PerfecTIC. General description. Title. Teaching goal. Summary. Duration. Technological skills required

Transcription

1 PerfecTIC General description Title Supplementary material for a course on a Web site Teaching goal Offer students interactive, multimedia, learning materials as a supplement to the course or textbook. Summary Before the beginning of term, the teacher builds a Web site that contains the following: relevant texts, a glossary, pictures, video sequences, exercises, tests, learning games, downloadable documents, data, links to interesting sites, and so on. The teacher also creates a document that specifies when and how students are to access this site. At the beginning of classes, students are informed about the site, its contents and the way it will be used during the term. N.B. This site can contain pedagogical materials related to certain concepts, lessons, chapters, or themes, or even the whole course, depending on its nature and on the amount of time at the teacher's disposal. Duration For the teacher and the students: Varies according to the scope of the site Technological skills required By the teacher and students: Basic working knowledge of a PC or Macintosh computer Basic working knowledge of a browser (e.g. Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, etc.) By the teacher (as needed): Basic mastery of software for creating Web pages (e.g. Go Live, PageMill, AGORA, etc.): insertion of texts and images, creation of links and anchors Basic mastery of a word processor (e.g. Microsoft Word) Basic mastery of an electronic spreadsheet (e.g. Microsoft Excel) Basic mastery of presentation software (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint) Mastery of Netquiz software application (N.B. It is easy to learn this software thanks to the Netquiz demo.) Use of a scanner to insert photos or images into the texts

2 Basic mastery of image editing software (e.g. Photoshop, GraphicConverter, etc.): image editing and saving in a format compatible with the Internet (e.g. JPEG or GIF) (Optional) Mastery of the tools needed (e.g. Premiere, SoundEdit) for converting sound into an appropriate format (e.g. aiff, wave, mp3 or QuickTime) and video sequences into QuickTime Mastery of an FTP software application to upload the tests onto the institution's server (e.g. Fetch, CuteFTP, etc.). (N.B. You can always ask a technician at your college to do the upload for you.) N.B. With AGORA software, teachers can very easily create their own pages directly on the Internet, without help from a technician and without having to transfer them. However, the format of these Web pages follows a standardized model a title, a short introductory text, an image, and a longer text that can contain Internet addresses. Material needed By the college: Installation of AGORA software on the college's server Disk space on the server and a registration procedure By the teacher (if AGORA software is not used): Storage space on the college's site for insertion of Web pages Software for creating Web pages (e.g. Go Live, PageMill, etc.) FTP software to upload the tests onto the institution's server (e.g. Fetch, CuteFTP, etc.) By the teacher (as needed): Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint software applications Netquiz software application Use of a scanner to insert photos or images into texts, Web pages or quizzes. Image editing software (e.g. Photoshop, GraphicConverter, etc.): image editing and saving in a format compatible with the Internet (e.g. JPEG or GIF) Tools needed (e.g. Premiere, SoundEdit) for converting sound into an appropriate format (e.g. aiff, wave, mp3 or QuickTime) and video sequences into QuickTime By the teacher and the students: PC computer or PowerMac, or access to a computer lab connected to the Internet Browser software (e.g. Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer) PerfecTIC Supplementary material for a course on a Web site 2

