How Interactive Media Affects Learning

Three mini questions to discuss "How Interactive Media Affects Learning.

1. The potential for interactive media across cognitive and spatial learning
2. Aspects of interactive media that trigger/motivate students' learning
3. Collaborative Web 2.0 environments leveraging on interactive media for learning


Summary
Interactive media has evolved in education settings as new technologies have come available. Access by both teachers and students is widespread. It is also true that new innovative media - such as the Nintendo Wii, Second Life, etc.- are increasing in popularity, too. Students are now able to control their learning processes depending on their knowledge level and interaction preference. We believe this brings learners a considerable benefit. However, all educators need to properly understand and account for these benefits; they need to relentlessly utilize it effectively. In other words, if they don’t understand the benefit properly, just providing interactive media might not support learning or enhance motivation. For a deeper analysis of this issue, we examine three areas where interactive media can be used for learning:

1. The potential for interactive media across cognitive and spatial learning

While we recognize the benefit of interactive in cognitive learning, we believe there is greater potential in spatial learning, especially for acquisition of complicated body movement. This idea should be utilized not only in school environment but also a wide range of learning settings. In fact, a research finds that Nintendo Wii video game enhance surgical techniques in medical environment. In this experiment, the Wii game players showed 48 percent more improvement in their surgical techniques than the non-players (Kullman, 2008).

Such a spatial learning technology is expected to be used in more various learning environments, such as playing sports, driving a car, art work, and so on.



2. Aspects of interactive media that trigger/motivate students' learning

Project-based learning is one of the key aspects for enhancing student motivation and engagement. “Project-based education requires active engagement of students' effort over an extended period of time and promotes links among subject matter disciplines and presents an expanded, rather than narrow, view of subject matter. Finally, projects are adaptable to different types of learners and learning situations (Blumenfeld et al, 1991).” However, project-based learning is likely to raise difficulties for teachers since they may need help with new instructional forms, and with management of projects.

Interactive media could be one of the most suitable platforms for project-based learning and could solve many of the problems teachers typically encounter. In learning environments, students have a diverse variety of reactions to the same lesson. Interactive media based on the project-based learning can be designed to include elements that are likely to enhance most students' interest and value, including variety, challenge, choice, cooperation, and closure in the service of answering real questions (Blumenfeld et al, 1991).


3. Collaborative Web 2.0 environments leveraging on interactive media for learning

Web2.0 based services, such as social networking sites, wikis and blogs - which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing information among users - show great potential in educational settings.

In the Web2.0 technologies in education, virtual reality has gotten a lot of attention recently as the tool for enhancing learning effectiveness based on the collaboration with learning partners. Computer graphics technology enables learners to create a remarkable variety of digital images and displays that, given the right conditions, effectively enrich education. Virtual Reality is not only virtual but learners can meet real people in virtual worlds, and can tele-exist in real places all over the world and beyond (Clark, 1983).

While such a virtual reality environment shows promise in education settings, it is not always entirely smooth. In terms of the practical potential many barriers remain, such as cost, usability, and fear of the technologies (Bricken, 1991).

Videos




Readings

"Wii" bit of technology aids medical education http://asunews.asu.edu/20080222_wiistudy

This article conducted studies in which trainee surgeons played a Nintendo Wii video game called Marble Mania, which requires players to develop dexterity in their hand movements to succeed at the game. The trainees then wore “cybergloves” that allowed Kahol and Smith to evaluate their performance in simulated surgery. The researchers discovered that the trainees who played Marble Mania performed the surgical exercises significantly better than those who did not play.


National Foundation for the Improvement of Education. (2000). Connecting the Bits: A Reference for Using Technologyin Teaching and Learning in K-12 Schools. Washington, D.C.: National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 69-95.

This book provides information for integrating technology into teaching and learning in K-12 schools. The information is based upon findings from two past programs of the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education. "The Road Ahead" program explored how technology can facilitate teaching and learning in both formal and informal education settings, and the "Learning Tomorrow" program funded pilot projects that investigated how technology can improve teaching and learning for underserved students.


