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Abstracts / Résumés 1997 |
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Click the highlighted
links to go to Contents Discussion sur
la Réalité Virtuelle et les possibilités qu'elle
représente pour l'apprentissage humain Towards New Media for Adolescent Development:
A Theoretical Synthesis for Transformative Education Multimedia for pediatric patient education:
Design and Development of 'The BMT Voyage: All about your bone marrow
transplant' CD-ROM. / Le multimédia au service de
l'éducation aux patients de pédiatrie: Conception et
production du CD-ROM 'The BMT Voyage: All about your bone marrow transplant'
Institutional Racism and Its Impact
on Visible Minorities: An Educational Perspective Improving Subjective Score Tuning in
National Standard English Tests for College Students in China The Québec English Schools Network:
Instructional Television in Tanzania:
Connections Making Theory Work The Use of Chaos Theory and Chaos Modeling
in Educational Technology The Corporate Agenda in Canadian Universities Service-learning: 'The Secrets of NIM' Networked Interactive
Multimedia Thoughts/Works in Progress Summative Evaluation Tools, Techniques
& Trauma By "our own process of thought":
Theorizing from practice and changing the practice of research Chemistry for Preschoolers Real Live TNA?! Performance Consulting/Training and
You in Business and Industry the Interpersonal Dynamic Skills of Communication Communication and Leadership Training
Discussion sur la Réalité Virtuelle et les possibilités qu'elle représente pour l'apprentissage humain Jess Brouillard, Université de Montréal Depuis quelques années nous assistons à l'émergence de nouvelles technologies dites de réalité virtuelle. Les environnements de réalité virtuelle sont caractérisés par l'immersion sensorielle de l'individu et, par l'immersion cognitive définie par le concept de "présence." Nombre de chercheurs s'intéressent ainsi à l'impact éventuel de l'immersion cognitive de l'apprenant sur sa performance d'apprentissage. En fait, les possibilités qu'offre la réalité virtuelle permettent de parler de changement de paradigme des systèmes informatiques interactifs. Les environnements de réalité virtuelle viennent modifier la relation entre l'individu et l'information. A ce jour, deux tendances caractérisent les recherches de développement en cours dans les centres de recherche universitaire. La première touche le secteur militaire et le secteur médical et a trait au développement d'environnements d'apprentissage qui permettent l'acquisition d'habilités psychomotrices. La seconde tendance tente plutôt d'exploiter les diverses facettes des environnements de réalité virtuelle pour l'acquisition de compétentes cognitives. Nous proposons d'explorer les possibilités que représente ce deuxième type d'environnement d'apprentissage (habiletés cognitives) à la lumière de la théorie de la distribution de la cognition. Celle-ci semble capable de rendre compte des concepts clés de la réalité virtuelle comme la visualisation (objet 3D, concept abstrait), l'interaction et l'action permise dans l'environnement d'immersion.
Towards
New Media for Adolescent Development: A Theoretical Synthesis for Transformative
Education Issues facing adolescents are complex and often adolescents respond with deviancy. While there are no simple causes or resolutions for problems of adolescence, indicators suggest that personal identity and values are important. This paper examines theories and practices to propose a vision of using technology to support adolescent's development. This synthesis has three foundations: 1) psychological conceptions of self and identity; 2) pedagogical understandings of human development and learning in socio-cultural spheres; and 3) anthropological understandings of transitional socio-cultural practices, in particular rituals. The conception of psychological self and identity is postmodern in that it recognizes identity as gender significant (Gilligan, Benhabib) fluid, and multiple (Taylor). It considers morality and ethics inextricable from concepts of identity and hence, questions of morality are questions of individual moral identities rather than questions of universal rules or mores. The pedagogical element of this synthesis emphasizes that learning theory needs to be social and active to be appropriate to the development of identity and values. Specifically, the development of identity is characterized as the internalization of socially experienced and assisted roles. Particular pedagogical concepts related to this view include the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky) and legitimate peripheral participation (Lave and Wenger). Anthropological understanding of rituals advanced by Van Gennep and Turner provide the third element of this synthesis. As ethnography, ritual is documented as having four phases in which the participants separate themselves from everyday activity, enter into 'liminal' or threshold activities, reflect on such liminal activities, and then integrate such experiences into future everyday activity. As pedagogy, rituals may be understood as transformative activities that assist in the development of identity and prompt participants to move from one psychological life state to another. In order to create depth, relational understanding and a basic conceptual framework, the paper then juxtaposes these three elements with one another by considering critical concepts of each element in conjunction with critical concepts of others. The elements and juxtapositions are then framed in narrative, dramatic, and graphic metaphors to work towards useful models for addressing design issues specific to supporting the development of identity. These framings are also used to help designers identify current technology, media, and praxis that may contribute theoretical concerns and practical techniques for design and development. Pertinent technology, media and praxis examined include interactive multimedia, multi-user domains (MUDs and MOOs), comic art, and anchored instruction (Vanderbilt). The paper concludes by presenting a proposal for software applications that demonstrate how this theoretical synthesis can be practically realized.
