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.

BOOM! DLT tour of ”TOM CATS” music lab/classroom

(Image: Tom, Michael & Steffanie
outside the music classroom
02/04/2015)  

 Firstly, we shared this class remotely via adobe connect with our fellow long-distance and at home/work students. Steffanie had a tablet and streamed our visit in real-time while Michael fielded questions from our online students.  

  

The class is a level four music class for inspiring musicians at EIT. The tutor “Tom” demonstrated the digital technologies he uses to enhance his music lab. The lab is equipped with apple imac computers, (most design institutions use macs for their quality and reliability). The students all have mac’s, headphones and midi keyboards at their station.  

The software that facilitates the learning is insight by Foranics. This software enables the interaction between the student and the tutor and course-work is done using this platform.

Strengths of Faronics “insight”

• Allows the instructor to monitor all user activity from their own workstation.
• Removes distractions by limiting web, applications, print, and drives, and blank screens.
• Enhances communication by audio, chat, and broadcast features facilitate more interaction.
• Assist students to control student machines, co-browse, share teacher and student monitors.
• Assesses students’ progress by using Easy voung and testing features help gauge students understanding.
• Simplified administration enables dynamic class list importing and ability to send/receive files and assignments.
• Information tech console helps to easily support and manage computer labs remotely.
• The software works on; PCs, Macs, Linux, Thin Clients, iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch (Faronics, 2015).

Weaknesses

• Possible over-use of teacher screen sharing;

“You can also send the teacher screen to all student computers which can be effective for a short demo or when showing a brief video. Used in moderation, this can be an effective technique; if you use it too much students get frustrated” (Suzanne Bernsten 9:30, 4 Dec 2013 (CDT))

• Privacy - students may feel vulnerable with the tutor always peering at their work or sharing it with the whole class.
• Tutors resisting new technologies and just prefer to use traditional aids like PowerPoint and handouts.
• Ability to train tutors to use new digital learning technologies could be an issue for some.

Opportunities

I can see an opportunity for EIT to create their own version of this management system. Using third year computing students to start a project under management of a tutor. If this “insight program“ is in the $100k plus for a license doesn’t it make sense with the current knowledge and abilities that within the EIT organisation to develop their own.

I agree with Mark Linskey’s comments about collaboration as an opportunity below:

 “Collaboration - a great feature of the software is that it allows two people on two separate computers to work on the same project. This is akin to a wiki or a shared Google Doc, in that many users can alter it at the same time. This could have a massive market in the digital music collaboration industry.” (M Linskey, 2015)

Threats

• Possible hacking into the system and students work.
• Co-sharing too much or coping work by other class members.

Considerations

Teaching students the fundamentals of the program and good file management can take some time before moving onto the main course content. Training tutors with good time management skills and preparing a solid course outline at the beginning will certainly curb any issues.

There are some tutors that will not want to use this technology, so it has to mandatory for certain courses that are obviously computer-based. Tutors will be trained in all aspects of this classroom management system and even mentored to ensure they are utilising it to its potential.

The usual no internet or network issues. Have a plan B.

Privacy issues would be easily be mitigated by the tutor and student both signing a privacy declaration prior to the course starting.

A major consideration is the expense of software like Insight is $100k plus, so perhaps finding a cost effective alternative or creating an EIT developed platform would be worth considering.

Some alternatives are;

ITALC Open Source by Tobias Doerffel, LanSchool by LanSchool Technologies, LiteManager, Netsupport School, SchoolVue by Crosstec Corporation, SMART Sync by SMART Technologies. These are aimed at the school environment and provide a solid classroom management platform.

BOOM!

From this to......

......To This

 

KA-BOOM!

References:

http://wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/Classroom_Control_Systems
http://www.faronics.com/en-uk/products/insight/
http://virtualmvblogger.blogspot.co.nz/