Avatar's and their role in ICTs

The Internet and indeed ICTs are the first mediums to honour multiple intelligences in the classroom (Brown, 2000). If we look at the visual vs. verbal unity, we see students either favour one or the other learner styles (Felder & Soloman) . If you look at one of my previous posts I have posted an avatar. This is a great form of ICT in which students on both sides of spectrum can embrace either a learning experience introduction or small lecture in the form of an avatar. Both forms of learning styles are embraced: visual and verbal, as students can focus on the ICT itself in all its colourful glory and what is being said. If this was to be published on a mahara learning experience; text will be incorporated situated next to it (using a 'text box') so students don't have to take notes directly from the avatar (causing a stop-start effect). Scot has used this effectively in the lecture modules for this course.

How to make an avatar.

Children now engage in multi-literacies and are always 'multi-processing', they engage in several technologies at the same time: they might surf the net while listening to music or talking on the mobile phone (Brown, 2000). Learning today, not only involves textbooks, blackboard and writing pads, but image and computerised screen literacy. Brown (2000) believes the ability to read new multiple media genres is nontrivial but people still think that to watch a film (even a sensationalist hollywood blockbuster) requires no 'thinking'. But it does... it confirms what we know. If we've been secluded from society for 10 years and come back and watch one of these films; we'll find it confusing and jarring (Brown, 2000). Mature age people think children who engage in multi-processing are not concentrating, but this is not true (Brown, 2000).

If the learning theory of connectivism is utilised by the teacher, connections can be made between the curriculum and the shifts in juvenile behaviour towards technological use. Learning is focused on connecting these shifts and specialised information sets and the connections that enable us to learn about our current state of knowing (Siemens, 2004). If this new information is ignored, then the teacher and student will be left behind and even more disadvantaged when new information is dispersed.

References

- Brown, J. S. (2002). Growing up digital: how the web changes work, education and the ways people learn, United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved from http://www.unt.edu/benchmarks/archives/2004/september04/eis.htm

- Felder, R. & Soloman, B. Learning Styles and strategies. Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

- Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age, elearnspace. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm