Activity 7.1 Reflection, Learning Technologies @ EIT

It  was disappointing that I couldn't attend the campus walkabout to learn more about the digital technologies being used by the music department @ EIT.  I missed out, having to attend another class.

Thanks to everyone for contributing to the blog and sharing your experiences so I could learn more about all the fun & interesting things you's did.

As I was absent, I will be sharing about a digital learning technology I am familiar with.  As part of the DLT progressive assignment we were given the opportunity to explore a Cloud tool so I have become familiar with Microsoft's tool OneNote. SWOT analysis applied to OneNote has revealed the following points:

SWOT Analysis on OneNote

Strengths

• Remote access
• Group collaboration tool
• Can create notebooks for different purposes
• Notebooks can be divided into different sections
• Add pages to sections
• Color coordination or color coded
• Add passwords to sections
• Sync to other devices
• Compatibility - can use on different platforms such as Apple & Android
• Free version available online
• Just like a notepad you are not limited to a specific area - you can write or draw anywhere.

Weaknesses

• Cannot add passwords to notebooks
• Can only add passwords to sections
• No option to filter tags so as it grows then harder to find content
• Need Internet to sync to other devices
• Need a Microsoft account
• No confirmation of save                                                                                                               

Opportunities

• Integrates well with other MS Office applications
• Access across different platforms
• Can use like a pin-board

Threats

• Need to have charged mobile devices
• Cloud Security

Considerations
I have liked using OneNote.  I have only been familiar with the group collaboration tools in Google drive so I was interested in trying something new.

I like that OneNote allows for the integration of different media within a notebook such as adding a word or excel document.  This is quite handy as everything can be found in one place within a notebook.

The tags just add a bit of flavor to make things a little more interesting but are not a necessity.  Tags feature is not offered in Google docs.

Foreseen problems and solutions maybe but are not limited to:

Problem: Currently there is no save confirmation.
Solution: This is quite common with Cloud services however this would be a nice feature to implement.

Problem:  You cannot just password protect a notebook.  This is inconvenient as you may not wish to even share a notebook at all.  

Solution: They could possibly improve this by allowing this feature.

Problem: You cannot filter by tags.  This is a disadvantage because applying tags to notes is a convenient feature that allows you to group/remember specific notes.  As your notebook grows, it may become harder to find notes.  

Solution:  Add filter to tags in OneNote.  This will help find notes more effectively and efficiently.

Assessed Activity 7.1

In the campus walkabout, we went and visited the music school and got shown a system called insight. Insight is a program that allows a series of computers in a network to be monitored/ controlled by one. This is a great tool for teaching, tutoring and collaboration.

I attended the class through adobe connect. The video playback was less then optimal, 

pixelated and hard to hear people speaking at times. I asked a question about the efficiency of the file uploading functionality, Michael V asked my question and got an answer fairly promptly. I was happy with how the class was streamed.

Strengths

• Collaboration capabilities, sharing work in one easy to manage place
• Simultaneous teaching, share lecturers screen to everybody
• Everyone can see whats happening easily
• Restricted access to websites, keep students focused  on their task
• Individual tutoring, if one person has a problem the tutor can help them individually without effecting others

Weaknesses

• Possible plagiarism issues
• Security of the network and students/ lecturers work
• Less physical or face-to-face interaction with students/ lecturer

Opportunities

• Publicly available content could make people interested in studying at EIT
• Off-site access to content encourages ubiquitous learning 

Threats

• Network security, viruses/ unauthorized access to accounts/ work
• Abuse of power
• Plagiarism between students

In conclusion, I think that the insight management system is a hugely powerful tool that helps tremendously with the way that students learn and how content is taught. The functionality of the program provides students and teachers with an enhanced learning environment, which not only makes learning more fun and interesting, but increases the efficiency of content delivery.

Considerations when designing learning for remote participation

Internet connectivity is something that is paramount when streaming and viewing a stream. The streamer must have sufficient upload speed to push the content out. In comparison the viewer must have sufficient download speed to get the content. The streamer has To be careful not to push content out too fast, so that the viewer cannot receive the content fast enough. The streamer should change the upload bit-rate to a smaller size if problems are occurring (constant buffering).

