All 8 entries tagged Implementation

Virtual R&D Space in Sitebuilder inspired by Tim Brown's Design Thinking

Follow-up to Design Thinking – Tim Brown from Inspires Learning - Robert O'Toole

On Thursday I taught the first of this term's Multimedia Communications sessions for the International Design and Communications MA. For the students, the aim of the nine sessions is to create an individual e-portfolio, presenting themselves, their academic and design work to a professional audience. For me, a key aim of the sessions is to try out new techniques and technologies.

This year, I am using the approach described by Tim Brown (of IDEO) in his article Design Thinking. As I explained in a previous entry, Brown recommends thinking of "inspiration", "ideation" and "implementation" as being three distinct activities between which a design team moves (non-sequentially) as required. I am exploring how this might apply in teaching and learning, and what kinds of spaces and technologies might support each distinct type of space.

For the MA students, I have set up a "Virtual R&D Space", as a private sub-section of the area of the course web site in which they will develop their e-portfolios. The space uses several of the quite sophisticated web tools provided by our Sitebuilder web content management and publishing system. We will be able to exchange event data (on a calendar), news messages, create video and audio podcasts (it even has an online recorder), share files, share images (in a gallery), create book reviews, populate a list of links, and create glossary entries. Many of these items include the ability to comment. I might also add a discussion room if necessary. In the second session we will be concept mapping with Mindmanager. A links is provided to our site licenced download. We will be uploading the maps that are created.

Over the forthcoming MA sessions, I will be illustrating how these tools can be used within each of the three "spaces". We will use iMacs in the sessions, with students able to create and upload images, text, audio and movies live in the sessions. I will also be creating, as part of the Open Space Learning project, an Adobe AIR based uploader to make the process of getting content from the Mac to the V R&D Space quicker and simpler.

Click on the image to enlarge

I will publish more screen shots as the space gets populated with content.

Robert O'Toole : 11 Oct 2009 22:13 |  Tags: Article Bibliography Design Methods Implementation Learning Spaces |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Presentation: Effective low–cost online distance learning

I have created a video version of a presentation that I gave earlier this week. It uses a design thinking approach adapted from Tim Brown and the IDEO design company, suggesting a framework for creating online learning that encourages self-organised peer interaction through prooviding inspirational video content, connected to ideation tools, and options for student creativity.

The video can be found here.

Robert O'Toole : 13 Aug 2009 21:24 |  Tags: Implementation |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

How to film your brilliant idea – session evaluation

Follow-up to How to film your brilliant idea – workshop slides and example video clips from Inspires Learning - Robert O'Toole

What actually took place in the experimental teaching space in the session? (Type of learners involved, the use of physical space, and the methods, resources and technology  you employed.)

Learning objectives:

1. To appreciate the enabling constraints provided by the short online movie format.
2. To understand how a short online movie can be constructed to serve a rhetorical or informational purpose.
3. To understand the 3 part narrative arc format.
4. To learn how to use iMovie09 on an Apple iMac to create footage and edit a movie.

Students:

Six early career administrators from an externally facing admin department.

Session format:

Short presentations, with Keynote slides and clips from example videos (available online). Hands-on work in teams of 3. Each team had an Apple iMac and a Sanyo Xacti HD video camera.

Spatial format:

For the short talks, the students gathered around the projection screen at the back of the space. Presentations were run from an iMac on a table at the front. This was semi-partitioned with curtains and a white board. Each video editing suite was placed on a table, close together, in the middle portion of the room. The front end of the room was setup as a space for filming interview footage, with additional studio lighting. This was demonstrated but not used (due to time constraints).

The presentation iMac was connected to an external video camera, as well as two border mics mixed through a Belkin TuneStation. This was an experimental attempt to record the presentations using Screenflow. However, the recording was lost as a result of a software error.

How well did the session promote and achieve student learning, relative to the learning outcomes?

The learning objectives were achieved, with the students reporting to have found the session useful and enjoyable. Student personal state descriptors were used, on an experimental basis, at three key transitional points during the session (see the results here). The responses were largely positive, with the students reporting to have felt inspired and challenged. The responses indicate a small decline towards the end of the three hours.

What did you, as a tutor, learn? How do you consider the experience will affect your future teaching practice?

An inspirational effect resulted from tight integration of short example video clips and a well designed Keynote presentation. The students were amazed at what they could achieve with iMovie. However, they did go a bit too far in exploiting the creative potential of every available feature.

What advice would you give to colleagues considering similar approaches?

Use Keynote. Use iMovie. Keep it fast paced.

Robert O'Toole : 13 Aug 2009 09:49 |  Tags: Implementation Observations Workshop |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem