Overview
This is a knowledge community about world cities designed for high school students around the world. Subjects of a specific city will be explored in a learning topic. Participants are able to create, upload, share, search and reuse rich-media contents in this site through the incorporated technologies, such as videoconferencing, wiki, podcasting, etc. The community engages to bring students to a real world context although some of the contents might be related to the past. This real-world contact can heighten interest, improve motivation, and increase retention. With the expanded possibilities in teaching and learning brought by emerging technologies, we design the Rich-Media World Cities community to 1) provide increased education equity and exposure to geographic diversity; 2) engage learning participation and knowledge exchange & transfer; 3) incorporate creative instruction into distance learning; 4) make strong correlation to the real world through subject content and subject leaders.
Here is the outline of design which will be presented in detail below. Also Background Research and Contact Infomation can be found in the end of this page.
Design Details
Community Introduction
Who can take advantage of this community?
Although there is no restriction on age, country and background of user, this community is more suitable for high school students with acceptable English Language Skills based on the current design of the community. It welcomes students and teachers around the world to set up cross-curriculum topics and activities about world cities, and share the valuable rich-media data to the others.
- High school students who are interested in learning about certain cities around the world
- High school students who want to use rich-media material in their learning of certain subjects, such as geography, history, culture, etc.
- High school teachers who are interested in teaching about certain cities to students
- High school teachers who want to use rich-media material in their teaching of certain subjects, such as geography, history, culture, etc.
- Teachers or researchers who need learning data for research on evaluation of teaching, learning or technology
Learning Goals
- Students will attain knowledge of the cities or subjects they are interested in
- Students will enhance learning abilities through designing, modifying, reviewing and evaluating their work as it processes
- Students will learn how to work or learn collaboratively with peers around the world
- Students will improve technology skills, such as using AV recording equipments, producing rich-media materials, operating video conferencing facilities, etc.
Design Rationale
Platform Functionality
There are three major function of this community: General Information, Class Session and Resource Center. The three parts interact with one and another to provide rich learning data and experience to its user.
Unable to render embedded object: File (Platform Functionality.jpg) not found.
- General Information provides detail description of current topic outline and history to learners. Besides, online communication between topic moderator and learner is enabled. On one hand it could help the learner better understand the topic session before enrollment. On the other hand valuable suggestion and feedback might be adopted by the moderator to improve the community. Registration and schedule is included in this part.
- Class session is made up of two important elements: RT Classroom and Rich Wiki. All the learning activities will happen here, either synchronous or asynchronous. Learner can attend real-time learning session in RT Classroom, such as presentation and discussion, with the topic moderator and his peers around the world. With Rich Wiki, which is easy to post multimedia notes as post text, learners process their study asynchronously and keep track on their uploaded data.
- Resource Centre stores all the resources in this community and open to the public. Various audio, video and text-based learning material are uploaded by topic moderators and learners. The platform integrates the ability of multimedia content search engine which enable user to search media data more accurately and efficiently.
Role Transformation
Learner and moderator are the role models of participants of the community. A topic means a specific session series held by a moderator - the learning instructor in RT Classroom. Each topic has its own learning goal and learning activity. Learner refers to students, who pursuit knowledge, in other words user with less knowledge and experience in the specific topic. On the contrary, in general, moderator has well enough knowledge and skills in that area, especially abilities to design and manage the whole learning process. Teachers are suitable candidates for moderator. However, that doesn't mean traditional classroom role models will be copied here. Actually, one of the important ideas for sustainability consideration of this community is students can transform from learner to moderator after gaining enough skills in the topic of his interest and the classroom management.
Unable to render embedded object: File (Role Transformation.JPG) not found.
Data Flow
Data is a key point regarding the evolvement of the community. Creative and original multimedia learning material will become the foundation of the site. Besides the part uploaded by moderator, learner expands the width of the database by creating their own wiki pages and uploading documents, graphs, powerpoint, audio and video files through the process of learning. All the RT session will be recorded and podcast in the resource centre. Data gets updated inside and outside the RT Classroom. Everyone could access most of the resources and contribute to the community. Topics with high participation and material with high downloading stay and become better - Metcalfe's law: the more people who use something, the more valuable it becomes. Scalable & dynamic database of World Cities with attributes in time and space which can help learner better understand the real world is one of the evolvement goal of the community.