3 Advantages of using ICT Teachers often want to provide students with learning materials that supplement the course or textbook: texts, diagrams, self-assessment questionnaires, exercises, etc. With information and communication technologies, these types of materials can be made available on the Internet. Furthermore, teachers can easily make any changes needed to their materials (corrections, adaptations, additions, and deletions), and students can substantially reduce their costs by using downloaded documents that they can read on-screen or print at home instead of purchased course notes. Moreover, these new technologies offer other features. In their supplementary materials, teachers can include images, animations, sound, video, quizzes with feedback, interactive exercises and games, simulations, and so on. Thus, the combination of interactivity, multimedia, and the Web allows teachers to provide highly motivating and original complementary material of excellent pedagogical quality. Step-by-step sequence Preliminary pedagogical preparation By the teacher, before the beginning of term: Plan the contents of the Web site (parts of course to be presented concepts, lessons, chapters, themes; or the whole course; types of material to be included texts, videos, pictures, sound, interactive quizzes, simulations, etc.; site architecture and navigation mode). Prepare different content elements (e.g. compose texts for display, exercises, quizzes, and educational games, documents or glossaries; choose, treat, or create images or video sequences; search addresses of interesting sites; design data charts, etc.) Create a handout for students that specifies when and how to consult this site. By the students, before accessing the site: Review their course notes or the book chapter currently being studied. Preliminary technical preparation By the teacher, before the beginning of term: Design the Web site using AGORA or another, similar product. (In the appendix, you will find addresses to several sites designed by Quebec college teachers for their students.) Make sure that students have access to a computer lab connected to the Internet. PerfecTIC Supplementary material for a course on a Web site 3

4 By the teacher using AGORA software: Make sure that AGORA software is installed on the college's server. Ask the manager of the AGORA site to give you "project leader" status and to create a folder with the course title and name on it. In the "My folders" section of the AGORA site, create a file or files for your complementary materials. (Optional) If you wish to present your site to the entire class, make reservations for a portable computer with a big screen, an electronic overhead, a video projector or TV monitors, or book a room equipped with the appropriate equipment. By the students, each time they wish to access the site: (Optional) Make reservations for a computer connected to the Internet in a college computer lab. Step 1 (10 minutes) At the beginning of term, the teacher: tells students about the site: its contents and how it will be used during the term; hands out a document that specifies when and how to consult this site; (optional) shows the site to the whole class. Step 2 (varies according to the scope of the site) During the term, the teacher: reminds students how to use the site. During the term, the students: go to the teacher's site and complete the proposed activities. For more information Workshop author Robert Morin Institution Collège André-Laurendeau Web site: Tel.: (514) address rmorin@claurendeau.qc.ca PerfecTIC Supplementary material for a course on a Web site 4

5 Main reference AGORA (Software). Montreal: Centre collégial de développement de matériel didactique, Created by J. Latreille, N. Perreault, C. Pelletier, J. Lamontagne. Configuration: PC or PowerMac, CD-ROM drive. Suggested reference Netquiz 1.5 (Software). Montreal: Centre collégial de développement de matériel didactique, Created by R. Fournier, D. Joly and R. Jobin. 1 CD-ROM. Configuration: PC or PowerMac, 16 MB of RAM, CD-ROM drive, 800 X 600 monitor resolution, sound card. ( PerfecTIC Supplementary material for a course on a Web site 5

6 Appendix A Examples of Internet sites prepared by Quebec college teachers for their courses Go to the following address to see an example of a pedagogical site designed using AGORA software. Click Courses, then English 100. Subject Author URL and Content Password? Subject English (several courses) Richard Monaghan and colleagues mic.web/english.html Content: outlines and course descriptions, resources, ministry examination of college English, teachers' resources English second language Caroline Orton Content: lab assignments, homework, cool links, "how to" pages, student work, grammar practice English second language Dr. Sheryl Beller- Kenner Content: updates, weekly assignments, grammar practice, student pages, etc. Nursing Robert Morin claurendeau.qc.ca/departement/index.html Content: Help, guide, simulations... Yes Mathematics: significant digits Clément Pouliot ccdmd.qc.ca/chiffres Content: Theoretical notions, summaries, diagrams, examples and exercises. Philosophy Roland Farès collegeahuntsic.qc.ca/pagesdept/philosophie/roland_far.html Content: Course outline, links to interesting sites Art History Richard Barbeau collegesherbrooke.qc.ca/~barbeari/hcv collegesherbrooke.qc.ca/~barbeari/eaq Yes Content: Course outline, mediagraphy, historical landmarks, instructions for assignments, subject matter PerfecTIC Supplementary material for a course on a Web site 6