SRI International Evaluation of Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project. (2000). Center for Technology in Learning, http://ctl.sri.com/publications/downloads/MMPY5rpt.pdf

The Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project (MMP) aims to infuse the classrooms of Silicon Valley with an exemplary model of project-based learning supported by multimedia (PBL+MM). It is intended to be a core strategy of Challenge 2000 school teams to meet the challenging goal of “sparking a renaissance” in education in Silicon Valley, by transforming teacher and student roles. Through completing extended student projects that culminate in the development of multimedia presentations, the MMP hopes to enable students to acquire the skills needed for the high-tech workplace—not just technology skills, but also content knowledge, problem-solving acumen, communication uskills, and the ability to work in collaborative teams and to assess their own work.


Roschelle, J. M., Pea, R. D., Hoadley, C. M., Gordin, D. N., & Means, B. M. (2000). Changing how and what children learn in school with computer-based technologies, TheFuture of Children, 10(2, children and Computer Technology), 76-101.

This article explores the various ways computer technology can be used to improve how and what children learn in the classroom by supporting four fundamental characteristics of learning: (1) active engagement, (2) participation in groups, (3) frequent interaction and feedback, and (4) connections to real-world contexts


Bricken, Meredith(1991). Virtual reality learning environments: potentials and challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Volume 25 , Issue 3 (July 1991) p: 178 – 184.

This paper addresses the unique characteristics of emerging Virtual Reality (VR) technology and the potential of virtual worlds as learning environments. This article describes several key attributes of VR environments and discuss them in relationship to educational theory and pedagogical practice. It also identifies three challenges that must be met before VR can be integrated into educational settings: cost, usability, and fear of the technology.


Children Now. (2007) The Effects of Interactive Media on Preschoolers' Learning: A Review of the Research and Recommendations for the Future. Oakland, CA: CHILDREN NOW
http://publications.childrennow.org/assets/pdf/cmp/prek-interactive-media-2007.pdf

A debate has grown over the appropriateness of using computers and other interactive media to teach preschool children. While some experts believe that technology has the capacity to positively influence young children's cognitive and socio-emotional development, others believe that technology can rob children of many of the essential childhood experiences they need for healthy development or, even worse, cause irreparable harm. This report provides an extensive literature review, as well as interviews with leading academics, industry executives and advocates, who are involved in the debate.


Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., & Palincsar, A. (1991). Motivating project-based learning: Sustaining the doing, supporting the learning. Educational Psychologist, 26, 369-398.

Project-based learning is a comprehensive approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in investigation of authentic problems. This article presents an argument for why projects have the potential to help people learn; indicate factors in project design that affect motivation and thought; examine difficulties that students and teachers may encounter with projects; and describe how technology can support students and teachers as they work on projects, so that motivation and thought are sustained.


National Foundation for the Improvement of Education. (2000). Connecting the Bits: A Reference for Using Technologyin Teaching and Learning in K-12 Schools. Washington, D.C.: National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 69- 95.

This book provides information for integrating technology into
teaching and learning in K-12 schools. The information is based upon findings from two past programs of the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education. This chapter reviews the purposes and principles of assessment; outlines new trends in assessment; and discusses technology's effect on instruction and assessment.

Meyer, Richard. (2005). The Cambridge Book of Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press.
This book provides an overview of multimedia learning over the past decade. Chapters from the different authors have been organized into sections based on topics, which span from the theoretical foundations of multimedia learning to exploring its role in the context of learning.


Shuler, Carly. (2007). D is for Digital: An Analysis of the Children's Interactive Media Environment

This report is an executive summary on the current trends for children’s media usage and consumer market. It provides an analysis of the current product types available in the mass market – (1) Toys/Electronic Learning Aids, (2) Video Games, (3) Web Destinations, and (4) Computer Software – and includes examples of each type. The author also gives recommendations on the subject relating to (1) Academic Research, (2) Product Development/Media Production, and (3) Industry Policy.