Neared Review

Nearpod is an application that allows teachers and students to use mobile devices in either the traditional format of face-to-face teaching or with distance education.
For distance education I can see Nearpod being used in a synchronous format. The course that I have taught is an art education class that incorporates computer graphics in the classroom. The students are required to use the Adobe Creative Suite software package of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. The course is taught in a blended platform, where we meet both face-to-face and online. The course format allows students to use the software in a platform that they prefer, meaning either windows or mac. The students are usually second or third year college students.
For Nearpod the users must create an account and may use the free vision, but has options to upgrade to the more robust edition for a fee. I have not use the application before and have now taken the opportunity to review it further.  The application offers many benefits to present videos, PowerPoint presentations and virtual field trips. Additionally, it offers quick on the spot formative assessments in various formats. I can see using the Nearpod application as a collaborative tool in the art education course.

Visual Analogy - Poster Analysis

Course: Computer Graphics in the Classroom

Level: Higher Education (second or third year art education students)

Instructor: Donna Carroll

Subject Area: Elements of Graphic Design

Duration: One Class Meeting time and additional online discussion time (Assignment will be allowed two online class meetings to complete the analysis and allow for thoughtful discussions).

Objectives: The objectives focus on the students establishing a strong basic understanding of the elements of good design, good design methods and how to visually critique, write and discuss an analysis of the posters from the reading. Further students share their analysis with their classmates to build on strong in depth interactions through online discussions.

Instructions:

1.  You are to read the chapter Rules can be broken-but never ignored written by David Jury from the book Design Elements – A Graphic Style Manual by Timothy Samara. 
2. Write an analysis (two-three pages) based on the three posters of Austin Cooper. The analysis must include:

a.     Elements of good design methods

                                               i.     Balance

                                             ii.     Proximity

                                            iii.     Alignment

                                            iv.     Contrast

                                             v.     White Space and how it’s used

                                            vi.     Is it Simple

b.     How the elements work to make well-balanced designs in the three posters

            3. Do not merely quote David Jury or borrow his words as yours, but reflect on the importance of     
                each of the individual elements of art and the principles of design to create a compelling 
                composition.

            4.  Reflect on what elements may or may not convey a call to action and how the elements affect  
                 the message overall.

            5.  Post the analysis to the Discussion Board in Blackboard entitled “Visual Analysis and 
                Discussion of Elements of Good Design.”

a.     Requirements

                                               i.     Comment on three of your classmate’s posted analysis

                                             ii.     Quality contributions that add to the discussion (no one liners or unsupported statements)

                                            iii.     Bring forth new questions from the analysis and/or from previous postings

                                            iv.     Support your position with evidence

Activities: Reading, visual and written analysis, and reflective online discussions with classmates.

Materials:

1.       Samara, Timothy.

          Title    Design Elements: a graphic style manual: understanding the rules and knowing when to   
                break them / Timothy Samara.
          Publication Info.    Gloucester, Mass.: Rockport Publishers, c2007.

ISBN: 97815925332612

Attached File: Design-Elements--A-Graphic-Style-Manual
http://www.ferrispark.com/audio/Design%20Elements%20A%20GRAPHIC%20STYLE%20MANUAL.pdf

2         2. Austin Cooper’s three posters on cubism and graphic design

Technology:

Students view the posters and post their analysis to the Discussion Board in Blackboard entitled “Visual Analysis and Discussion of Elements of Good Design.”

Assessment (Total: 25 pts.):

•  Two to three-page written analysis on the visual critique of Austin Cooper’s posters (10 pts.)

·      Cover Key points from the readings in the critique of the posters

·      Summary clearly states your understanding of the readings in relation to the visual analysis

•      Both visual and written analysis demonstrates appropriate communication skills in the written analysis (5 pts.)