Multimedia
for pediatric patient education: Design and Development of 'The BMT Voyage:
All about your bone marrow transplant' CD-ROM The developers of 'The BMT Voyage: All about your bone marrow transplant' will present the application which they produced in the context of the 'Advanced Computer-based Multimedia Production' course at Concordia University. 'The BMT Voyage' explains complex information to pediatric cancer patients, using animated characters who represent the age group and cultural diversity of the target audience; tell their bone marrow transplant story from their point of view, using developmentally appropriate language; provides this through a non-threatening, self-paced medium to reduce anxiety. The application will be demonstrated. The design, development and evaluation of the application will be discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of multimedia educational software for patient education in clinical settings will also be discussed. 'The BMT Voyage' was produced at Concordia University in collaboration with the Montreal Children's Hospital and the Lamplighters Leukemia-Childhood Cancer Association. Les conceptrices du didacticiel 'The BMT Voyage: All about your bone marrow transplant' présenteront l'application qu'elles ont produite pour le cours 'Advanced Computer-based Multimedia Production' à l'Université Concordia. 'The BMT Voyage': présente de l'information complexe aux patients de cliniques pédiatriques d'hémato-oncologie, à travers des personnages animés qui: représentent le groupe d'âge et la diversité culturelle du public-cible; raconter leur expérience d'une greffe de moëlle osseuse de leur point de vue, dans leur langage; fournir ceci par l'entremise d'un médium non-menaçant, que l'on peut utiliser à son aise, afin de réduire le sentiment d'anxiété. Il y aura une démonstration de l'application. La conception, la production et l'évaluation de l'application seront abordées. Les avantages et désavantages des didacticiels multimédias pour les patients des services cliniques de pédiatrie seront aussi débatus. 'The BMT Voyage' fut produit à l'Université Concordia, en collaboration avec l'Hôpital de Montréal pour Enfants et Les Lampistes - Association contre le cancer et la leucémie enfantiles.
The notion that institutional racism is systematic within our educational curriculum and indisputably has an impact on some visible minorities is what I will address in the course of my presentation.
Improving
Subjective Score Tuning in This project aims to improve the tuning of subjective scores in College English Test (CET), a nationwide standardized test for all college students in China. The current model is explained and the demerits discovered. An enhanced model is proposed to address the problems. Testing of the enhanced model proves to be positive. This project has been funded by the National College English Testing Board of China. About the Test Problems with Subject Scores Current Tuning Model Assumptions How it works Demerits Enhanced Tuning Model Assumptions How it works Testing the Enhanced Model Experiment Results Conclusion
The
Québec English Schools Network: Providing resources and support
via the Internet is a way of bringing together a widely dispersed community.