Unable to render embedded object: File (Data Flow.JPG) not found.
Technology Approach
Technologies used in this design include videoconferencing, wiki, podcasting, blog, RSS etc. The reason that we incorporate these technologies in our design is that each of these technologies has its own unique features that can help community users (high school students and others in this case) learn and can help fostering the sense of community and thus make the community sustain and develop. Videoconferencing is the main tech-approach in this rich-media community. Here will present a brief introduction of these technologies:
Videoconferencing technology connects two or more people at different locations so that they can communicate, interact, and share information. This connection is accomplished through audio and video links which enable face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication. Connections are made using specialized equipment and those connections are carried over wiring using the Internet, satellite connections, or microwave signals. This technology allows students to connect with other students, experts in a variety of fields, and people around the world. Students and teachers can obtain information and make contacts with people from public and private learning institutions such as universities, libraries, museums, public agencies as well as businesses. Videoconferencing provides teachers and students with the opportunity to expand teaching and learning possibilities. Students using videoconferencing will have experiences:
- Learning in an emerging technological environment that prepares students with real world communication skills
- Utilizing world-wide resources including experts, professionals, remote institutional resources, and other students
- Broadening the scope of learning resources
- Functioning in a global climate
Wikis can be used as a tool for collaboration in an online learning environment. Wikis provide shared workspaces where learners can share information and sources (Nicol, Littlejohn & Grierson, 2005), create online collaboration environments which mimics face-to-face classrooms (Bold, 2006), and fosters many knowledge creation and sharing environments where students learn through community participation (Wagner, 2004).
Podcasting is an interesting vehicle for students to express their understanding about a learning topic. It is a great way to think out aloud and have the patterns of understanding followed. Some key advantages of using podcasting in learning are: the prompting of students' higher order thinking (Vess, 2006); the enhancement of students interaction with more exchange (Anonymous, 2006; Lim, 2006); providing additional resources and information for students which providing distance students an alternative ways in processing (Jones, 2006); and the increased connection between distance learners and the learning community (Beldarrain, 2006).
Weblog technology can enable the student focuses on their own learning content and their posts, and thus give them a personal voice (Oravec, 2003; Reynard, 2005). Weblogs can document the personal reflections and the progress of intellectual growth of the students learning process (Beldarrain, 2006; Weller, Pegler& Mason, 2005). Weblogs are accessible to all members of the learning community, students can be motivated to write better and thus enhance their writing skills (Kennedy, 2003; Crie, 2004). Weblogs can be used for socialization process; it can help decrease feelings of isolation and alienation during an online course (Roberts, 2003; Dickey, 2004; Fidler, 2005; Jones, 2006). Specifically, weblogs can create richer student-student and student-teacher interactions and thus the overall online learning environment is more collaborative (Dickey, 2004; Jones, 2006).
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS can be used to publish their self-created content, they can subscribe to other students' content, and can be used as a notification tool for online learning (Baird & Fisher, 2005). The RSS can increase student types of discussion and collaborative environment. It can increase contact with instructor and other students.
Meta Data
Unable to render embedded object: File (Meta Data.JPG) not found.
Learning Activities and Interaction
Scenario
A possible scenario of use could be that a high school student first browses the general information section to see if there is a real-time topic about world cities he/she is interested in; then if he finds one, he can register the topic. During the real-time videoconferencing sessions, the student can ask questions that he wants to know. During the period that the topic sessions are on-going, he can work in a group with other learners to collect materials or data about this city. Students can work together to come up with a conclusion about some of the aspects of the city they are learning. They also can use both synchronous and asynchronous communication methods that have been integrated into the environment to discuss issues, brainstorm solutions, foster the collaborative atmosphere and become friends. Some students can even run a real-time videoconferencing session, once they have gained all the necessary skills and knowledge.
Activities
There are four types of learning activities within our design:
- To utilize community resources
- Search and download information or data
- To take real-time videoconferencing class
- Register and attend RT videoconferencing class session
- Ask questions and discuss with peers in the class
- To build resources collaboratively
- Asynchronous online discussion about issues related to learning or resource building, such as ask instructor questions, comment on instructor's teaching or available materials, etc.
