The Future of eLearning

Originally published 2021/06/27

eLearning evolved as a way to spread content beyond the classroom without the physical attachment to a place or teacher. eLearning has afforded us the ability to learn anytime, anyplace. But I can't imagine a future that is fully without its own form of "classrooms." I think that, with technology, students will be able to observe a virtual classroom setting and, at times, participate in live discussions, all available through home-accessible technology. I don't think we will ever loose the personal interactions that a learning environment benefits from, and I hope that as technology advances, we will be brought back to the personal connection component. I am always brought back to the idea of a "choose-your-own-adventure" education, in which people can customize their own learning to their own needs and interests. As technology advances further, I would like to see algorithms that also advance to know learners better and that can further customize curriculums.

As technology emerges, we push the limit of what is possible, sometimes without regard for if we should push that far. I sometimes think that the dependence on eLearning is too great, and people want to use is as a band aid for a plethora of other problems. While I don’t believe the dependence on eLearning will change, I hope that the field can advance far enough to be the support that more learners need.

The Future of Video

Originally published 2021/06/20

Currently, I use instructional video daily. I just bought a new house and whenever I need to know how to fix something, I pull up YouTube first thing. I will watch several videos just to find the one that pertains to my specific need, and then watch a few more after that to make sure I really have a grasp on the subject. And when all that fails me, I FaceTime my dad so he can show me what to do next.

Video is absolutely here to stay, and I only see technology advancing and becoming more accessible. Already, we are experimenting with augmented and virtual realities. What better way to teach a hands-on task than to use virtual hands in a practice setting! Even with those technologies, I think video will become the new baseline. Whereas now we still depend heavily on text and images, I think videos will be the new go-to media. Even pictures taken on our phones are getting a video-like treatment with the "Live" setting.

In the future, I think videos will be tailored to the individual, with a "choose-your-own-adventure" like feeling hosted by a virtual assistant. If you thought YouTube holes were dangerous now, just wait until the technology that delivers you recommended content advances. There is a danger to such unregulated technology, but also an opportunity. Easily spreading information is important to uplift society, but only if that information is factual and helpful. Historically, regulation has not kept pace with technology, so I truly hope that the learning sciences has a way to authenticate and disseminate factual information.

Thinking about Planning (and Thinking)

Originally published 2021/06/05

Knowing your audience is absolutely one of the most important takeaways I had from this week's Flipgrip exercise. When I was rating the videos' effectiveness, I should have done so considering who the audience was, no just from my perspective. I was critical of the XD video without realizing that that video was not made for me, an XD user, but rather for an XD novice. And the cooking video's audience includes all demographics, not specifically even adults.

For this assignment, I am aware that my audience is new to using JASP, specifically new to importing datasets into JASP. They have limited familiarity with the software and are looking for information about this one particular task. So I know what their problem is and what they will be looking for. They likely won't want any extra information or tidbits that don't pertain to the exact task at hand. Still, they would benefit from some troubleshooting information. It would be helpful to know what precisely they struggle with when doing this task, but at least I know the outcome they are aiming for.

I have made instructional videos before and worked in Camtasia, so luckily, those parts are familiar. I am new to JASP and new to writing a script, so I think those aspects will be my main focus. I want to be familiar with JASP so that my movements are smooth and confident. I also want to do a lot of testing to see what issues students could run into. For the script, I tend to ramble when I get excited and include many unnecessary details. I like to pass on every little bit of information possible to make my audience as successful as possible. Still, of course, that is not the most effective or efficient way to inform. So for my script, I will focus on narrowing down the information to just the essential bits, just enough to make them successful without overloading them. I also want to make sure I don't have more narration than I do on-screen action. As a learner, I get bored or distracted when there is not action on screen to compliment the narration, so if I am speaking I want to be sure there are actions to support the information, and vice versa.

I am definitely a trial-and-error type of learner, and I love to jump into the deep end right away. So my approach will probably be making a few different versions of the video throughout the week to familiarize myself with the process and know my strengths and weaknesses. In a professional setting, I am aware this is not the most efficient manner. Still, I do think it yields a stronger product.