Post 5 - Oh Yeah, But what did PBL Give Me?

This assessment was my first real exposure a task founded on Project Based Learning. As I’ve said before, it was also my first experience working in a group in a tertiary environment. Overall I found the task very rewarding, and really appreciated the scaffolded structure. I enjoy learning through discovery rather than instruction, and this task really encouraged that - all the while providing support and guidance as required. It initially took me a while to find my place in the group, but once the personnel logistics were sorted, it was most enjoyable to be able to group self-manage with Dave, Sara and Kate.

Regarding the technical aspects, although I had had some experience with Macs, it was mostly in an overseeing role or for very specific tasks, so working on a Mac was in fact my first task. Asking help from group members, and if they were at a loss also, from Andrew, I managed to resolve these issues and now feel confident working on this platform. Regarding the use of technology, Facebook provided an excellent platform for group communication, although it did on occasion have to be augmented by texting.

I've already spoken of the difficulties encountered with the video camera itself, and so there’s a definite lesson learned there. Always do some test shots!

I found the editing particularly rewarding. While I have had a fair amount of experience cutting promos and what not, I had always been assisted by a fully trained editor and acted in more of a producer role. Working with Final Cut Pro was at the same time exciting and terrifying. Kind of like going into Photoshop for the first time, there are so many options, filters and plugins etc, so much power to work with that it was a little overwhelming. It ended up taking me the better part of 12 hours to cut a 4min short film, and even then I would have liked a lot more time. Many initial ideas, such as applying the 'Sin City' effect would have been so time consuming that it really wasn’t an option. I have a much greater appreciation now of why post-production takes months and even years. Despite this, I really did pick up the basics of final Cut, as well as some of its nifty little tricks. Despite all the processing and editing power however, I was annoyingly unable to do anything about the ghosting on the image.

So, overall my first PBL experience was very positive. I find that it really suits my learning style, and it is something I can definitely see myself using in a History context in my classroom. IMHO it is superbly suited to the inquiry based approach required in the study of history, and I’ve actually (rather poorly I’m sure) utilised it for a WebQuest as part of another subject, if you're really bored you can check it out at http://sites.google.com/site/australiansinwwii/

Next time, the thrillingly titled Multiliteracies and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. It's not as terrible as it sounds, really!

Post 3 - Engage and Extend

While it is all very good to speak (or indeed type) of Quality Teaching, Project Based Learning and Authentic Tasks, it is student engagement which is vital to the success of any of these strategies. So, it would now be pertinent to investigate the research into the ways in which students from the 'digital native' generation are engaged, challenged and extended, and in so doing assess the ways in which the task seeks to engage digital natives.

OK, so who are these 'digital natives?' Prensky (2001) claims that exponential increase in the use of digital technologies in our daily lives has had a fundamental influence on our cognitive processes (p. 02-4). While all those exposed to this increasing digitalisation, it is those who have grown up with the internet, mobile phones and computer games that he refers to as digital natives. The ingraining of digital technology on the psyche of this generation means that their cognitive processes are fundamentally altered from the non-digital native generations. This has, ad you would imagine, had a huge impact on the way digital natives need to be taught. Indeed, as Moore (in Prensky, 2001, p.02-8) states, linear education, which may have worked for the older generations, is not only ineffective but may actually retard learning in students who learn by gaming and surfing the web. Prensky suggests that these students benefit from an educational approach which allows a high level of self-direction, opportunities for creative outlet and varied activities. However, while these are the activities digital native prefer, it is important to also supply them with activities they need, namely lots of F2F interaction, and a continued emphasis on critical thinking. Granted, the theory of cognitive rewiring by video game is an emergent one and the hard psychological research required is still some way off, but the plasticity of the brain is now commonly accepted knowledge. In any case, it is of paramount importance for educators to be aware of these developments, as they deal with the most fundamental issue to teachers - how do their students learn?

The use of PBL and Authentic Activities can go some way to engage digital natives while also giving them the F2F contact that they require. The filmmaking task engages digital natives by requiring creativity, by providing a variety of tasks, by utilising digital technologies across all three assessments, and by having them work on a task which has real-world significance. It also challenges them by using a group structure, teaching them to interact F2F with peers, and also to think critically about the task through the writing of a critical blog, just like this 'un. Importantly, it caters for all levels of learner, and the challenges are achievable - i.e. hard but possible - this places the assessment firmly within the Vygostkian Zone of Proximal Development.

So, next up some key learning moments from my experiences of the task. Stay tuned.