·      Correct Spelling

·      Punctuation

·      Grammar

•        Discussion board postings shows appropriate communication skills (10 pts.
•     Quality contributions that add to the discussion

o   Raise new questions from the reading of the visual analysis and previous postings

o   Raise a different point of view

o   Evidence to support your position

o   Correct Spelling

o   Punctuation

o   Grammar

Outcomes:

•  Students build on visual critique skills in relation to others artwork.
• Students build an understanding of the elements of good design in graphic arts.
• Students build an understanding of good design methods in graphic arts.
• Students build on analytical skills in thinking, an understanding of new ideas and insights.
• Students build in communications skills with their classmates by contributing to the discussion with posting that raise new questions; different points of view and state evidence that supports their statements.
• Student demonstrate how to engage in self-regulated learning in elements of good design, through the readings, analysis and online discussions.

Chapter 9 - Assessment and Building a Secretive Quiz

Chapter 9 focuses on assessment for distance education.  Read the chapter and take the below quiz:

The Socrative Quiz is entitled “IT 7210 Chapter 9 – Assessment for Distance Education”; the classroom is: CARROLL1005 and the quiz is: SOC-24933025.

• PDF copy

Socrative was an easy application to use in the building of a quiz. Additionally, for students it is easy to access and follow the quiz process.  The process of building the quiz reinforced the materials in chapter 9.

Play posit - Google Classroom (Assignment #2)

Assignment #2 link is below. The classroom is: IT 7210 – Fall 2016. The search code is a58dac to join the class.

• Playposit - Student view

Linnet Notes - Chapters 6, 7 and 8

Linoit is an interesting tool that allows for the creation of sticky notes. I found it to be user friendly and easy to use.  I can see the benefits of using a tool like this in an distance education course, but it would definitely depend on the age of the students and the content of the course. 

• Linoit - Distance Education Highlights

Playposit

Playposit allows for the teacher to create interactive learning activities for students to use at their own pace.  What I have found nice about the application is that teachers may create learning activities that allow students to progress as they master each stage of the learning activity. If the student is quick and does require additional time to master the activity, they may progress through quicker. If there are students who require a slower pace and need to repeat the activity Playposit allows the student who needs more time to do this, thus allowing the slower students to master the activity and then move on. It appears to be an easy application to use and design activities with, so teachers do not have to spend large portion of their time learning Playposit before designing learning activities for their students. Playposit provides students the ability to engage in the learning activity and make learning more meaningful for the learner. I can see where this application would be beneficial for math, science, reading and social studies.

Assignment 1 - History of Distance Education

Kennedy, J. (2015, October). Beyond Beliefs: Examining Online Self-efficacy and Learner

            Engagement in Distance Education. In E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in

Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (Vol. 2015, No. 1, pp.

22-30).

Kennedy evaluated the engagement in an online course during one semester, with a focus on the varying levels of self-efficacy in regards with online learning. The article focused on three groups of students with varying degrees of self-efficacy and how they experienced engagements in an online course in higher education. The study defined self-efficacy as how the students held their own ability and beliefs to complete the required activities and actions for learning in an online course. The research on self-efficacy is limited with regards to online learning and engagement, so the study further focused on student satisfaction and motivation. Furthermore, internet and computer self-efficacy were included in the study with students and online learning. A survey was designed and distributed to the students that focused on the varying levels of self-efficacy with online learning. The survey entailed of five brief questions in the format of open-ended and sought responses on activities that they felt most engaged and most distanced. What activities and actions by the instructor were most beneficial and which ones were either puzzling or not useful to the students. Finally, the last question focused on what surprises the students encountered during the course. Engagement was measured on a four-point rating scale with the four topics being; content/activities, media/technologies, classmate/social presence, and instructor/teaching presence. Kennedy emphasizes in the study that students with a higher self-efficacy with computer, internet and prior online course experiences used more effective learning strategies, had higher motivation, which in turned increased their course satisfaction and their final grade. In Kennedy’s study there is an emphasis that motivation was a strong factor for the student learners in the course and that the studied showed a higher level of motivation for male over female students when it came to internet self-efficacy. It further appeared that prior online learning experience contributed to higher motivation and increased satisfaction with students registered in the course. Kennedy indicated that there was a strong correlation in regards to engagement in the course to motivation, overall satisfaction and the structural design of the course. Kennedy concludes the article noting that there were several limitations in the study and additional research that focuses on the instructional design of online courses in relation to the tools, motivation and engagement would be beneficial.