2008-2009:

My primary goal as a tech scout is to explore how to expand our current technology to create a more interactive learning experience. While I would like to explore programs such as Adobe Flash and Adobe Captivate, my focus will be on how to use more widespread and usable progams like PowerPoint. I believe there are several tools within PowerPoint to increase the accessibility and interactivity of course materials:

Interwrite Clickers allow quick formative assessment to check student understanding and allow the instructor to match the pace of the course to student understanding. I have picked up on Cate Shellars work on Clickers and tried to add more pedagogical support for their use. I have investigated the current research on personal response systems an incorporated these techniques into my Clickers course in KCELT.

The “Record Narration” function in PowerPoint allows easy generation of video podcasts.

The “Developer” tab in PowerPoint allows incorporation of various multi-media content such as SWF animation or YouTube videos. In this work, I am trying to find ways to incorportate more typically interactive components like Flash animations as well as on-line videos.

Action links, hyperlinks, and animation triggers allow students to interact with the PowerPoint, taking formative assessment quizzes and exploring differentiated instruction interactively. Combined with motion paths, PowerPoint appears to be quite capable of creating Flash-like animations without the learning curve necessary to use Adobe programs.

I have purchased the equipment to investigate how to create an Interactive Whiteboard with a Wii remote using Johnny Chung Lee's method. While I can use the method to manipulate PowerPoint, and hence control the lecture while standing where the students are looking, I have not had success "writing" on the screen.

Given the wide-spread availability and usage of PowerPoint, I think researching and teaching these lesser known methods in PowerPoint will aid our faculty in generating more interactive teaching materials. I have a brief example of using Hyperlinks to allow a clickable self-quiz of the bones of the wrist. There are additional more concise methods, using triggers, but this method is relatively simple. In the near future, I will add instructions on how to create this effect as well as further PowerPoint examples. Till then, check out http://pptheaven.mvps.org/. I also intend to teach a class through KCELT entitled "I Didn't Know You Could Do That With PowerPoint" to share some of these techniques.

A further exploration of mine has been to experiment with making YouTube videos to compliment my lectures. They can be found at here. I would like to continue exploring not only the different types of making videos, but also the different pedagogical techniques. For example, while drawing an image for the camera seems very low-tech, I am finding that students appreciate this technique because they can draw along with me to enhance their understanding. In light of this, I would like to investigate what methods are best for increasing student engagement, learning, and retention.

A brief report on my activities in Tech Scouts can also be found here.

2009-2010:

My project for the past year has envisioned how teaching might adapt to utilize the arrival of netbooks, portable PDAs, iPads, and the general concept of "cloud computing." Firstly, the penetration of these devices and our constant access to the web means that information is truly becoming free. Free in the sense that most information does not cost financially, but free also in the sense that it is "not attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else" or "not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms." Thus, our relationship and interaction with information is changing rapidly. While the textbook may have traditionally organized our material, no textbook can now compare with the flexibility and vastness of information freely available on the web. Thus, once one has the skills necessary to organize and corroborate information from the web, I believe the web will quickly replace the textbook. In addition to a change in the amount of information, the tableau is changing as well. Instruction traditionally was limited to “small pictures;” a chalkboard, a screen, or 8.5 x 11 pieces of paper. It is true that these small pictures could be infinitely long but they are generally limited in width. The web is beginning to create an environment where the picture extends infinitely in all directions. Putting these two observations together, the web provides infinite information in an infinite space. So, now information can be organized much more spatially, rather than linearly. Just as the term cloud-based computing is emerging, the term cloud-based learning will also likely emerge to describe this transition to spatial learning. As a former neuroscientist, I see this advancement as having a huge advancement in learning because it mimics the very structure of the brain itself; one where information is stored in billions of interconnected clusters of information-containing neurons; i.e., your brain spatially maps information and now the web will allow the instructor or individual to do this as well. Summing this up briefly then, my project has been to envision how cloud computing will drive instruction to cloud-based learning and what will be the issues and impediments in this transition. My initial thoughts are drawn out in the diagram that can be found here.

