Reference:
Schrand, T. (2008). Tapping into active learning and
multiple intelligences with interactive multimedia: A low-threshold classroom. College Teaching, 56 (2), 78-84.
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The
article by Schrand gave several insights into the benefits for learning when using
multimedia in a classroom. The article
was written by a college professor who teaches liberal arts courses. The article focuses mainly on interactive
technologies, such as an interactive whiteboard, flash program, or similar
products that allow manipulation to occur easily.
The
professor took two different activities from two of his courses and reworked
them to allow the introduction of multimedia into his course. The first activity was to separate a list of
phrases into two columns based on similar characteristics. Without multimedia, the professor would teach
this lesson by collecting the list of terms from the students, writing them on
the board, and then erasing and rewriting until all terms were in the correct
category. Note the majority of this
lesson involves the instructor being at the head of the class, and directing
the discussion. The second activity was
for students to show cause and effect relationships between several topics
using arrows. Without technology,
students would break up into groups, create a poster with large paper and
markers, and then post their result on the wall. Students would present their
ideas to the whole class, and comparison and discussion would ensure regarding
each groups choices. Not in this case,
the students not in the group presenting had a very passive role in their
learning.
After
reworking both lessons, the professor noted some interesting changes. For the first activity, the professor used a
manipulative board, in which all phrases were listed in the middle of a 3
column chart to begin with. Each column
on the side represented to the common characteristic that students were meant
to put each phrase. The lesson then
progressed with students working in groups to discuss where each phrase should
go. After discussing each group was
responsible for going to the board and moving a few phrases into the column they
thought fit best. After the first round,
students from each group were given a chance to argue or challenge the choices
made by some of the other groups. Students
were allowed to again go to the board and move the phrases around as the
arguments progressed.
There
are several large benefits to the change in this activity. First, it removes the teacher as the expert
in the classroom. Students become responsible for their own learning, as they
themselves must go up to the board to rearrange the phrases. Since this was done in groups though, it was
a very low risk action for the students.
Also, the teacher did not need to lead the discussion anymore, and
students could argue and rearrange the phrases as they saw fit. This resulted in very good discussion, with
critical thinking skills being developed along the way. A second benefit was that because the teacher
was removed from facilitating the discussion, he could observe and moderate the
lesson more effectively. Paying
attention to how the discussion progressed, the professor was better able to
judge the learning outcomes that occurred.
Finally, multiple modes of learning were accomplished during the same lesson. Kinesthetic learners were able to move
around, go up the board, and interactive with the phases. Visual learners we able to clearly see the
separation of the columns on the board.
Audio learners were able to participate in the discussion that followed
each move. The multimedia created a very
diverse lesson, in which students were actively engaged in their learning.
The
second activity had many similar benefits as the first. By creating an interactive lesson, again
students took control of their learning, and the teacher was not the main focus. The movement of the arrows to show cause and
effect created a very fluid lesson that was allowed to develop naturally with
the students understanding of the material.
Students were much more engaged with the interactive technology as
opposed to posters on the wall because the entire classroom was responsible for
creating a final flowchart. Instead of
each group creating their own, a final productive was produced. This means as other groups were making
arguments about particular viewpoints, other students had to be actively
listening so they could refute the arguments if they chose to disagree. Again multiple intelligences were addressed during
the lesson, including kinesthetic, visual, and audio learners.
In
conclusion, the use of the interactive multimedia allowed for a classroom that
was student centered. The technology
created a great environment to collaborate, investigate, discuss, argue, and
adapt. The multimedia used to create
these two activities were not significantly difficult technologies for the
professor to implement into the lesson, yet the benefits resulting from the
change was impressive.
