This describes a project undertaken by Jacqueline Batchelor and the Grade 11 Life Science learners at Cornwall Hill College. She has kindly given us permission to publish the project.
PROJECT BACKGROUND:
Learners at Cornwall Hill College are
exposed to the latest
technology and teaching practices with access to laboratory equipment
and
additional resources. These learners felt the need to share their
learning
experiences with those that do not have the same exposure. They decided
to
create learning objects that is easily accessible and transferable from
phone
to phone and downloadable from the internet that reflect their own
learning. This was aimed at learners taking Life Sciences with no or
limited access to formal technology, limited connectivity and resources.
OBJECTIVES
Learners were tasked to capture and
translate their own learning experience of anatomy dissections into learning
objects with the use of available ICT tools and applications.
These learning objects were to
contain and reflect the knowledge they
deemed necessary to reach the curricular outcomes as stipulated in the
Assessment Standards of the Grade 11 Life Sciences syllabus.
Learning Tasks and Activities
Observe class dissections
demonstrations between the period of February to May 2008.
Collect baseline material and compile
notes for future reference.
Picked a topic of interest and tasked
to do their own dissection in their own time working in pairs to create
educational learning resources.
Learning activities
Source own material.
Plan, coordinate and execute
dissections and capture data.
Use ICT to create open educational
resources that could be played various ICT tools.
License their work using creative
commons.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Material collected during their
explorations had to be whittled down to the essence as they had to be short and
entertaining at the same time.
The were grouped to be able to support
each with complementary skills.
Their extended families served as
additional resources as most of the dissections occurred in their own back
gardens.
The ICT natives were nominated and
available for consultations to the ICT novices.
They had to decide the depth of their
coverage and the number of artifacts produced.
If the artifact was not self
explanatory they had to produce complementary enlightening materials.
They had to license their work after
exploring the creative commons website.
Relevance of ICT Tools for the creation of the learning objects
ICT tools allowed the learners to
work in formal and informal environments.
In class they had access to their own
Phones and cameras and at home they used their own PC’s .
The ASUS EEEPC’s were booked out and
they could work in their pairs in class.
They also had access to laptops with
wireless access to enable them to Bluetooth their projects to their respective
phones.
In Media Resource centre they worked
on WYSE Thinclients with access to internet.
Some learners only used their phones, forgoing desktop PC's.
Hardware
WYSE Thinclients
HP laptops
ASUS EEEPC with 2GB data card
Cell phones
Video cameras
Microphones
Applications
Microsoft Photostory 3– to compile
their stories
Microsoft Powerpoint
Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Moviemaker – to edit their
movies
Microsoft Word
SUPER – to convert the materials into
format for different handheld devices
Flash – animate materials
Learner as change agent
Learners are very proud of their work
and carry it on their phones to share immediately
A German exchange student copied all
resources and took it with her on her return at end of June to share back home
Learning objects was shared at
clinics to inform the nurses whom in turn spontaneously used it to educate
their patients in the waiting room.
Those learning artifacts small enough
is being uploaded to the Thutong portal to be made available to all.
“Dissections for all” is a concept that was conceived
and executed by the learners themselves.
They owned this project from the start and got completely carried away
by the potential and scope. They learnt about anatomy, humanity and humility
and the limitations of their own skills.
Their will to create something worthwhile challenged their IT skills as
the goalpost moved constantly as someone came up with a new idea to enhance the
artifact.
They are conscious of the impact their humble efforts can
have to improve the quality and availability of learning resources.