2006 Knowledge Bank Rich Picture Case Studies
Eaglehawk Secondary College - New Technology and Learning Experiences
Name: David Fagg
School: Eaglehawk Secondary College
Postal address: Reserve Street, Eaglehawk, 3556
Telephone no: 5446 8099
Email: fagg.david.f@edumail.vic.gov.au
The
iHistory Podcast Project: combining
local history with mobile technology.
"One of the possible barriers to this project’s success is
the possibility that students will resent the co-option of their technology.
Students may perceive the covert use of mp3 players and mobile phones as
a way to subvert the classroom rules. On the other hand, they may embrace
the use of 'their' technology as evidence that teachers are finally using
methods that students feel comfortable with.
Case study focus
The subject of the case study is the integration of new technology, such as mp3 players, podcasts and mobile phone cameras, with learning experiences.
Teams of 3-5 students compete in a historical fieldwork experience. At sites of historical importance in Bendigo, they will listen to stories and information provided by podcast. They will gather evidence via various media: mobile phone camera stills, voice recordings, digital video footage. Teams present this evidence in multimedia format to their peers.
I want the case study to communicate that new technologies, particularly those favoured by young people, can be integrated into interactive learning experiences.
Reflections
Overall, the project was a success:
- I learnt much about the production and educational use of podcasts.
- Students were extremely engaged in listening to, and (currently) producing
their own, podcasts about Australian History.
- The historical fieldwork experience was enhanced through the use of
mp3 players, cameras and voice recordings. The competitive element of
the fieldwork worked well, and most students were very engaged.
- Students did not, however, produce a multimedia presentation for their peers, due to lack of access to technology and the USA podcast project.
![[img] students at work on the iHistory project](../images/fagg_ihistory1.jpg)
The
primary learning to come out of this project was that ICT needs to have
a purpose. There needs to be an educational goal that the use of ICT is
aiming for. If the use of ICT is driving the educational experience, then
it will descend into a short-lived fad. In this sense, I think that my intention
to show that “new technologies…can be integrated into interactive
learning experiences” has been achieved.
What aspect of best practice will be the focus of the case study?
The focus of the case study is the use of ICT to increase student engagement, by integrating e-learning into the curriculum. In this instance, it will be used to increase student engagement with aspects of Australian History.
Reflections
Most times I used the podcasts in class, the students were extraordinarily engaged – they listened intently and were much more interested than if I had been trying to command their attention. I did notice that if the podcast was over about 6-7 minutes, student interest tended to lessen.
Engagement in the subject of Australian History was definitely increased, though time and assessment tasks will tell more definitively whether this was because of the novelty value of using mp3 players (as one student said in the evaluation).
However, read
here for some written reflections by students about the project.
How does the case study intend to showcase or demonstrate best practice?
It was worth the work! The students were engaged, the technology worked and the teachers enjoyed it. The students really worked hard throughout the day, despite the amount of work they had to get through.
The case study will demonstrate the integration of ICT into the curriculum by:
- Documenting student use of ICT during a historical fieldwork competition.
Students will gather evidence from various sites of historical interest
and importance in Bendigo. The evidence will be gathered through mobile
phone stills photography, digital video photography, mp3 voice recording
pre-recorded podcasts.
- Documenting student use of ICT to create a multimedia presentation
for their peers, using the evidence gathered during the fieldwork.
Reflections
- The first element of this section was completed successfully, and a
short video of their use of technology can be found here.
Student use of the primary ICT (podcasts) was varied. Some wanted to listen
to all of the podcasts, others wanted to take turns within their group,
while they completed the tasks by other means. This indicated that most
students saw the podcasts as just one means by which they could access
information. In the student evaluation, several students stated that having
an mp3 player to listen to content on was much easier than having a large
amount of written material to read through.
- This element has not been as fully completed as I would have liked.
Two factors affected this, one negative and one positive. Negatively,
I misjudged the access to ICT that students would need to create a multimedia
presentation; access that our school cannot presently support. Positively,
mid-way through the project I connected with a teacher
in the USA who engages in similar (and more advanced) projects with
his students. I decided that this would be a more achievable way of students
using ICT than what I originally planned.
The form of the case study
The final product is a website, produced through free blogging software (Wordpress). Initially I saw the blog as a way of documenting the progress of the project, but then realised it could be a good way of reporting on it too.
All the intended multimedia tools have been used, apart from the ‘dictaphone adaptors’, as these were built-in to the iRiver mp3 players.
What experience do you have in developing educational case studies?
I have a lot of experience now!
How will you make this case study engaging and readable?
- Using student-gathered evidence from the historical fieldwork competition, to ensure authenticity.
- Engaging colleagues with appropriate expertise to “test-run” the case study eg. IT teachers for media usage, English teachers for fluency.
