Unfortunately, I’m having issues uploading my storyboard onto here…I apologise Mark, but you will find a copy of it sent to your uts email. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Bao Xi Su
ASSIGNMENT 2: Design Recommendations
Introduction
This E-Learning course concerns the development of communication skills and processes with clients within a beauty service/salon environment and occupation field. This report seeks to implement and elucidate the potential learning theories that might be applicable within this learning context and E-Learning course as well as the technologies to integrate in the execution of this course. The course in question involves an e-learning based course for all employees within Madame Ivy’s Beauty Salon; which targets the practice and skills of effective communications with clients.
Outline the context for the e-Learning course to be developed throughout this subject –
The context under which this E-Learning course would be developed for is a small to medium scaled Beauty Salon by the name of Madame Ivy’s Beauty Salon. The learning context has traditionally been accustomed to and is predominantly filled with teachings and training that is facilitated via observations, demonstrations and experiments. Due to the above factor, the learning preferences evident within participants are highly that of Activists and Pragmatist. For these reasons it is recommended that visually stimulating elements are to be prevalent within this e-learning based course in order to tie in with the relevance to the conventionally practical and demonstrational nature of beauty services. Due to this very nature, examples of potential visual stimuli to be incorporated within the course could encompass but is not exhaustive of elements such as demonstrational / training video files and diagrams. Additionally, as this course deals directly with communication skills and processes, its nature; tactics to facilitate effective interactions with clients would be predominantly filled with many implicit aspects that are traditionally best delivered within a face to face interactive context however, these can be compensated for via multimedia means such as audio and visual stimuli which could further aid in the cultivation of interest within the course whilst participants are also able to draw relevance upon course content with their work context. Last but not least, it is in the best interest in both the facilitator of the course as well as its participants to have a real time or similar feedback /communications forum/board in which consistent asynchronous communications and or constructive feedback can be facilitated to the parties of interest whether it might be the feedback between facilitator and student or opinions from peer to peer. This is a pivotal aspect within this learning context as the type of training and curriculum within this e-learning requires a highly interactive and communication prevalent environment to fully exert its full potentials and to ensure that all participants are on similar scales of comprehension and progressions.
Explain the learning theory or theories and how they are to be applied to the context
Cognitivism
Cognitivism concerns and stresses the imperativeness of experiences, insights and the individual’s development of meaning and ideas as well as analytical thinking along with logic and problem solving skills. In accordance with the Cognitive theory, our logic continuously seeks meaningfulness within content that is being learnt via the detection of patterns and processes or hierarchies that ultimately comprises an entity.
The theory of cognitivism is highly applicable within this learning context as it targets directly the predominant needs of its learners; experiences, demonstrations, rather practical and hands on in nature in order for learners to cultivate and acquire knowledge, these elements need to be incorporated which thus permits cognitive thinking to ensue. Yet most imperatively, learners within this context are attempting a course that possesses training needs/ discrepancies that are anticipative in its nature it is likely that participants would seek justification for this course therefore the cognitive principle of clarifying and legitimising the syllabus is essential to the course. Meaning and insights; the prime notions of the cognitive theory can be applied in the following methodologies:
*The fundamental notion of why communicating effectively or interactions with clients is just as vital as beauty services and sales needs to be transferred to participants via mediums such as the syllabus. Clarification of course objectives and its linkages to work context should also be constructed within course content such as via demonstrations, video files and assessment criteria documents as it aids in a much easier ‘transfer of learning’ from the course to the work context if participants are able to draw relevance and relationships.
*Teaching and clarification of the ‘whole picture’ how it would ultimately comprise a whole, relevance of all topics and its interrelations with each other. In practical terms, course content or structure or order of delivery could be arranged in manner that sees easier / fundamental and or essential skills / aspects being taught first with subsequent progressions onto more composite topics.
Bruner’s Constructivist Theory
The constructivist theory primarily concerns how the individual learns and or facilitates learning via the construction of new concepts and means of thinking and analysing issues differently. It concerns also the rearrangement of course structure or content in order to draw up new conclusions and or insights. Additionally, this theory heavily advocates the notion of self induced learning as it potentially promotes a greater sense of achievement within participants. The following aspects within the Constructivist theory are especially applicable within this e-learning context.
This theory can be applied onto this context via the following means:
*Integration of problem solving or reasoning skill oriented assessment tasks that requires critical thinking from participants. Establishment of activities that seeks participants to restructure the methods they use to view problems and issues.
*Formation of a learning context that advocates self learning. In order to pursue this, the course could encompass a series of tasks that is individual based and allow regular individual progress reports to be exposed to participants to notify them of their advancements within the course which heightens their awareness of self progressions and sense of achievement.
