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Assigned tasks:

Linking to an uploaded document: Higher Order Thinking Skills in Vocational Training

Link to a different website: Technical Safety BC

Embedding a link to a YouTube video:

And a picture:

PIDP 3240: Assignment #2

Technology Plan

This technology plan is to implement student generated digital flashcards in my classroom. The challenge is to find a free, multi-platform application that can easily accept student generated content. The flashcard application must be embedded in Moodle, or a standalone app that works on both Android and iOS. My goal is to find an application where I can moderate the flashcard questions, and maintain control of the library for use in subsequent classes.

Application

The digital flashcard application will be 100% embedded in my course Moodle. I will create a Moodle Database with a front end prompting for flashcard questions, answers, and the ability to upload an optional picture. This database will be set up to allow tracking of which users submitted questions so I can implement an incentive system for student participation. The user visible flashcard application will be an embedded H5P module called Dialog Cards. This is a simple Moodle extension that is mobile compatible, and features easy to use Flip, Next, and Previous buttons (H5P, Dialog Cards Tutorial, 2018).

The intended users of the flashcard deck are students studying for module exams. They can either submit questions throughout the course, or more likely, I will provide half an hour on a review day for students to generate their own questions that they can submit to the database. I can then vet the questions and import them into the Dialog Cards application for class wide study use.

Rationale

As the electrical apprenticeship involves a lot of vocabulary and memorization, I feel digital flashcards would be a useful tool to aid in student success. Successful students currently make use of paper flashcards that they produce. Dizon and Tang found in their article Comparing the efficacy of digital flashcards versus paper flashcards to improve receptive and productive L2 vocabulary that digital and paper flashcards are equally effective when learning vocabulary (2017). They also found that for topics beyond vocabulary, digital flashcards resulted in further student success. Schmidmaier et al. found that repetitive testing promoted better recall than repetitive studying after 1 week (Using electronic flashcards to promote learning in medical students: retesting versus restudying, 2011). The effect of repetitive testing falls off after 6 months, but as each apprenticeship level is 10 weeks long, flashcards are an effective method of boosting student success. The intent of having students generate content is two-fold: It is less labour intensive from the instructor point of view, and by searching for appropriate flashcard questions, students will more actively engage with the course content.

Resources

Dizon, G. & Tang, D. (2017). Comparing the efficacy of digital flashcards versus paper flashcards to improve receptive and productive L2 vocabulary. The EuroCALL Review, [S.l.], v. 25, n. 1, p. 3-15, june 2017. ISSN 1695-2618. doi:https://doi.org/10.4995/eurocall.2017.6964.

H5P. (2018). Dialog Cards Tutorial. Retrieved from: https://h5p.org/tutorial-dialog-cards

Schmidmaier, R., Ebersbach, R., Schiller, M., Hege, I., Holzer, M., Fischer, M.R. (2011). Using electronic flashcards to promote learning in medical students: retesting versus restudying. Medical Education 2011:45: 1101–1110. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04043.x

PIDP 3240: Assignment #1

For this assignment I’ve chosen to focus my reading on learning technology suitable for the electrical Trades classroom. There is currently a push to move to a slightly blended delivery model utilizing LMS software and publisher provided online quizzes. I used this assignment to do research on the efficacy of the proposed use of technology in the classroom.

Bell, M. C., Simone, P. M., & Whitfield, L. C. (2016). Evaluation of ‘out-of-the-box’ textbook technology supplements on student learning. Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning In Psychology, 2(2), 112-124. doi:10.1037/stl0000057

Bell et al. concludes in their study that using publisher provided online quizzes (Textbook Technology Supplements) had zero to marginal positive impact on student performance on written quizzes in class. They suggest that frequent quizzing helps with retention, but online does not perform better than in class. They also suggest that written response aids retention more than multiple choice.

Bowen, J. A. (2012). Teaching Naked. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Bowen talks about maximizing contact time with students by minimizing technology in the classroom and instead, utilizing it in a flipped classroom approach. This arrangement ensures that the high value activities are with the instructor and technology is used outside the classroom to prepare students for the lesson.

