Subject: Re: [IFETS-Discuss] Creating interactive content
From: Rick Parkany (rparkany@borg.com)
Date: Tue 27 Jun 2000 - 04:03:06 MEST
From: Rick Parkany <rparkany@borg.com> Subject: Re: [IFETS-Discuss] Creating interactive content Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 19:03:06 -0700
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Details of current discussion: http://ifets.ieee.org/discussions/discuss.html
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Yes, Mary: I, too, am wrestling with the distinctions between, on the one hand, isomorphic mapping of previous
curricular content into this hyper-mediated space as you seem to have gleaned from the cited TRP stuff, and on the
other hand, some sort of recursively generated branching, bunching, or some other multi-dimensional linking
structures (beyond the minimal *1-1, onto* mapping of the isomorphism like most text-book published CD-ROM stuff,
too--TSP is a better lot than many of these, all-in-all, and if they need help: recommend some avid interns...)
generated, using say, fractal dimensions in which texture, cadence, tenor, tempo, and other salient tactile features
of the socio-cultural inter- and trans-actions intended by the mentoring facilitator (aka teacher) are factored into
the GUI as it presents the learner upon any given interaction with it.
(BN...remember: biophysiology & cognitive psychology, together, have *taught* us that even the eye, as it sifts its
*gaze* about a graphic presentation, actually *feels* the surface with the path of its focus transiting the graphic
with which it interacts in producing the imagery, much as do the tips of our fingers--have we only, then one sense???
tactile?!!! some say: Yes!)
For example (excuse the obtuseness--this is from a work in progress, fer sure!)...
...I'm trying to describe threaded, asynchronous, discourse as archived by e-mail applications in terms of fractal
descriptors. As a reflective practitioner, I am fully aware of *authentic* interactions as they come up and occur in
my classroom, whatever the milieu, e- or otherwise. In my on-line, teacher education courses, every single
socio-cultural interaction (reduced though they be to essentially text-based, some graphic literacy) is accessioned
into my instructor database portfolio. I am trying to type these *robust* interactions and then, by *reverse
engineeering* (aka deconstruction) attempting to emulate hyperlinked, multi-dimensional curricular objects that are
facilitated by the current hypertext 4.0 protocols and that emulate, in several salient interactional dimensions
(such as depth & breadth of field, use of metaphor, and other content descriptors that track dimensions of discourse
and social inter- and transaction) the very ill-defined, yet pedagogically (androgogically) important *fuzzy*
experiences I'd like to share w/my learners accriding to my syllabus.
Anyone else out there hear me? ;-} rap.
[BTW: I LOVE TSP's *The One Computer Classroom*, and have used several other in his series that DO offer, for
example, ethical choice branching trees underneath the linking structures in hypertextual content, thereby, emulating
and hopefully similating (when youth USE it, as they have done in my tutelage) typical elementary playground
situations of ethical choice for elementary aged youth. Too bad the quality control in TSP is apparently not
consistent...]
mharrsch@oregon.uoregon.edu wrote:
> List address to send message to everyone: ifets-discuss@topica.com
> Details of current discussion: http://ifets.ieee.org/discussions/discuss.html
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Nancy Fire wrote: "...if the learner is engaged with the content in a
> simulation, real world application of problem solving, case study, or the
> like, he is apt to increase his understanding of the content."
>
> I personally feel that much educational software, in its attempt to be
> "engaging" is simply using multimedia (or web links) to state a simple story
> problem rather than providing a "real world application of problem solving".
> For example, check out one of the sample "Math Mysteries" from Tom Snyder's
> software series:
>
> http://www.teachtsp2.com/mathmysteries/try/try.htm
>
> Although this exercise is using Quicktime video and a colorful character, it
> is essentially simply stating the facts for a typical story problem I would
> have found in my math textbook in 1958 (oops! my age is showing). In my
> opinion this is not an education revolution.
