EET330+Assignment+Reflection


 * What are the advantages of using **
 * Powerpoint? **

Microsoft Powerpoint is a popular software program that allows teachers to create an electronic presentation that is very effective for educational purposes (Sheehan, 2009). A PowerPoint presentation consists of slides that can effectively incorporate colourful text and photographs, illustrations and drawings, tables, graphs and movies. It is a very useful resource that can be used for all subject areas within the curriculum. From a teacher’s perspective, a Powerpoint presentation is not only very easy to use, but is extremely flexible (Sheehan, 2009). Slides are very easy to modify when necessary, and information can be edited on finished slides, unnecessary slides can be deleted, forgotten slides can be added and all slides can be rearranged at any time, even during the presentation. Powerpoint’s are also very easy to present to the class, requiring a simple push of a button, allowing teachers freedom and flexibility to go at their own pace, whilst also allowing time for discussion. The teacher can also skip slides and even go back to slides if necessary. As a learning device, it has strong visual properties, used to present both visual and written information to the class. In comparison to traditional forms of “chalk and talk” learning, Powerpoint is highly engaging and appealing to both visual and aural learners through the incorporation of video, graphics, links and audio effects, allowing greater depth of understanding and knowledge. It can also be used repeatedly from one class to the other and allows the teacher to easily cater for absent students as it can be shown again, or be printed into a handout (Sheehan, 2009).


 * What are the disadvantages of using Powerpoint? **

Although an individual does not have to be a technological buff to create and use Powerpoint, one does however require some minimal skills to efficiently create an effective presentation (Tombe, 2009). A Powerpoint presentation in the classroom may be seen as a more passive mode of learning, however as stated earlier the teacher can instigate discussions along the way. It also does not allow topics to be presented in great detail, but rather, in dot-point form, minimalising the content (Tombe, 2009). A major issue with the use of technology in the classroom is the technical difficulties that may be encountered due to power restrictions, failing power devices etc, so it is important to have a backup plan.

Wikispaces can provide a stimulating and engaging dimension for students when they think about ‘studying’ or ‘school work’. Students have the opportunity to interact with one another and their teacher on wikis that they might not have had in a traditional classroom. This could be due to the online medium, which is not as confrontational for those who might be low in the domain of interpersonal skills. They are learning about collaboration, publishing and writing (Richardson, 2006). Encouraging students to write is essential in this day and age as Australia is pushing for increase of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum. Furthermore, using wikis will teach students ‘how to publish content, develop and use all sorts of collaborative skills’ (Richardson, 2006). Such skills are; negotiation of what is correct, relevant and meaningful. Once information has been collaborated and ‘published’ on a wiki it serves as a starting point for the following classes to add on or edit if necessary (Richardson, 2006) thus all inital hard work is not wasted or forgotten. On a wiki page students could contribute what they learn and know in many different forms that they might already be familiar with such as: spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, video and audio files, and graphics and links (Richardson, 2006) to illustrate their point. They could also add annotations and reflections of their own and others’ posted ideas to enhance understanding. Having had the chance of co-constructing the published work students would no doubt feel a sense of achievement because they have a personalized text that they have helped built (Richardson, 2006). The most crucial development students take on from using a wiki is that, as described by Richardson (2006), ‘students begin to teach each other’. So they have gone beyond being a learner to becoming a ‘teacher’, exhibiting their acquired knowledge to fellow classmates. Also, in effect students are able to showcase their knowledge to wider range of audience. All of the skills students acquire from using wikis will prove to be very useful skills for the future to becoming ‘digital natives’ and not ‘digital immigrants’ (Richardson, 2006).
 * What are the advantages of using wikis? **

Richardson (2006) suggests that the biggest concern educators have with using wikis is not being able to trust that what students write is always appropriate. Since anyone can erase, add and edit information on a wiki it can be problematic. Teachers will need to trust their students to do the right thing, and if students are given more autonomy in managing the content they will take on the responsibility and ownership (Richardson, 2006).
 * What are the disadvantages of using wikis? **

The key for teachers is to be vigilant and regularly check content, see who have accessed the site and to reset the original page if and when vandalism occurs. Of course this is time consuming and in hectic schedule of a teacher this can pose a great deterrence to those who are considering wikis as a resource for their classes.