*Readiness
This principle of Bruner’s theory states that content must be relevant to the learner’s context and experiences as it aids in the cultivation of learner’s interest, willingness and readiness to learn. Elements to pursue in facilitation of this that could be incorporated include the following:
*Provide examples of scenarios that participants would be familiar with and draw up linkages with the new content and its applications or relevance within those very scenarios. This concept influences participants to view issues with differing perspectives which ultimately aids in the cultivation of new insights in solving the problem
*Demonstrate how new content can be effectively applied within the work context. Again, demonstrations and or instructional video files could be facilitated to participants in illustration of how new content can be applied within their work context which aids in participants’ acceptance of the syllabus, its significance and transfer of learning.
*Spiral Organisation
The principle primarily concerns the structure or syllabus of the course; it should be arranged and or executed in a manner that can be straightforwardly comprehended by participants and methodologies that offers a logical hierarchy and or chronology of topics.
*Content should be structured in a manner that oversees simpler and or the fundamentals being facilitated first in order to construct a solid base in which subsequent or more complex content would hold relations to. (Eg: Teach the significance and benefits of Active Listening prior to methods and or tactics in facilitation of it)
*Content should be worded or structured in mannerisms that participants would either be comfortable or easily comprehended with (Eg: Refrain from encompassing copious amounts of theoretical based content when the course or participants’ learning preferences yearn for more practical hands on based and requires high volumes of visual stimuli
*Facilitation of extrapolation
Concerns the need for course content or curriculum to possess elements that would ultimately facilitate extrapolation or the fulfilment of any learning discrepancies and or ‘information gaps’ that might be existent within course content. Simply placed, content should extend beyond the scope of the syllabus and encompass other relative information that might aid in the comprehension of course content and its entirety.
*Other information of interest and or relatively related stimulus could be incorporated as well should it aid participants in further comprehension, appreciation or insights on the topics. (Eg: A briefing on the other listening skills existent besides Active Listening aids in the appreciation of the beneficial significance of it and why it is the most valued mode of listening within communications)
*Course content should be structured in a manner that advocates self induced learning. Content should encourage learners to investigate beyond the information that is presented, and to induce further research. (Eg: In the event of teaching the many methods that participants could hold a conversation with clients during services, the learning stimuli could encompass links to other resources such as web pages that concerns human psychology and or conversational tactics etc which holds relation to the topic and encourages participants to dwell further into the topic)
Recommendations for the integration of technologies; Outline and justify which technologies support the selected learning theories and contexts.
-Virtual Worlds
Would be utilised in replacement of a real life beauty salon context in which the majority of demonstrations and practical elements within the course would be delivered within. Participants would be able to realistically to a certain scale, trial and apply their newly acquired knowledge /training within a setting that is reminiscent of their work context. This technology would also oversee the conducting of assessment tasks.
Justification
‘Virtual worlds’ is a highly prioritised and recommended technology for integration within this course as it poses as the “Simulated / Mock work environment” in which the majority of the courses’ contents would be utilising. This technology provides a novel visually stimulating medium which concedes the learning preferences of the participants within this course to be facilitated and matched. Virtual worlds also aids in and advocates the process of ‘learning transfer’ from training to their work context as relevance is drawn via resemblances within the virtual environment and participants’ work context. This technology would be able to competently provide a means for which experiences, practical application and cognitive thinking to occur within participants which justifies for the aspect/theory of cognitivism to prevail within this course as it promotes analytical thinking. Additionally, this medium also supports the constructivist theory of enhancing the knowledge/skills that is already existent within participants as Virtual worlds would illustrate the effective application and relevance of new content with scenarios/contexts that are familiar to participants.
-E-Blogs
Another pivotal element which oversees all written or theoretical documents and assessments are executed within, the blog would also pose as a medium for the accommodation of and promotion of resources that advocates further or self induced research. Additionally, this medium would also act as a portal of communication and feedback between participants and the facilitators of this course. It would also incorporate elements such as an opinions/feedback forum, individual progress reports and written assessments/tasks etc. E-Blogs would also accommodate vital subject documents such as the syllabus/curriculum assessments/assessment criteria which illuminates upon what is expected of participants and what participants should anticipate with the course.
Justification
Likewise what ‘Virtual worlds’ caters for the learning preference of participants which was visually stimulating content and the practical nature of the course; E-Blogs would be the medium which caters for the theoretical/written components of the course. This medium aids in the facilitation of constant asynchronous communications (which promotes between facilitator and participant, fosters self induced/further research and as it houses subject documents such as the curriculum and assessment criteria, expectations of between the facilitator and participants which is supportive of the constructivist theory. Additionally, the feedback/progression report sections within the blog potentially poses as a novel means for correcting faulty learning or alerting slow progressions in a timely manner which is supportive of cognitive principles.
