Ipod's as pedagogical tools

We have been discussing the concept of using technology to enhance learning. I came across a news clip online that outlines how an English as a Second Language teacher at an American middle school utilizes iPod's as a teaching tool.



We discussed the other day in class what it is that makes technology-based learning more enticing for students. This question was answered straight up by an elementary level student in the video when she was asked if she would like learning strictly from books. She promptly replied, "No... Because it's boring." The youth of today are constantly surrounded by technology and I feel that in order to promote learning, teachers must use material that is new, hip, and cool in the student's perspective. Just how I loved playing Oregon Trail, Kid Pix, and later Civilization, these kids enjoy the idea of being able to use technology that in a sense disguises the fact that they are actually learning. A district representative further confirms this notion when she states that "it makes sense to utilize today's technologies and apply them in an instructional way."

The video clip concentrates on the utilization of iPod's to help bilingual students to learn English, but it also touches on the fact that it can serve many other purposes. iPod's put a whole new spin on the 'book on cassette.' Today in one of my lectures I notices a student in front of me using his iPod to record the lecture, and I had never even considered this possibility.

Although purchasing iPod's at each elementary level seems a little over the top, this is just another example of how how a cool, modern form of technology can help within the classroom.

Video Games as a Form of Recruitment

I came across an article on Yahoo news today outlining a new pilot project where a British spy agencies is attempting to recruit spies from video games. This is being done in a subliminal fashion, using billboards and signs within gameplay instead of explicit advertisements. Games like "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent" are being used to conduct the advertising in an attempt to attract "computer-savvy, technologically-able, quick-thinking" recruits. The advertisements will not be written into the games, instead they will be fed into the gameplay externally targeting users playing online through their PC or X-Box 360.

I found this article rather interesting as it shows how top government agencies are targeting gamers in their recruiting process. I also find it interesting that they are advertising within the gameplay. This is something that would not have been possible just a few years ago, but the lifelike graphics of modern video games make it possible for even advertising and signage in the background of the game to be detailed enough to advertise.

The article states how the campaign will be monitored over the next month and adjusted accordingly. In my opinion, if the campaign is a success it will open the door to a whole new world of marketing. I have noticed through the years that video games have a certain degree of product placement within them. For example, the RBK logo being clearly visible throughout gameplay and especially in replays in EA Sports'NHL 08. This can be taken to a whole new level though, and targetted marketing such as the article describes may be finding a new niche within video games.

Wiki Pranking/Colbert for President?

I know we have wrapped up our discussions on Wiki's but I came across an article today that really caught my attention. A little over a year ago, political satirist Stephen Colbert ran a segment on his show called 'Wikiality,' which was intended to point out the unreliability of information gathered from Wiki's. During this segment, Colbert jokingly suggested to his viewers that they edit the Wikipedia entry for 'Elephant' to state that the Elephant population has swollen in the past few years, and stating that this will be an "inconvenient tusk" for environmentalists such as Al Gore.

Although this was intended as a joke, Colbert has a very large and loyal following, and within minutes, the Wikipedia entry for elephants was locked, and the discussion page became flooded with entries discussing Colbert's 'prank.'

Although Colbert's prank was intended to point out the unreliability of Wikipedia, I think it did much more than this. First off, it served as direct advertising and publicity for the wiki. Secondly, I believe that it pointed out the reliability of Wikipedia. The fact that such a large-scale stunt had little or no impact on the content of the wiki page shows the reliability of a lot of Wikipedia content.

Now it is clear that the fact that Wikipedia was able to control this was the unusual high traffic editing the page, or the fact that somebody aware of the stunt must have locked the page, but it shows how high traffic pages are able to resist this vandalism. I pointed out in class a few weeks ago that this is not the case with many lower-traffic pages, as they are moderated much less, and errors are not noticed as frequently. This is a downfall of Wikipedia, but the relative reliability of the high-traffic pages show the benefits of such a useful online tool.

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This is a little less applicable to our course, but i also read that Colbert announced last night that he intends on running for office in the upcoming united States Presidential Election. This is the latest in a string of pranks by Colbert, including the Wiki prank, betting the city of Oshawa, Ontario over a Junior league hockey game, and instructing his 'Colbert Nation' to vote for him on a Hungarian website running a contest that would name a bridge after the winner.

Although this seems like a harmless publicity stunt, I believe that this proves Colbert's political point. Based on his previous stunts, and his rather large following, I am willing to bet that Colbert will receive at least some support from the public. By no means do I feel that he expects to be successful, but I believe that Colbert simply wants to show the public how little voters know (or care) about the electoral process. In order to accomplish this, he does not need a huge number of votes, just the fact that he probably will get votes will prove his point.

Anyways, I know this doesn't exactly apply to our course material, but I felt that it was a great example that illustrates the power of the media over the general public

Problem Based Learning

I wanted to discuss problem based learning, a concept that we have been covering in class over the past couple weeks. I feel that problem based learning is a very useful tool, which can enhance learning and be a very effective teaching method. With that being said, I feel that problem based learning must be used in conjuncture with other, more traditional forms of pedagogy, in order to be completely successful.
Take for example, the situation that Dr. Rockwell continued to use in class - medical students. Yes, problem based learning is an effective way of teaching students problem solving skills, and allow them to learn using potential real life situations, but without a general knowledge of the parts of the body, medical conditions, and remedies, the students will not have the sufficient background knowledge to solve these problems.
With that said, if students have the background knowledge, problem based learning is a very effective way to solve problems. The example used in tutorial - trying to increase the use of technology by McMaster professors, allowed me to see the effectiveness of problem based learning. This is an example of a situation where problem based learning is the most effective way to solve the problem, but I still maintain that in many courses, there is a certain degree of background knowledge that students must acquire in order for problem based learning to be an effective pedagogical tool.

Drill Software

The concept of Drill software is rather interesting in my opinion. It is clear that in the past decade drill software has become more widespread, and has found more uses in different niche's. That being said, in my opinion, drill software is one technology that does not seem to be changing. There have been little changes, but the interface and capabilities of the software has remained pretty much the same. With all the evolution surrounding different technology, it seems that drill software has not followed the trend.

I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, the software is an effective pedagogical tool, and it is easy to apply in many different forms. I recently took a "Smart Serve" course online that was based around drill software. The course was set up in sections that contained readings and then online quizzes which included multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks, and other formats, and it provided feedback which helped me gauge my readiness for the final test. This is just one example of a new use for drill software.

I can't think of any significant ways to advance drill software effectively, but it is clear that it's application can have many different forms. The widening of networks everywhere will, in my opinion, only find new uses for drill software.