How student learning would be evaluated? Why you would select this method of evaluation? And how it might differ from, or be similar to, more traditional forms of evaluation?
====The students will be evaluated on their participation on their contribution to classroom discussion during the PowerPoint (formative assessment) and on their ability to choose appropriate photographs and discuss on the class WikiSpaces discussion (summative assessment: the rubric is available on the home page). Students will need to display their understanding of the topic (pictorial depth cues) and contribute appropriately to the online discussion, using good quality writing.==== ====We chose to evaluate the students on the Wikispaces on-line discussion as the on-line discussion acts as a forum within which diverse and (sometimes) conflicting beliefs and values can be articulated and negotiated (Ho, 2002). This was an appropriate learning tool for this interesting topic, as it gets students to look online for photographs that they find interesting, and is a hands on task that not only makes sure they know what each of the five pictorial cues are, but also how to identify them in other photographs. This online discussion is a discursive and collaborative learning task which allows students to build their skills in the processes of teamwork and collaborative professional writing (Ho, 2002).==== ====This online discussion differs from face-to-face discussion evaluation as there are increased levels of collaboration and participation among students, communication within on-line discussions is more student-centred and more egalitarian than a face-to-face situation (Ho, 2002). However, there is also some arguments that evaluating online discussion does not give students the needed social skills that face to face conversation does, possibly making students less sociable in real life situations. However, if classes are evaluated on both face to face and online tasks, students should develop the relevant skills to be socially acceptable both in real life and online (Brown, 1997). This type of evaluation is very different than simply copying notes from the board, taking notes and answering from the textbook, as it gives students the initiative to search the worldwide web for photographs, and use new technology to share what they have learned with their class mates, this is both engaging and enjoyable.====
 * ** Pictorial Depth Cues ** || ** Evidence of this in Photograph ** ||
 * Linear Perspective || Linear perspective is evident in this photograph with the buildings going back in to the distance, the lines of the buildings run away from the viewer and seem to get closer together, making it look like the building further away are in the distance.  ||
 * Texture Gradient: || This is evident in the photograph in both the buildings and in the umbrellas. There is a gradual reduction in detail in both the building and umbrellas as they recede into the distance ||
 * Relative Size || This is evident in the umbrellas, the light poles and all the buildings. Although the umbrellas are all different sizes, for example they are bigger when they appear to be closer, we perceive the other umbrellas to be the same constant size even though they are not on the picture, and this is similar with the light poles and buildings. ||
 * Height in the Visual Field || This is evident in this photograph as the buildings closer to the horizon appear to be further away than the others. Also objects like light bulbs and umbrellas seem to be closer to us as they appear closer to us if they are further away from the horizon. ||
 * Interposition || This is very obvious on the whole photograph. For example we see the car that is not covered by the other cars as closer to us. We see the van that is partially overlapped by the silver car as further away from us. ||

What are some of the pitfalls of using technologies as compared to a traditional classroom?
====When using PowerPoint as a learning tool, a major problem that is encountered quite regularly is that of technical difficulties. Although computers and technology has exceedingly improved in recent years, it is still a highly unreliable and temperamental tool for learning. Whenever using PowerPoint, the teacher should always have a back-up plan in case the projector is not working or cannot be connected properly. There is a need for the teacher to be extremely prepared and willing to arrive at the first class early to ensure that the technology is working. Another obstruction that can occur as a result of using PowerPoint is that it is a more passive mode of learning. It requires the student to sit and watch the teacher speak, or read what is up on the screen and does not intimately engage the student, which can result in them losing interest or just ‘blanking-out’, without taking in any content. A way to get around this is to take the time to talk with the students about what is in the PowerPoint as it goes along, recapping what they have heard or read along the way.==== ====A major issue when using Wikispaces, is that it is a medium which lacks authoritative control. There is a minor threat of students doctoring each other’s work and doing the work collaboratively, as there is no way of telling where or when students are completing their tasks, or if it a student has given a friend their password to do their work for them. It is for this reason that major assessments should not be based on work done on Wikispaces, but that the Wiki is used as a learning tool, to increase student involvement at home, and to help engage the technological learners. Another concern with using Wiki’s is the chance of cyber-bullying. Wikispaces allows all members of a particular Wiki to comment, edit and delete any content on that Wiki. Consequently, student’s work can be tampered with and unkind comments can be left. Although the teacher has access to the site and can delete comments if they wish to, the site cannot be monitored 24 hours a day, leaving the students vulnerable.====

References

Brown, A. (1997). //Designing for learning: What are the essential features of an effective online course//? Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 13 (2), 115-126. Available online [] [HREF19}.

Ho, S (2002), //Evaluating students' participation in on-line discussions//, Ausweb, WA, hyperlink <[|**http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw02/papers/refereed/ho/paper.html**]**>**

Parker, K, Chao, J, //Interdisciplinary// //Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects: Wiki as a Learning Tool//, (19/05/10), < ijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p057-072Parker284.pdf>, (2007)

Richardson, W. 2006, //Blogs, wikis, podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms//. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA.

Richardson, W, (2009), //Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other powerful Web Tools for Classrooms//, 2nd Ed., Thousand Oaks, Corwin Press

Shehaan, K (2009) //Disadvantages & Advantages of a Powerpoint Presentation//, Eweb, URL < @http://www.ehow.com/list_5978836_disadvantages-advantages-powerpoint-presentation.html> retrieved 18/5/2010

Tombe, S (2009), //The Disadvantages of Using Microsoft Powerpoint//, Eweb, URL < @http://www.ehow.com/list_5887212_disadvantages-using-microsoft-powerpoint.html> retrieved 18/5/2010

Writing Education Interactive Resource Development (WEIRD),//Wikis in Writing Education//, (19/05/10), < []>