-Multimedia elements (Video, Animations, Pictures and Audio)
Represents the elements that effectively appeals to and delivers the course content via sensory means. Instructional video files and diagrams would pose as the major catalysts within this course as it highly resembles how participants within this learning context is accustomed to learning; through sight and sound.
Justification
Multimedia elements incorporated within this program aids in enables participants to “sense” the course and encourages them to develop and construct cognitive analysis and views on course content. Within this e-learning environment, it is of this nature that participants are encouraged and required to be more self motivated to learn and Multimedia elements enhances “ownership” and evokes interest within participants more so than as oppose to plain text and minimal interactions. Multimedia elements not only addresses this issue, it also encourages participants to “experience” the course at their own pace which ultimately encourages them to develop and construct new methods of viewing issues and topics at different angles in order to cultivate insights.
-RSS Feeds
As a component of the E-Blog and a multimedia tool which alerts participants (and “subscribers” to the feed (collection of new information) of any updates and announcements that are related to the course and or its topics or structure.
Justification
RSS Feeds simply provides a feeling of ownership and significance upon the participants as new information and announcements that are related to or of interest to subscribers are immediately posted to them. Alternatively, this also advocates the learning theory of contructivism; owners are encouraged to view learning stimuli under different perspectives and the RSS Feeds within this course would be directed towards providing other course relevant material such as news reports, statistics and magazine articles etc to participants.
Colour Matters Site Review
Site appears to have a rather stringent visual hierarchy which effectively draws the audience towards aspects that are supposed to be emphasised such as the website name, contents menu and the highly colour contrasted middle menu draws attention immediately at potentially interesting or “star” components of the site for the audience.
Why do some colours appear to hurt the eye?
Some the main colours culprits that “hurt” the eye to view within long periods of time are not surprisingly Yellow and Red, warm colours, colours that are usually associated with attention seeking signage that usually signifies danger, cautions and or hazards. The site backs these allegations with scientific evidence such as the fact that because the colour yellow attracts too much light into the eye it actually “over stimulates” the eye or simply placed tires it out therefore causing stress on viewers’ eyes when exposed to such colours.
How do computers generate colour and what does this mean for your images?
Computers generate colours via three primary components, that being the computer hardware located within your computers’ motherboard; quality or type of video/graphics card/board; overall quality of your monitor (it is commonly known with regards to this aspect, you get what you give).
So what does all this mean in a nutshell in regards to the final output/display of your images within your computer? simply placed, the quality (aka: how much you forked out financially for your computer equipment) of your computer system which in general are the three main components mentioned above, be it hardware or software are highly influential towards the quality of the output of your images. So cheap system and software gives you poor display of images whilst a quality one (more financially damaging) would fare better.
The Psychology of Colour
Different emotions and my perception of their colour representation….
*Aggression Red
*Friendly Light Blue
*Solid Brown
*Weak White
*Serious Black
*Depressed Grey
Not very exciting, but these are my true perceived representations of these emotions although it is interesting to note that some of the colours that I believe convey these emotions are in fact secondary/mixed colours (eg: Light blue and Grey)
Consider your E-Learning product, what colours might work? why?
Madame Ivy’s Beauty Salon (Context: Beauty Salon, corporate website)
*Culture of the organisation : Teal and Black. Ivy, the plant is usually associated with dark colours, teal signifies the plant and the combination of black and teal adds sophistication to the mix as well as the fact that teal is a greenish blue colour, is also signifies nature which adheres to business philosophies of using natural non-harsh ingredients in creating sophisticated glamour and beauty.
*Corporate colours White and dark purple. White signifies purity and nature (which is what is promoted with regards to Madame Ivy’s Beauty Salons’ products and services. Purple once again signifies sophisticated, understated glamour.
*Fashion White, Dark Purple, Black and Teal. These are to be primary colour choices within this context as these colours are relatively cool colours and not too bold and demanding which hopefully
*Your message Purple would be utilised as the font colour in order to adhere to business colour scheme (dark cool colours) against a white background stark contrast which aids in the emphasis of content and is relatively a soothing text colour for the eyes to absorb
*Mood of message: Course concerns effective communications with clients within a beauty salon context therefore, the theme or mood should be relaxed and soothing as beauty services are is a relaxation activity and the entire mood including conversations should reflec this. Therefore,the colour scheme should be a significantly light shade of blue to relfect a mood of serenity and calmness.
