Journal Two: Finding Students Who Learned with Media

Bull, G. (2010). Finding Students Who Learned With Media. Leading and Learning with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&DirectListComboInd=D

Primary Access MovieMaker is an online tool that allows students to create a short online documentary film by adding primary source images, audio narration and text. Tools like this can greatly enhance student engagement and learning. The Smithsonian American Art Museum uses Primary Access to allow students to make their own individual movies and then later view them in a virtual movie theater at the Smithsonian website. Primary Access was designed to minimize the time needed to make the movie and give the students more time to focus on the learning objectives. A typical movie requires three class periods; one to make the outline, story board and script, one to assemble the media and sequence it and the third to for the narration, music and titles. Using an extend program called Primary Access Storyboard further reduced the time needed to make the movie.

Students that used the Primary Access software spent considerably more time on the storyboard task compared to students who wrote essays. The student activities from the web based tools were compared to the classroom assessment scoring system and four profiles were noted; students that were engaged with high technology/ high content, students engaged with high technology / low content, students engaged with low technology/ high content, students engaged with low technology/ low content.

What effect does adding media to the learning process have on the students?

Students that were engaged in both the content and the media making demonstrated greater higher order thinking and creativity in their work.

Is this approach suited for every student?

Some students were not engaged my adding media to the glass and would have preferred a more traditional assignment like writhing an essay. Teachers will need to assign instruction and tasks that best meet the students’ needs.