply put, there is no interactivity.
- Secondly, it is often a challenge to find content that is both interactive and properly aligned with the curriculum outcomes that need to be taught.
- Thirdly, to get the content created can be very expensive and time consuming. It requires a team of both subject matter experts and instructional designers, all of whom are often either teaching or working on other projects. The task of creating this content often appears daunting.
The Math group of CDLI eTeachers have been able to successfully create interactive content and deploy it for students to use online within the Desire2Learn learning management system. They have been able to merge the role of subject matter expert and instructional designer into one using TI-Nspire™ technologies from Texas Instruments.
In the latest version of the TI-Nspire™ teacher software, there is a new addition called TI PublishView. This addition allows a teacher, without any programming experience, to create and deploy interactive learning objects for use with an interactive whiteboard like a Mimio, SmartBoard or TeamBoard, as well as application sharing within the Blackboard Collaborate online classroom. With the selection of a menu item, the same content can be repurposed and placed on the Web as HTML/Java. For CDLI, this content is placed within our Desire2Learn Content Manager. This allows math teachers to see exactly what interactive objects students are using as they individualize their learning experience. Here are links to two samples of the content that have been used in teaching and learning this year. Click on the images to view the content.
Further to this there are plans to use this interactive content, in addition to embedded video, to begin piloting of the “flipped, online, interactive classroom” in an attempt to gauge student response and feedback when utilizing such an approach. Again, the TI PublishView feature of the TI-Nspire™ software will allow this to be created easily and its deployment for student use quite simple.
If you are interested in learning more about how to create this type of interactive content using TI-Nspire™ technologies, please feel free to contact richardsnow@cdli.ca . There are tentative plans to offer professional development for teachers with TI-Nspire™ technologies in July 2012 at St. John’s.