Sunday, June 19, 2011
Day 3 - June 20
Over the past five years, I have reviewed more than 30 courses using the QM rubric. Not that long ago, most courses were text-based and students were using dial-up modems to access their learning material. Today, audio, video, games, simulations, and other forms of multimedia are freely available. Publishers offer a wide range of rich resources. The expectation of peer reviewers is that courses will incorporate some media beyond basic text. However, multimedia is not a requirement of Standard 6. Should it be?
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ReplyDeleteYikes! My edit button has hick-ups. Have to repost this one as well. Sorry, you all!
ReplyDeleteSome of our students still use dial-up, at least at times (when they can't afford the cable/WiFi bills), and those who struggle financially often cannot afford to update their computers/support equipment as regularly as some multimedia apps may require.
So I would vote for writing standards such that use of multimedia is encouraged but that we remain aware of the fact that multimedia can pose problems for some students.
Of course, on the other end, more multimedia can function to promote accessibility and make the learning experience of students with different abilities more successful, as well as accommodate a wider range of learning styles and needs.
It's difficult to accommodate all - but sticking with a less specific/broader *expectation* while promoting/encouraging exploration in multimedia might be a better choice, for now.
Soon, more cities will promote free WiFi, better equipment will be available at more affordable prices, etc. It never takes long but I know I hear back from students who are using slow machines, have dial-up, with some regularity, still, at this time.
Just as media evolve and access changes, the approach to requiring multimedia will shift, I'd assume - ?
-Sabine
At this juncture, I believe that it would be appropriate to require some use of multimedia in Standard 6. Obviously, this would hinder those that still need to use dial up to access the internet. But, those numbers are becoming smaller and institutions generally make accommodations for them. [i.e. computer labs]
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