In short, I have five main areas that I have explored in my effort to prepare for "cloud-based learning:"

• I. Types of Insturments: While the iPhone, iTouch and iPad are driving the constant access to the web, there are many types of instruments emerging that are increasing access to the web and may be superior for development of instruction. Recent tablet computers, such as the Android Tablet will combine the ability to take notes and manipulate the screen with both a color screen option and a black-on-white screen (akin to the Kindle). Given their size and flexibility, these computers will likely easily replace the textbook once the environment of the web is more conducive to learning. Antother intriguing device is Microsoft Surface, table-top sized touch screen.
• II. Creation of Video Instruction: Because the web opens up more visual opportunities for learning, I have explored various methods to generate videos. I have posted approximately 70 videos to YouTube at this point and received approximately 200,000 views. I have employed a variety of formats including drawing out lessons as if I was at the whiteboard, using screen capture to narrate figures, using a mixture of recording resolutions (standard webcam, high-definition webcam, a digitial video camera) and a variety of editing softwares (Adobe Premiere,Camtasia, and Windows MovieMaker), and I have used PowerPoint along with Moyea PowerPoint to DVD software to create podcasts of PowerPoint lectures. Through analyzing which videos get the most hits, I have gathered rudimentary data on the effectiveness of a varieyty of video formats. At this point, it would appear that students prefer videos where I hand-draw out a diagram that they can draw along with. Next in popularity would appear to be narration to large concept map figures that summarize a body system.
• III. Creating Interactivity: A downside to the web is its potential lack of interactivity. I have explored various means to generate interactivity when information is web-delivered. The program that I use for recording will allow insertion of basic quizzing when the video is output as a flash file for the web. Additional programas can performa similar function: Adobe Captivate, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Adobe Flash. I have also discovered how to construct basic quizzing using PowerPoint alone and the animation function in PowerPoint. Once my website if more complete, I would like to investigate using Google Forms to facilitate homework and quizzing as well as the use of HTML pop-ups to integrating quizzing interactivity to my on-line instruction.
• IV. Web Design: As stated in the introduction, much of instruction consists of an infinitely long piece paper that is 8.5 inches wide. While much of the web still adheres to this format, there are a growing number of web spaces that allow more spatial organization of information. I would like to be able to find or build my own spatially organized site through exploring web design. I have looked at, though not thoroughly investigated websites such as http://www.spaaze.com/ and Prezi Presentation. I would also like to look further into building a web-site that extends beyond simple columns and is truly a spatial concept map. I feel that such a format breaks down the “chapter” mentality that discourages seeing how the various systems of the body are heavily integrated. Lastly, because the web provides an infinitely large tableau, this means that there is space to accommodate multiple learning styles, from those who prefer text (captured from my audio files using Dragon Naturally Speaking or Adobe Premiere’s speech recognition function), video, audio, large diagram, and multiple pictures. In short, as we move to the web, there will be no limitations on the format used to teach, multiple formats can be provided to accommodate multiple learning styles.
• V. Avoiding Copyright Infringement: While information wants to be free, there are certainly copyright issues. I have begun to explore what is fair use and what is not. In the end, my major conclusion has been that the best path is to find images in the public domain or create the images themselves. A good source for finding public domain images is Creative Commons . Additionally, there are sites that allow you to purchase images that can be used on the web (iStockphoto.com, Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc., etc.). Lastly, I continue to familiarize myself with the software necessary to draw my own images (Adobe Illustrator).
• VI. Contributing to Open Source Learning: I would like to explore additional ways, in addition to video, to create open source information. After attending Kate Hess’ KCELT course on “what is an open-textbook,” I realize that there is a huge variety of open-source textbooks available. I have yet to search diligently, but the searches I have completed to date have not yielded an adequate Anatomy and Physiology text . My conclusion is that I wille eventually construct my own webpage that will allow me to essentially provide an open-source textbook. I have acquired the domain name and site, but it is my goal to begin building the site over the upcoming summer.

When I began this project after hearing the rumors of the iPad, and envisioning the functionality of what amounts to a large iTouch, I realized that moving towards this type of instruction will take a great deal of time; I would estimate that it will take a solid three years to establish a solid footing. What this document begins to outline is my initial progress towards this goal. A longer, more descriptive version of this document will soon be available as well as continued updates.