7.1 Reflection, Learning Technologies @ EIT

In our campus walkabout we discovered the music school and checked how they deal with a software called insight.

Everyone is making a little SWOT-analysis

Strengths:

- Good overview
- Control of students
- Easy to use
- Nice Graphical User Interface

Weaknesses:

- Not for free (have to pay yearly fees for license)
- Could interrupt students in a creative moment
- Kind of control over their computers

Opportunities:

- Have better audience
- No changing of seats anymore
- No distraction while the lecturer is talking

Threats:

- Total control of students
- Loss of privacy
- More controlling than teaching
- Security issues if someone hack the administrator (access to all accounts)



Some considerations for the designing of learning for remote participation, problems and solutions:

- Internet connection break up --> Record session

- Did not understand what the lecturer means --> Ask him/her with the chat function

- Lecturer do not notice that i want to say something --> Little pop-up window could be helpful

- Problems with any technical stuff --> Provide a meeting number like in companies to dial in if every other thing is broken, in this case you just can hear the audio, but it is better than nothing

Assessed Activity 7.1 (2015)

In a departure from the usual class format of Digital Learning Technologies we attended a class demonstration of the learning technologies used in the Music Department. While the tutor Tom gave a demonstration of the classroom computer suite management software Insight by Faronics,

During the class Michael streamed the demonstration via Adobe Connect and answered and asked questions for student who attended the stream.

The Computer suite used by the music department was a setup of Apple Mac's with students having access to keyboards and headphones for the creating of music, with the network/internet access being controlled by the tutor and having control of each machine in unison and individually for effective communication within the classroom.

SWOT Analysis of the Educational Technologies

Strengths

• Allows tutor to remote monitor and provide support for students.
• Allows remote one to one, one too many and advanced remote teaching to students.
• Allows control of computers to force and lockout distracting media which student commonly use e.g. Facebook, Reddit and YouTube
• More effectively allows first hand demonstrations
• Allows collaborations to take place with ease.

Weaknesses

• Privacy issues (students may feel violated)
• inconvenient for students in the middle of work to be interrupted 
• Data stored for only Six Months
• Use of Apple Mac's

Opportunities

• Improved management of classrooms around EIT
• Allows a better remote environment for tutoring of classes
• A integrated for group messenger service within the software or an attached forum would enable better class collaboration.

Threats

• ·         Privacy breach
• ·         Lack of operating systems knowledge students may create or experience issues as they may not be familiar with the Operating System.
• ·         Intellectual theft (Students who have their screens shared may be open to theft of their work)

Privacy breach is the main concern as students may be accessing information that is personal to them, only to have their screens shared and being watched by a tutor. There needs to be blocks on pages e.g. Facebook, email and banking. As well as a consent form disclosing the methods used within the class. To enforce an understanding for what takes place and what is appropriate and safe behaviour for students.

7.1 Instructional Design Model

Reflection, Learning Technologies @ EIT

This weeks activity is slightly different. First of all we had a 'walk about' on campus and paid a visit to the music department where we met Tom, the tutor. Whilst he spoke to (and showed) us his software (Insight by Faronica) Michael fielded questions from students and Steffanie streamed the lesson (Adobe Connect) to those students who could not attend class but were able to participate from home - great collaboration which worked really well. I will download and include some photographs and a short video of this experience shortly.

The music lab is set up using Apple Mac's, students have headphones and small keyboards at their 'work stations'. Additional seating area with tables is available for when students ware not working at their stations. The software Tom was using allows for greater interaction between tutor and students, it also offers the facility of full class participation. 

However, like with most software, it has it's strengths and weaknesses. These are some that I think apply.

