Augmenting WebCT courses using Podcasting,

Screencasting,Blogs

and Games

Jean-Claude Bradley

E-Learning Coordinator College of Arts and Sciences

Drexel University

October 12, 2005

Villanova WebCT Conference

Content

AssessmentInteraction

Discussion Board

Components of E-Learning

Chat

E-mail

Surveys

Tests

Quizzes

MultimediaImages

Text

WebCT

Lecture Recording

MetricsPeer review

Content

AssessmentInteractionBlogs

WebCT

Games

E-Learning is multi-dimensional

Podcasting: the automatic distribution of audio files to computers or portable audio devices through a subscription system

Screencasting: the delivery of audio and screen capture recordings via download or streaming media links

Platform: blog

Component: Content

Channel: podcasting

Platform: WebCT/ blog

Component: Content

Channel: screencasting

Lecture Recording Process

Start Camtasia Recording

Teach on laptop or tablet PC as usual

Stop Camtasia Recording

Convert avi to Flash or Real Media

Upload to Server (screencast)

Modularize Podcast

CORE

OPTIONAL

Podcasting MP3s and PDFs through iTunes

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

1 50 99

%subscribed

%attend

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

0 50 100 150

%subscribed

%attend

CHEM 24189 students

CHEM 24364 students

Natural migration from F2F to screencast/podcast channels

CHEM 241 130 students this term

CHEM 243 2 students this term

Long term trends for Open Courseware RSS feeds

In World Lecture Hall

The Game Platform: The EduFrag Project

Assessment Content Interaction

Quizzes in a 3-D world

The StudyRoom

Student-StudentCollaboration orCompetition

Instructor GuidedTours

First Person Shooter Modding(Unreal Tournament)

Platform: game (Unreal Tournament)

Component: content, assessment

Channel: quiz questions on walls

Platform: game (Unreal Tournament)

Channel: chat, body gestures

Component: interaction

Take-home message

Think in terms of multiple channels and platforms to meet your teaching objectives

http://drexel-coas-elearning.blogspot.com

http://drexel-coas-talks-mp3-podcast.blogspot.com

http://edufrag.blogspot.com

Bottom-up open courseware strategies have an important role to play in global education

Issues

• Open/Closed Content

• Student/Teacher Privacy

• Appropriate Content

• Time requirement

• Spam

• Should you host your blogging system?

Risk Minimization inAn E-Learning Migration Strategy

chalkboard

overheads

laptop

Tablet PC

recording

VoluntaryOnline quizzes

Tests/exams

Student feedback Student behavior

procrastination

OFFLINE

laptop

HYBRID FULLY ONLINE

Paper quizzes/tests

No quizzes

screencastarchive

podcastarchiveC

ON

TE

NT

AS

SES

SME

NT

Email or survey

Barriers to Open Courseware in Higher Education

•Time Risk•Failure Risk•Intellectual Property Risk•Institutional Recognition

Approaches to Open Courseware in Higher Education

•Top-Down (CMS, formal peer-review, institutional oversight)

•Bottom-Up (blogs, wikis, podcasts and otherRSS technologies)

Does a Podcast Make a Sound if it Lives Behind a Firewall?

•Anyone Can do it so Someone Will do it

•Either be First or be Forgotten

•High Quality Open Courseware is Inevitable

Platform: blog

Component: content

Channel: screencast, podcast, lecture notes

Platform: blog

Component: interaction

Channel: comments

Using Blogger and Feedburner to create podcasts

Replication of the Bottom-Up Model: Michelle Francl at Bryn Mawr

CHEM 24189 students

CHEM 24364 students

Midterm Feedburner stats

Archived Lectures change the role of the teacher

Platform: blog

Component: interaction

Channel: FAQ, comments

Platform: blog

Component: assessment

Channel: post assignments

Platform: blog

Component: assessment

Channel: peer-reviewed reference citation

Platform: blog

Component: interaction (student-student)

Channel: advice in blog post

Feedback-Intensive Teaching Strategy using WebCT

Voluntary Quizzes

Test

Automatic Make-up

In-class review based on histograms of test results

Platform: WebCT

Component: Assessment

Channel: Quiz

Procrastination (mean days)

6.05.04.03.02.01.00.0

Fin

al G

rade

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

Correlation of procrastination with performance

One day procrastinated = 5% drop in score

Platform: WebCT

Component: Assessment

Channel: Quiz

EduFrag Design

•Modularity

•Simplicity

•Quiz-Based – Not Simulation

•Portability of textures

•Flexible gameplay modes: non-competitive maze, race, deathmatch, capture the flag, king of the hill, etc.

•Even in competitive play gore level can be adjusted for each player

The EduFrag Wiki and Blog: Open Source Collaboration

Platform: game (Wheel of Orgo), blog

Component: interaction, content, assessment

Channel: Tablet PC, F2F

MakeGames: The Class that Didn’t Run

Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Open Courseware and RSS