Colbran, S., Gilding, A., Colbran, S., Oyson, M.J., Saeed, N. (2015): The impact of student-generated digital flashcards on student learning of constitutional law, The Law Teacher, doi: 10.1080/03069400.2015.1082239

This study on law students evaluated the value of peer created digital flash cards. Contrary to expected results, this cohort of students did not value flashcards produced by other students. The results indicated that peer created flashcards did not assist in understanding the subject or make it more interesting to learn. The peer flashcards did not assist in knowledge retention, assist with learning the subject, or with exam preparation.

Costley, K.C. (2014). The Positive Effects of Technology on Teaching and Student Learning. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED554557.pdf

In this essay, Costley provides evidence that technology integration is shown to have a positive effect in all age groups and is also shown to be helpful for students with special learning needs.  He finds the following benefits to technology integration: increased student motivation; increased student engagement; increased student collaboration; increased hands-on learning opportunities; allows for learning at all levels; increased confidence in students, and increased technology skills.

Davidovitch, N. & Yavich, R. (2017). The Effect of Smart Boards on the Cognition and Motivation of Students. Higher Education Studies; Vol. 7, No. 1; 2017. ISSN 1925-4741 E-ISSN 1925-475. doi:10.5539/hes.v7n1p60

In this study, Davidovitch and Yavich confirmed their hypothesis that the use of smart boards improves the level of clarity among elementary school students. They refuted their other 3 hypotheses: 1) Use of smart boards improves order and organization among elementary school students. 2) Use of smart boards improves interest among elementary school students. 3) Use of smart boards improves the overall level of satisfaction among elementary school students

Dizon, G. & Tang, D. (2017). Comparing the efficacy of digital flashcards versus paper flashcards to improve receptive and productive L2 vocabulary. The EuroCALL Review, [S.l.], v. 25, n. 1, p. 3-15, june 2017. ISSN 1695-2618. doi:https://doi.org/10.4995/eurocall.2017.6964.

In this study, Dizon and Tang conclude that for learning vocabulary, digital flashcards and paper flashcards are equally effective. For other topics, digital flashcards are better.

Mueller, P. A. & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science Vol 25, Issue 6, pp. 1159 – 1168.          doi: 10.1177/0956797614524581

This study concludes that hand-written and computer-typed notes are not equal. The study suggests that students who handwrite notes have a higher degree of recall. Effort was made to ensure both groups were paraphrasing, but the handwritten students performed better.

Ryan, G. (2018). Blended Delivery of Apprenticeship Training: Bringing Learners Together Through Technology. Online Learning Consortium. Retrieved from: https://secure.onlinelearningconsortium.org/effective_practices/blended-delivery-apprenticeship-training-bringing-learners-together-through-tech

In this pilot project, A blended apprenticeship model for Heavy Duty Equipment Technician raised red seal success rates from 58% to 100%. It should be noted this is a report on a pilot project, and not a full study.

Sadeck, O. & Cronjé, J. (2017). A Continuum of Teachers’ e-Learning Practices. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 395-408. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?q=technology+and+teaching&id=EJ1157945

Sadeck and Cronjé discuss how technology is already in wide use with teachers. The use of the technology ranges from simple to complex, depending on the instructor’s comfort level. This suggests that instructor training is paramount to the adoption of technology in the classroom.

Schmidmaier, R., Ebersbach, R., Schiller, M., Hege, I., Holzer, M., Fischer, M.R. (2011). Using electronic flashcards to promote learning in medical students: retesting versus restudying. Medical Education 2011:45: 1101–1110. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04043.x

This article explores which is more effective: re-studying or re-testing for student knowledge retention. Through the use of electronic flashcards, repetitive testing is a more potent learning strategy than repetitive studying for short-term knowledge retention in clinical medical students. The long-term retention benefits were negligible over traditional studying techniques.