How would Visual Hierarchy influence readers?
Visual Hierarchy naturally, acts as an infrastructure or a hierarchy that governs the layout and presentation flow of content. This hierarchical means acts as a system that administers how the course content flow should be presented to learners. Other important roles it plays in regards to learners and course content; is that it provides a system which oversees important or fundamental elements being emphasised and presented to students first or have such content presented in a manner that is captivating to students and seeks to capture their interest.
Once again we are nearing the end of the course, one more assignment left to battle through and I am all done on the report but just ONE aspect…..WHAT ON EARTH ARE STORYBOARDS???!!! To be honest…have NO idea what on earth it is, I had briefly sometime before this upcoming assignment 2 heard of the word in some god forsaken place ….something to do with movies and its script …thats right….hmm… I guess this signifies some of illustration or depiction on the process of an e-learning program via visual means perhaps? gees….sounds pretty wild of a guess, oh well
Types of multimedia elements I would recommend to my current e-learning course
(Beauty Services communications with clients)
*Virtual Worlds
As this course is naturally practical and requires high levels of interactions it only stands to reason that whilst the course is delivered electronically, for the sake of cultivating tranfer of learning; ownership, relevance to work context and interest from participants; that the multimedia element of Virtual Worlds be incorporated. This tool however should pay heed to the modality, spatial and temporal contiguity multimedia principle. Basically these theories support the notion that students facilitate learner better via multimedia mediums as it appeals to different sensory appeals as well as the fact that corresponding pictures should be placed near each other and to appear simultaneously in order to enhance the message or content.
*Blogs and E-Portfolios
Another element with which could house a myriad of multimedia components such as audio, graphics and synchronous communications. In addition this multimedia tool is a novel medium for increasing interactions and participant ownership within the program which ultimately motivates learner and evokes interest.
How could you apply Bandura’s Social Learning Theory in an e-Learning context?
1. Attention: focus on the features of behaviour to be modeled
Course content should encompass aspects that are congruent with the cultivation of the type of behaviours desired and not contradict in any manner. Such as should individual or self dependency be promoted and desired, do not add elements within the e-learning course that encompasses many group/team oriented tasks or vice versa.
2. Retention: how well the behaviour is remembered
Tasks/elements within the e-learning course should be consistent in its desired outcomes of participants as an act of reinforcement in the types of behaviours desired within participants.
3. Reproduction: observed behaviour must be turned into action, practice and feedback
Tasks and elements within the e-learning course should involve interactivity and relevance. There ought to be consistent real time communications and feedbacks facilitated to participants in order to intervene within a timely manner in the shaping of behaviour whenever applicable.
4. Reinforcement: to motivate learners to reproduce and perform the behaviours
Award for whenever desired behaviours are executed and implement disciplinary/remedial actions whenever undesirable behaviours are executed. Therefore, it is pivotal that timely interactions and feedbacks are encompassed within the e-learning context whenever possible as an e-learning course that offers too much text, minimal interactivity and attempts at building participant ownership and relevance would cause disinterests within participant, fast.
Which theories are suited or more appropriate?
*Cognitive
Encourages participants to view stimuli and course content cognitively, in a manner that allows for meaningful patterns and insights to be drawn from course content which ultimately permits and encourages “transfer of learning” much easier.
*Requires that students analyses the content cognitively and hence draws new perspectives from content and is supports self learning and motivation. This method suuports the notion that students should cognitively analyse content in order to draw meaning and therefore insights on issues which also aids in the ‘transfer of learning” which is to apply teachings to participants context.which signifies a successs in learning.
*Costructivist
Encourages participants to view stimuli and content with different perspectives in order to attract new methods in tackling issues as well as heightened comprehension of stimuli.
*Supports that notion that students are self motivated towards learning (which reflects the nature of e-learning courses) and hence should be able to allocate different methods to utilise in analysing and viewing issues and stimuli which ultimately aids in the acquirement of new methods to assist in the comprehension of material/course content.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE MULTIMEDIA IN TODAYS’ E-LEARNING CONTEXT
*It encompasses all facets of the course in order to create relevance with learner context and course content
*To engage student interest and ownership
*Encourages social learning
*Supports the learning theories of Cognitive and Constructive as it promotes learner motivated learning
How could you apply constructivist learning principles in an e-Learning environment?
| q Group work (collaborative learning)?q Scenarios, case studies?q Enriched learning environments (multimedia e-Learning)?
q Reflective Exercises *Problem Solving exercises*Exercises that involves skills of research and investigations*Real live interactions/Online forums*Suggestion/Feedback sections for students to place their opinions and views
q |