Strengths

• allows tutor to monitor students work without being beside them
• allows the tutor to show the class/individual on large screen
• easier than using 'PowerPoint' slides
• access to video
• assists in monitoring student progression
• allows tutor to 'help'

Weaknesses

• Limited access to some sites (blocked by tutor)
• Privacy issues (students might not like it)
• Overuse of 'monitoring' facility
• Authenticity of students work
• 'Mute' Students would find this annoying if in the middle of something - could also be a positive to assist students
• Material only stored for six months

Opportunities

• sharing facility between fellow students
• used in other areas of EIT

Threats

• Hacking
• Over writing of material

Overall I found this software to be an asset in the music lab. With some considerations it could become a good collaborative piece of software which could work well across the broad range of courses at EIT. When designing learning for remote participation there are so many different pieces of software which you have to have. When you have decided what you are going to do and what you are going to use you must make sure that they are all compatible. Internet access is getting less and less of an issue now and as time progresses and we all have fast reliable coverage remote teaching will become more acceptable than traditionally going into a classroom.

Saying that not so far back some 'remote' students participated within the classroom by using radio transmission - things haven't changed that much after all.....

Just some photographs from the day for you to see.

GJ

Activity 7.1

I was absent during the class visit to the EIT Music Department due to my internship commitments, so I will be writing about a Digital Learning Technology I am familiar with.

A Digital Learning Technology I am familiar with is Adobe Connect, obviously as it is used in this class.  Adobe Connect software allows tutors to broadcast their lectures online and even record the videos to upload later. This is particularly useful to me as I can attend lectures while I am off-campus at my internship placement.

Other features that is included in this software are

·         Having the ability to hand over hosting rights to other people, so they can share their screen or webcam.

·         A text chat session along with the broadcast so people can discuss the lecture online

·         Allowing others to use their microphone to talk to the class

Strengths

·                     Tutor being able to share screen/webcam

·                     Students being able to remotely attend class

·                     Option to have more than one host

Weaknesses

·                     Students not ever attending physical classes out of laziness

·                     Students online getting less attention from Tutor

·                     Students not paying as much attention online as they would in class

Opportunity

A possible opportunity is to have guest lecturers from around the world that institutes wouldn’t normally be able to have. This would save on flights and accommodation to bring the lecturer over.

Threat

There always threats when things are broadcasted publicly, the main threat is that anyone could attend the class. They could spam, say profanities and abuse class members through the chat.

Considerations

Taking all things in to consideration, the strengths and opportunities definitely outweigh the weaknesses and threats. The threats are very unlikely of happening as to view the broadcast you need the URL. Broadcasts can also be made private, so this would eliminate the possible threats. The host also has the ability to kick anyone from the broadcast.

Activity 7.1 Campus Walkabout

During our last class we went to the EIT Music Department to view the software they were using to assist their students in the learning process. They were using a software program that allowed the lecturer to view and alter a students work while they were in class using the Mac computers provided. The program has interesting features such as remote access, sharing a students screen for the class and able to alter the students work to help show them a way to complete their task.

Another feature they have is the ability to mute all of the students computer so that they may all hear the lecturer or a certain students music. The amount of control the lecturer has over their students computers goes as far as being able to log them off their computers and restrict their access to the internet. 

Strengths

• Remote Access
• Screen Share
• Mute option
• Blocking internet access

Weaknesses

• lecturer may have to much control over the students work/privacy
• restricted to the use of apple computers
• no student sharing between students

Opportunities & Threats

A possible opportunity is to make the program have a shared feature such as Google Docs allowing multiple people to work on & alter a single project. This kind of collaboration would be very helpful for future artists.

Threats such as a breach of privacy are possible as your information/work is displayed by the lecturer in front of everyone possibly increasing the probability of someone copying your work. IF someone is able to remote access your work they may rewrite it causing damage to your work. 

Considerations

Looking over the weaknesses and threats we must remember that this is all done within the music lab and can't be edited from outside of the classroom. When asked about the possible threats to privacy the music lecturer was very forthcoming with their protocol of asking a student before sharing their work in front of the class. They only altered a students work when they had permission from the student. Finally the student is always aware when their work is being viewed by the lecturer as a noticeable icon appears in the corner of the screen altering them.