The Québec English Schools Network (QESN) is a Internet-based collaborative
effort being developed by Le Ministère de l'Éducation du
Québec (MEQ), Services à la communauté anglophone
- Direction des politiques (SCA-DPP) et des projets. The QESN is intended
to address several needs within the anglophone school community within
Québec: This presentation will discuss the development of the QESN thus far. The problems of school connectivity will also be touched upon. Different schools and school boards throughout the province have different resources available to them, or have chosen different ways of using those resources. The presentation will conclude with an invitation to discuss the future development of the QESN and the issues involved in bringing technology into the classroom. The presenter wishes to acknowledge the support of the staff of the MEQ - SCA-DPP, the members of MAPCO and the Small Schools Network.
Instructional
Television in Tanzania The government of Tanzania has recently established public TV station in addition to those owned by private companies and its programs have captured a large audience. A recent survey conducted by the BBC in September 1995 recorded an audience of 1.2 million viewers in Dar-es-salaam city alone. Considering the development and probably copying from neighboring countries, one may correctly assert that government officials may decide to use television to address specific problems in the school sector. Unfortunately experience has shown that more often than not, such decisions are ad hoc without seeking answers to basic questions and consequences involved on importing foreign technology to a different economic and sociocultural setting. Will Tanzania, for instance, afford the initial and running costs involved? What are the potential resources readily available? Will Tanzania borrow, make or buy programs and if borrowed and or bought, how relevant will they be to the Tanzanian context and school curriculum?
The study
Connections
Critical thinking is an important component of a student's education. In order to get classmates to think more critically about the material we were learning in class, we started a Newsletter. A student may use this pool of knowledge to answer immediate or future learning and teaching issues. Examples of problems include conduct of students, teacher motivation and how to organize ideas to stimulate discussion and deeper levels of understanding. There is also great potential to place this tool on the Internet for more students to take advantage of the class' ideas and relate them to their own areas of thinking. This could create a feedback loop which would allow a teacher to apply this concept to other fields of study. A spin off of the Newsletter
has resulted in students increased participation which has taken the form
of co-teaching of content related material. The students who present gain
teaching experience. The students who participate in these discussions
and experiences are provided with opportunities which complement their
education. Students anecdotal reports of our efforts have revealed that
their self-directed learning has improved.
Making
Theory Work It is the responsibility of the theorist to make her work intelligible and valuable to the practitioner. Theory must earn its keep. Two senses of theory in education: I will focus on the former. A. What must theory look like
to undergird educational practice? B. How should theory be promulgated? How should it be made available to teachers? to parents? to students? In what ways can theory be made most accessible?
Experimental studies in education have often been plagued with the inability of the research and modeling methodologies to cope with very complex behaviors occurring in highly complex environments. This is one of the reason why, we often end up with partial results that are very difficult to apply back in real life situations. A new paradigm built around fractals and chaos theory is attempting to explain the spontaneity and unpredictability of very complex systems. This might provide some interesting insights in the study of human behavior. The rise of chaos theory has an explanatory research and modeling tool in physics and mathematics has raised the interest of researchers in other field studying complex phenomena. Many researchers in the applied sciences (biology, chemistry, neurology, medicine ...) have already successfully use this approach in their quest to deal with the complexity of experimental situations. Using chaos theory, also requires a reevaluation of some of our assumptions about the world, particularly relating to linearity, prediction, and control. In this presentation, a scientific, philosophical, review of the development of chaos theory will be presented. Implications and drawbacks for education and educational technology research will also be presented.