>
> However, if the student is told the ship has struck an iceberg and will sink
> in 15 minutes and it is their duty to get the passengers to the lifeboats
> before it sinks, - now that would be a "real world application of problem
> solving." The student would be told to look around to find the tools they
> need to solve the problem such as a ship's schematic, a passenger manifest,
> etc. which are described in the crew's orientation session when the student
> comes aboard (and can be replayed if needed). These items contain
> information about the weight capacity of the lifeboats, the weight of an
> average adult man, adult woman, and child, a passenger manifest showing the
> passengers' gender and sex, the locations of each passenger and the
> locations of the lifeboats, etc. (I think you get the picture). For
> replayability, the passengers number, demographics, and locations and the
> locations and capacity of the lifeboats are changed each time the problem is
> replayed. A clock is visible for the student to keep track of the time
> remaining and a log book is provided so the student can record the amount of
> time it took to solve the problem each time the scenario is attempted. If
> the problem is not solved in the amount of time allotted a dramatic rush of
> water and the sounds of a sinking ship breaking apart signal to the student
> that they have not succeeded. Difficulty level could be controlled by
> increasing or decreasing the amount of time allotted, increasing or
> decreasing the number of variables, etc. Although this example also
> provides the information the student needs to solve the problem, the
> difference between this example and Snyder's example is that it provides a
> goal for the student to achieve (other than a simple check to see if they
> got the answer "right" - I've ranted on this list before about the problem
> of assessing everything as "right" or "wrong"), a constraint (in this case
> time) which could be adjustable, replayability, and a "discovery" aspect to
> the problem solving exercise. If we were to introduce adaptive programming,
> the computer could track how long it takes a student to solve the exercise
> (or fail) then recreate the scenario with either longer or shorter time
> constraints and more or less variables. The purpose of the log book is to
> provide the opportunity for students with a taste for competition to record
> and try to better their times. Studies have shown that boys in particular
> appreciate the exhilaration of competition even if it is only with
> themselves and repetition of an exercise gives students the chance to learn
> from previous experiences and reinforce the concepts they are attempting to
> employ.
>
> I think commercial strategy software provides a good model to consider when
> formulating these types of learning environments. For example, in Sierra's
> Caesar III, the player is given an assignment by the emperor to develop a
> new province and achieve certain levels of prosperity, culture, favorability
> (with the emperor and the province's population), etc. The player is
> provided with a beginning stipend to spend on improvements, each improvement
> costing a certain number of denarii. Each improvement requires a certain
> number of workers and workers must be attracted by building housing and
> offering a competitive wage. Housing requires fire and police protection
> and the services of an engineer if they are to be prevented from collapsing.
> The growing population also requires medical care, education, spiritual
> development and entertainment if the player hopes to avoid civic unrest.
> The player is offered a selection of cities with which to negotiate trade
> agreements, each one buying and selling different products and resources.
> Each province has its own natural resources which the player must discover.
> Of course the stipend is only seed money so to reach the goals established
> by the emperor the player must improve his province by planning, trade,
> development of resources, etc. while defending the province against invading
> armies, civic riot, wild animals, the anger of different deities, etc. As a
> player completes each assignment, he is promoted and given a more difficult
> province with higher achievement levels. Again, we see the pattern of
> providing a defined goal(s), a constraint (in this case money instead of
> time), replayability, an aspect of "discovery", and an adjustable difficulty
> level controlled by the goals, the number of variables, etc.
>
> Hundreds of thousands of copies of this game have been sold to people who
> willingly spend hours attempting to succeed and be promoted to the highest
> echelons of Roman society all the while learning about resource management,
> social structures, defense strategies, ancient Roman religion, etc.
>
> Mary Harrsch
> Network & Information Systems Manager
> College of Education
> University of Oregon
> Eugene, OR 97403
> (541) 346-3554
> http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mharrsch/
>
> Commentary Section Editor
> The Technology Source
> http://horizon.unc.edu/ts/
> A free refereed web periodical that features
> articles on methods and efforts to infuse technology
> into educational organizations.
>
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-- "Dein Wachstum sei feste und lache vor Lust! Deines Herzens Trefflichkeit / hat dir selbst das Feld bereit', auf dem du bluehen musst." Peasant, Richard A. Parkany: SUNY@Albany Prometheus Educational Services - http://www.borg.com/~rparkany/ Upper Hudson & Mohawk Valleys; New York State, USA--------------------------------------------------------- Forum website: http://ifets.ieee.org/ Forum's contact person: kinshuk@massey.ac.nz Info on Join/Leave List: http://ifets.ieee.org/maillist.html Change your subscription options (digest, vacation hold etc.) at: http://www.topica.com/lists/ifets-discuss/prefs --------------------------------------------------------- ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
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