- By engaging students who took part in the historical fieldwork competition
to assess the case study.
Reflections
Elements 1&3 of this section were quite easy to obtain, given that students gathered lots of photos and voice recordings on the fieldwork excursion. They were particularly engaging during the video evaluation and also on the blog.
However, engaging colleagues was a different matter. Our ICT co-ordinator was absent for the duration of the project, and despite our technical staff unlocking many required websites, I could not engage ICT teachers in test-running the podcasts. To be honest, the amount of time required to put the project together meant that meaningful collaboration was difficult, and it meant more time.
How do you plan to combine tools and content to communicate best practice?
I plan to intersperse excerpts from the historical fieldwork competition (voice recordings, podcasts, photo, video footage) with oral and written reflections on each aspect of the project. These will be put together in an engaging and fluent form, such as a PowerPoint display, or webpage on which readers can click on different aspects of the project.
These reflections will come from:
- Myself,
as the co-ordinator of the project.
- Students,
interviewed after the historical fieldwork to gauge engagement.
- Other colleagues, who will accompany teams of students as they complete
the fieldwork. Teacher reflections: Janie,
Alyssa,
Sue
Who will benefit from the case study and in what ways?
The following will benefit from the case study:
Eaglehawk SC
Teacher development in ICT; student engagement in content; ongoing use
of podcasting and mobile technology in other curriculum areas and initiatives.
At Eaglehawk SC, the project has generated some level of teacher interest,
ranging from enthusiasm to amusement to outright confusion. The school has
encouraged teachers to attend PD on podcasting, and I have had numerous
discussions with teachers about how they could use podcasting in their subject
area. My own ICT skills have improved immensely, mainly out of necessity
as our ICT co-ordinator was on leave during this time.
In terms of student engagement in content, I think the benefits have been huge. Almost all students reported a preference for aural forms of absorbing content. Interestingly, they explicitly distinguished listening to a podcast from listening to a teacher, identifying the lack of distraction as a key factor in taking up new information.
Student engagement in this project centred around having:
• Non-reading sources of information
• Being able to complete other tasks simultaneous with listening
• Fun
• Being able to repeatedly go over information easily
Bendigo cluster : sharing of case study through Innovations and
Excellence network
The Bendigo Innovations & Excellence Cluster part-funded this project,
and I have had conversations with Wedderburn College and Bendigo Senior
SC about my project. In addition, I will be showcasing my project at the
Cluster "ICT
Magic" day in October.
Other
For the annual HTAV conference, I will be conducting a workshop on the iHistory project, hoping to encourage other history teachers to experiment with podcasts.
The partnership with South Valley Junior High School in Liberty, Missouri, USA promises to be significant. Eric Langhorst is working with history students at a similar age range, and using podcasts regularly. We plan to exchange podcasts in term 4.
How will the case study increase the uptake of best practice within the sector?
The case study will increase the uptake of best practice within the sector by:
- Providing a model for replication in other contexts and curriculum
areas
- Considering the dearth of examples of integrating podcasting and other
technology into classroom learning, the case study will provide clues
to success, and some "how-not-tos!"
My website, through the experience of iHistory, provides a step by step guide to creating and hosting podcasts. I have also reflected extensively on each podcast and the issues surrounding learning and technology.
In addition, my presentation of my project at the HTAV and ICT Magic events
will "spread the word."
How does the case study contribute to the reform agenda of the Blueprint for Government Schools?
The case study contributes to the reform agenda of the Blueprint in the areas of:
Teacher Professional Development: particularly in the area of ICT integration into learning experiences.
In terms of teacher PD, this project has been invaluable for me, and I hope for teachers to whom I present this work, and who have looked at my website. In the coming year, I aim to present my project more formally to interested staff at my own school.
Student Learning: through VELS domains – ICT, design,
communication, interpersonal learning and thinking processes; PoLT, in particular
principles 2, 3.1, 3.4 and 6.2.
Student learning was concentrated on the use of ICT, communication and interpersonal learning. The fieldwork excursion exercised these 3 domains very well, with teamwork being essential to winning the competition.
Further to that, PoLT principle 2 was put into practice, with students
having to work together productively. One student commented that he loved
being able to “manage our own time.” Students were not quite
"naturals" with the technology, but the principle (3.4) of “capitalising
on students’ experience of a technology rich world” was practiced.
Many students commented that they did not know about many of the historical
sites visited, or had not had the opportunity to explore them (6.2). The
USA podcast project has the potential to deepen this "interaction with
local and broader communities."
- Read
more of David Fagg's reflections ...
- Watch
the excursion video, with clips from the excursion and David's reflections
...
- Read
reflections from David's colleagues ...
- Aural
Learning Excerpt [WMV 6.9MB]
- Mp3s & Learning Excerpt [WMV 5.9MB]