The
Corporate Agenda in Canadian Universities Of the many recent changes in the structure and funding of universities in Canada, none has been more marked than initiatives taken by Canadian industry to promote collaboration between university researchers and the private sector. This new era of cooperation, its proponents argue, will be beneficial for both. This paper is a critique of this new direction for universities. My purpose is to draw attention to the way the corporate agenda addresses the needs of the state and business interests while appropriating the future of universities. I review the problems surrounding institutional linkages between industries and universities in Canada. In addition, I argue that business/academia partnerships simply serve the interest of dominant sectors of Canadian society at the expense of the full range of human thought that is encompassed within a university. Lastly, I attempt to illustrate that such changes will fundamentally require universities to educate for - largely speculative - economic and social conditions. (Lanning, 1994)
Service-learning
The project that we are presenting involves a needs assessment of the idea of "service-learning" at Concordia University. The assessment was done for The Centre for Teaching and Learning Services of Concordia University who is interested in introducing this idea at the university with the long term goal of implementing it at the curriculum level. People generally regard the institution of schooling as having the responsibility of providing the student with the formal knowledge required for the occupational world. Especially at the university level, one of the goals of schooling is the attainment of a capacity for critical thinking. (Mifflin & Mifflin, 1982, pg. 285-287). The learning of formal knowledge and the development of metacognition is in fact how university education is defined. However, this education should not be value-free. It should serve to deepen our sense of connectedness and responsibility to others. Incorporating service-learning into a university education, as an integral part of the curriculum, emphasizes for students that serving others is part of being an educated person. ( Elrich, * )
Our project focused on assessing the attitudes towards service-learning of a representative sample of faculty, students, community, and administration. We found that, for most people (including faculty, students and community), the idea of service-learning is a novel one. Presently at Concordia University, there are Co-op programs and independent studies courses where students may have the opportunity to work in the community on a project/activity related to their discipline. However, none of these activities incorporate the idea (integral to the philosophy of service-learning) of student reflection. According to our investigation at Concordia University, there has been a small scale ( i.e. only a few students at a time participated) service-learning project completed. In its first attempt, the project involved two students and was highly successful. The faculty was also reluctant about the idea of service-learning for they believed that more important academic issues are at hand and that students will not stick to their commitment. Furthermore, they did not want to implement something that would increase their workload. Some professors however, felt that it is an idea whose time has come. They felt that it aligns well with the objectives outlined in Concordia's mission statement. Also, it is a good way to contribute to the community and would be a good opportunity for students to learn by doing. In addition, students were quite enthusiastic about the idea although they felt that more information was needed before they could make any commitment to a service-learning project. The community, also, believes service-learning is a good idea but students must be made aware of the commitment involved. Based on our recommendations and the fact that service-learning is a "hot" topic in many top American universities, The Centre for Teaching and Learning Services is hosting a workshop in March for the faculty to introduce the idea. REFERENCES
In our presentation, we will
demonstrate several NIM (Networked Interactive Multimedia) applications
that we have co-designed and which are in different stages of completion:
PIM-SIM, the Polyphase Induction Motor Simulation (domain: electrical
engineering) SOS, the Statistics Online Support system (domain: statistics
/ research design) The Game of Life (cybernetics / systems studies) Some specific areas we would like to touch upon are: 1) What constitutes a viable Instructional Design methodology today? 1.1) What typifies 'traditional'
Instructional Design? 1.2) Key trends affecting ID's
objectives and constraints 2) Is NIM a viable framework within which to investigate learning technologies both from a research perspective and in actual field implementation? (a.k.a. Do Three Buzzwords in the Head Equal One In The Bush?) 2.1) The pros and cons of Networking The discussion should be of
interest to audiences concerned with the following questions:
Summative
Evaluation Tools, Techniques & Trauma During the fall and winter of 1996-1997, a team of Concordia researchers were retained to evaluate the state of an existing college level program at one of Montreal's CEGEP colleges. With time constraints and a mandate to cover a wide range of issues, the team successfully designed data collecting instruments, administered surveys and presided over focus groups, analyzed data and provided recommendations to the client. This presentation will look at some of the methods and instrument design techniques to accomplish the task. It will also look at some of the problems associated with conducting an evaluation of this nature. These problems include: the human side to conducting sensitive evaluations flexible survey design respondent apathy interference.
