The Virtual Furniture Maker

1
The Virtual Furniture Maker

• An Interim Presentation on the work of Jim
  Stewart titled Animating Craft Processes. This
  work is being funded by an LEP Fund Award.

2
Where Did This Start?

• Traditional Lectures
• Finding a way to give lecture notes to students
  that engaged interaction
• SCPE
• Blackboard Training
• Whats happened in the last couple of years My
  Journey

3
Original Analysis of What I Did

• Vocational Education -delivery via demonstration
• Talked and talked
• Set pace for group
• Set agenda and program for learning
• Made the assumption that the way I was taught
  best suited the context
• Found out what students wanted and how

4
Problem of Teaching Process

• Interaction (F2F)
• Multi-tasks (Concept)
• Movement (Reality)
• Three dimensional (length, width and depth)
• But actually teach in the fourth dimension
  (time).
• Time critical

5
What Happened Next?

• Asked question What is Blackboard/VLE
• Found out that Skippy was in fact spelt SCPE and
  not a bush kangaroo.
• Went on a taster session
• Got totally confused
• Realised that there might be a whole real time
  world of open access that generationally I was
  ill equipped to use.

6
Problems of Using VLE

• Having to learn a whole new application software
• Same problem of comprehending what it is you are
  doing can be viewed instantly by others. (Like
  wrestling emails big brother)
• Internet not my instinctive choice for research
• Many students are much more advanced in their
  understanding
• Social Networking

7
What are the Options Available to Practitioners

• Informal
• Surf and Turf
• The more you use computer applications the better
  you get????
• Flexible time constraints

• Formal
• Back to School
• Short course in subject
• Application specific training
• Qualification
• Focused time usage

8
Where do you start with eLearning

• Levels of influence in ICT Teaching Saunders
  (2000),
• Use of computers to produce handouts and overhead
  transparencies
• Then use of email to communicate class/course
  specific information
• Then move to on-line student discussion forum and
  electronic slide presentations.
• Above, plus on-line subject-specific information
  resource, such as lecture notes and interactive
  tutorials
• The above, plus on-line video clips, sound files
  and submission of course work, on-line
  assessment, capability to maintain student
  records, computer conferencing.
• The above, plus interactive video-conferencing,
  broadcasting
• Virtual Learning Environment enabling
  participants to enter a program as a character
  and experience real life situations.

9
Formulating a Model

• The Five Stage Framework Salmon (2002)

10
What Have I Used Blackboard For

• Weekly folders
• Module Design Briefs
• Course Documents
• Background Resources
• Assignments
• Announcements
• Communications
• Suggested Reading
• Test Area
• Module Feedback
• Feedback on eLearning

• Example of what I have used it for
• Online Test

11
Why am I doing this

• As a user of machinery, tools and equipment in my
  everyday teaching it seems quite natural to me to
  in the words attributed to Pablo Picasso always
  doing that which I can not do, in order that I
  may learn how to do it.. This statement seems to
  typify why I, as a non-conversant in the
  technologies available to my students, embarked,
  on the exploration of this new subject area.

12
Next Level of Development

• Animation
• Use of a technique that looks at individual
  activities (or frames) that could convey
  succinctly the whole process.
• Use of Video
• This would enable commentary to offer insight to
  the strategies employed in the process
• Video Offers a real time approach
• Conversely it allows multiple edits to display
  the correct procedure, and end quality to
  artefact
• Put Large Screens and online access into
  workshops

13
Process of Inclusion

• Seek student Involvement
• Forming student committee
• Achieving consensus?
• Identification of perceived need
• Check to see that they felt it needed doing?
• Reviewing good practice elsewhere

14
Process of Making Films

• Educational videos have been done before
• How do you make them relevant?
• New Yankee Workshop?

• The New Yankee Workshop

15
Where am I Now?

• Formed student advisory group
• Discussed and identified the animations/videos to
  be made
• Discussed in principle what is involved with this
  type of film
• Started to Storyboard the first content area
• Need to script the narrative
• Decided on single camera
• Currently purchasing basic camera equipment
• Need to work out how and whom will shoot film
• Streaming and repository

16
Summary of Conclusions Drawn to date

• Student Focus
• Validity
• Base line
• Mapping
• Accessibility
• Focus
• Is it of use

• Professional and Pedagogical focus
• Constructivist Approach?
• Can I profile past students
• Can I correlate past and future results
• Is it the best use of resource?