- Field trip to take photos, record video or audio, collect data
- Modify various rich-media resources, annotate, add tagging to resources
- Online or offline research
- Create, co-author, and maintain wiki pages
- RT chat with peers or moderator to brainstorm solutions for problems encountered, or ask for help from them, to foster sense of community
- Write learning blogs to share learning experience
- Come up a report about a city with peer collaboration
- To run a RT class session
- Run a real-time class session by presenting topics or cities
Interaction
Here is a sample interface of the RT Classroom where the real-time interaction happens. With the videoconferencing technology, all the learners and their topic moderator will sit in a 'virtual' classroom - same time but different location. They all can see each other and talk when it is permitted. The moderator is able to show files in the class whiteboard, such as documents, graphs, powerpoints, audio and video to learners during the presentation. Besides, Webpages or applications running on his desktop will be transformed in the same manner. If learners are divided into small groups, they can process group discussion and do assignments. The results or any thing from groups will be showing in the group whiteboards. By providing audio and video communications in RT Classroom, learners and the moderator are tied up remotely and focusing on the same topic. Effective interactions between learner and moderator or between learner and his peers also exist outside RT Classroom. Class wiki is the place to post learning activities and reflections. Learners can read and give comments to what their peers write. Also they need to continuously work with their pair if they are assigned a report.
Unable to render embedded object: File (RT Classroom.JPG) not found.
Implication notes
Technical Issues
- Any computers that have Browser software, such as IE, Firefox, Safari, etc.
- Web camera, microphone, speakers or earphones, high speed internet connection.
Training Issues
- Moderator training is necessary to every topic leader. The training helps to ensure the quality of learning sessions, including session planning, online presentation, classroom control, resources management, etc.
- User Training, such as the advanced operations of the system.
Growth Pattern and Constraints
Possible Growth Pattern
- Topics with high participation stay and become better - Metcalfe's law: the more people who use something, the more valuable it becomes
- Learners lead topics of their interests and are tied up through interaction and collaboration
- Scalable and dynamic database of World Cities with rich learning materials and podcasts
- The abstracted platform can be used to create communities that will benefit from utilizing rich-media resources
- Well designed global time schedule for users around the world to attend learning sessions
- Multi-language sessions and translation versions for the best resources
Constraints
- Technical constraint
- Web camera, high speed internet
- Optimal design of the media content search engine
- Information overload/redundancy
When a lot of materials and data are available in the community, information overload and redundancy issues will arise.
- Effective search engine that can let users search materials quickly
- Other designs that can let the community users find information quickly, thus new community users will not ask same questions repeatedly - same questions that other community users have asked before.
- Designs that can prevent community members to contribute the same materials many times.
- Designs that can ensure the quality of contributed materials
- Pedagogical issues
- Designs that ensure community learners will experience all proposed learning activities
Background Research
The technology of videoconferencing has been widely used in Business, Government, Healthcare, Tech-support and Training & Education. There are different kinds of usage, such as meeting, seminar, course, virtual field trip and remote lab. In the following illustrations, meetings that include videoconferencing are shown as instances of one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many communication. Traditional classrooms with conferencing facilities are also represented in two ways.
Unable to render embedded object: File (image001.gif) not found.Unable to render embedded object: File (image002.jpg) not found.
Unable to render embedded object: File (image003.jpg) not found.
Unable to render embedded object: File (image004.gif) not found.Unable to render embedded object: File (image005.jpg) not found.
- Popular Collaborative Technologies: H.323, VRVS, MPEG/MJPEG, Access Grid, Web Clients, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
- Emerging Collaborative Technologies: Wireless and Satellite Video, Application and Data Sharing, Directory Services for Videoconferencing, Experimental Systems
- Specific Applications: Telemedicine, Telecommuting, TeleEducation, Judicial Applications, Remote Laboratories, Campus Surveillance & Security, Emergency Response
- Business Products: WebEx
, Polycom Solution for Education, Saba
- Projects and Programs: ViDe, SeaTrek, At&t Education
Contact Information
Stephanie Deng stephanie.deng@utoronto.ca
