Week 7: Assignment 1

The article “Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms” by Dawnene D. Hassett, and Jen Scott Curwood explores the benefits of picture books within primary classrooms and highlights key characteristics that enhances the classroom experience. According to the article “In many children’s books today, written language is indeed no longer central”. In addition, Hasset and Curwood highlight that teachers and students must take into consideration the various forms of communication by focusing on text and illustration. From my experience, many of the books that are presented for elementary students are very heavy on graphics instead of words. This opens up for students to participate in dialogue and discuss further the meaning of the literature with the help of imagery and art. A second element that is highlighted is the usage of fonts to keep students engaged.  Students are able to determine various moods and scenarios based on the use of different fonts.  “Meaning no longer lies in the text itself because there are many possible meanings, which change according to who the reader is, and how he or she relates to”.

           

“Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners” provides an in-depth observation of how Second life can enhance the classroom experience. Second life is a 3D virtual learning environment.  Second life provides students with a real-life experience in which they would not normally have access to. “For example, the International Spaceflight Museum designed a series of simulation modules enabling users to play with scientific objects”. Second life provides users the opportunity to bond with their fellow classmates by encouraging an interaction and a strong learning community. By creating avatars that resembles the student, there is a sense of connection. With cool interactive experiences like visiting a library as a group, students are given an opportunity to learn hands on with the support of their fellow classmates. SL also promotes constructivism through the following three elements (freedom to discover information, learning occurs when the learner’s exploration uncovers an inconsistency between their current knowledge representation and their experience, learning occurs within a social context, and interaction between learners and their peers is a necessary part of the learning process.