One of the biggest problems I see in selecting media is the tendency to find something that seems to work and then let it dominate the class from that point forward. Regardless of how well it presents the content, instructors must keep the student at the forefront. Not all students will respond well to the same media, especially if it becomes the standard for the class.
Hi Stacey:
These sound like a great use of time. To look at the other side of that coin, if instructors use these kinds of activities too much, the student may be led to distraction instead of learning anything. Ultimately, the tale-tell sign of using too many activities would be poor outcomes of evaluations.
Regards, Barry
Hi Luke:
I like the method you've described. I think everyone would want to keep in mind that no matter the media source we use for our learning environment, we would want to foster some kind of discussion to keep the environment interesting.
However, I recognize that this isn't always practical for every subject (like math).
Regards, Barry
I select instructional media depending on the type of class I am teaching. For theory/lecture classes, I prefer to use the whiteboard and/or PP presentations.
However, for lab and hands on projects, I like to allow some time for watching videos that are appropriate for the current lab projects.
I select media for content delivery based on several factors. These include the type material to be covered, i.e. theoretical, practical, etc.; the size of the the class; the level of the students in the class; and what I as an instructor am comfotable with re: the material.
Obviously you are limited to the facility where you are teaching ... as an example in my classroom internet/boxlight access is provided via a smartboard plus hands-on library resources are available ... I have found using a combination of BOTH the internet/boxlight information AND the hands-on book material provides a comprehensive delivery mechanism for all different types of learners ...
Hi Dean:
No one would argue with you there that interesting things to look at can often keep the energy in the learning environment up. But you're talking about more than just that, right? I'm sure you mean to combine the interesting visual content with whatever you're talking about at the same time. Do I have that right?
Regards, Barry
Although I still create my own PowerPoints, I have also started using an online program called Prezi. I selected this media because it is not linear like a PowerPoint presentation and allows imbedded photos and YouTube videos. It does take some getting used to; however, I have found that it takes away some of the monotony of a PPT.
The first thing I do when choosing which type of media to use is think "which way will the students respond best to", from the student view. It isn't which media type is easier for me to teach or which is easier to use.
I use a smartboard with the notebook software. It allows thenotes from class to be saved as a pdf file and uploaded to the Blackboard website. I rarely use PowerPoints. Many of the instructors in our school use PowerPoints, so writing on the white board makes the class different from other classes.
Publisher PowerPoints often have good information but many are not formatted well. At best the instructor needs to know what is on each slide before the class starts. When I do use them, I often split up the material onto more slides than the original set provided by the publisher.
I believe PPTs are helpful and usefull but only as one of several useful aids in teaching. Variety of presentation can help hold interest.
Use the publisher ppt as the core and augment with additional information.
When selecting media for my class, I make sure that the content and application are directly relate-able to what we're studying. I choose videos that allow me to show things that I couldn't normally show, and I use the chalk board to highlight important information and vary my delivery.
Hi Paula:
To paraphrase what you mentioned, if we use a variety of media, we are more likely to efficiently address every type of learning style.
Regards, Barry
I like to use Power Points but revise them so they fit the class subject and also use them as discussion points for more class interaction.
Hi Brian:
The powerful thing about using a variety of teaching methods in the way you describe is that it maximizes teaching to as many learning styles as possible.
Regards, Barry
Hi Jennifer:
By listening to the feedback from the students tells them that you are flexible and willing to make changes that are more conducive to their learning.
Regards, Barry
I use powerpoint presentation and instructional videos in my classes to help get the course content across.
I was worried about how to use power point at first. Now I am proficient with it. I do not read the slides I just use them as conversation starters.