By
"our own process of thought" Alternative methodologies in
educational research can enhance research practices and further serve
the aims of educational inquiry by promoting change. This panel will address
participatory (action) research as one alternative methodology. We will
present the following interrelated themes, that in our view, explore issues
of change in educational research: Theme 1 "Lessons from the bottom up - Participatory research in education as an empowering research tool" Amy O'Neil Theme 2 "Popular education techniques in participatory research" Susan Oliver Theme 3 "Pedagogical applications of qualitative research as a tool for reflective practice" Amanda Benjamin Theme 4 "Research for change" Anna Sofia Johansson
Chemistry
for Preschoolers There are three important steps to follow when teaching chemistry to preschoolers. The first step is to have a safety demonstration where the child learns the danger of tasting, smelling, or touching any unknown chemical. Also, the child should understand that just because two chemicals look alike does not mean that they are the same. All chemicals should be carefully and accurately labeled. The second step is to conduct experiments where the parent is the guide and the child is able to actively participate. The third step is allowing the child to explore and invent his/her own experiments. All experiments should be safe and very visual. Science experiments, chemistry, are a good way to teach children about the environment and pollution. Children can learn about acid rain, for example, by adding a small amount of vinegar (acid) to clean water. Although the water looks clear and clean, b y testing the solution with cabbage juice, children can see the colour change caused by the acid in the water. Children can learn about how scientists try to neutralize the acid rain with crushed limestone, or for the experiment at home use baking soda. Through this experiment children can see how "the best solution is to stop the pollution" rather than trying to temporarily neutralize the damage. Example of the Innovative Approach These experiments will be demonstrated for the public: Making chicken eggs The quiet fireworks Tornedo in a cup Chemistry concepts illustrated
with these
As part of a company initiative to review and improve agent recruiting and selection, a Training Needs Analysis was conducted at Sun Life to investigate key issues and attitudes pertaining to these processes. Data collection was accomplished through extant data analysis of company documentation, telephone interviews with selected Sales Managers, and a print survey to 219 members of management directly involved in recruiting and selection. Based on results of the investigation, it was determined that while recruiting agents in sufficient numbers to meet business needs is indeed a real dilemma, it may only be symptomatic of a greater difficulty, that of agent retention. A series of recommendations is proposed including a re-evaluation of new agent job specifications, remuneration, and essential support activities. Insight is provided on the usefulness of recruiting and selection methods and tools.
Performance
Consulting/Training and You in Business and Industry: the Interpersonal
Dynamic Skills of Communication Have you ever attended a meeting or sat through a training session, either as a student or as a consultant, and wondered what the presenter was talking about? This presentation offers a different approach to consulting and training. In the time allowed we will address how you receive, process and communicate information. For the most part, we deliver information and knowledge in the way we like to receive it . If a consultant or trainer is unaware of these differences they may loose audiences who do not receive and process information the same way they do. The key to success is knowing how we process and communicate information, the other ways of processing and communicating information and how the brain processes what we receive. We will look at: learning, processing and communication skills the different learning styles and what they mean using: Myers-Briggs shapes questionnaires double speak - talking "to" and not "at" the "tell me", "show me", "let me try" and "why is the sky blue?" approach know your audience consultant-client buy in trainer-student buy in
At present I am doing my internship at Batshaw Youth and Family Centres. I have designed four workshops in Communication and Leadership Training which I am presenting to twelve of Batshaw's clients. By the time the Symposium is on, three of the workshops would have been completed. I believe that a condensed presentation of the skills that are being practised at the workshops would be of interest to those attending the symposium. The basic areas being covered
in the workshops are: The participants learn by "doing" in a friendly, relaxed and supportive environment. The training gives them the confidence to better sell their ideas, services and themselves. In every session they practise making impromptu presentations learning how to be mentally ready to do so. They learn to speak with animation and force, while overcoming the fear of public speaking. They also learn to use the here and now in responding to unexpected questions and most importantly, they learn how to give an impromptu talk, rather than to talk impromptu. There is a subtle difference. It is not enough when speaking impromptu to just ramble on and put together a series of sentences that do not connect with the subject matter. To be effective, speakers must keep their ideas logically grouped around a central thought which might well be the point they want to get across. They use examples which stick to that central point and when they speak with enthusiasm, the things they say on the spur of the moment have a vitality and punch that prepared talks do not have. Return to Archives
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