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Thesis Prototype

Transcript PDF:

cguillenThesisPrototypeTranscript

Thesis Prototype Interactions PDF:

cguillenThesisPrototypeInteractions

In today’s words, the user is alone in front of a computer interacting with a site. Interactions sometimes are empty; leaving the user alone in the process. If we offer the user guidance along the way through hints and feedback, we will keep the user engaged and allow them to successfully complete the task at hand.

Following the progressive pedagogy approach, “Multiple Intelligences”, developed by John Dewey, e-learning applications should employ means to try engage different styles of learning in order to maximize educational success, intellectual growth, and enthusiasm for learning  among diverse learners by introducing reinforcing material that will help the user. (Lupton)

Feedback is an important factor that is not being executed properly in e-learning assessment. By developing a progressive feedback systems that helps the user receive immediate attention, we can tailor to their needs and improve their engagement level by allowing them to learn at their own pace.

Feedback is an important factor that is not being executed properly in e-learning assessment by developing a progressive feedback systems that helps the user receive immediate attention we improve their engagement level and keep targeting the user needs  by allowing them to  learn at their own pace.

Solution
Even though Blackboard provides a great shell for online education its deficiencies make the stand-alone Blackboard learning experience frustating, unsatisfying and discouraging of the learning process. A solution for online education supported by Blackboard will be to use external tools to use in conjuntion with Blackboard to provide online students with a customizable e-learning experience which will make it possible to address these various learner needs and preferences, enhance the learning process, and provide students with more avenues for self-directed, active student-centered learning environment which promotes exploratory learning. By extracting a few elements from games, we can create engaging applications that are not only instructional but also encourage exploration and promote self-directed learning.
To support this investigation, an interactive educational application named Web Designer 401 has been designed to help teach college students and IT professionals the new coding standards of web development.[DM5] The target audience is online ITGM, CS students or other participants in the fields with previous knowledge in the subject. Web Designer 401 uses the basic concepts of Alternating Reality Gamming (ARG): a reward system, levels and new skillsets available to the students in every level to offer a learning experience that encourages progress and offer students control over their learning process by using user-center design and user focus interaction.

Citation:
“Penny Arcade -Extra Credits – Gamifying Education”. Penny Arcade – The Way Forward. N.p, n.s. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.

Summary:

Flaws in the way we teach today: systemic flows which cover every subject.
Grading: We use a grading system that is de-motivational and set up a reinforcing feedback loop for failure.
Agency: Idea that they feel that they control their own destiny. Without agency is almost impossible to feel motivated. Agency help you to set more efficient goals for yourself.
External Motivators: We need learners to keep engage and learn voluntarily.

Solution: In games we learning that progress encourages progress. The human desire for deficiency is a better motivator than the fear of failure.
How to gamify learning

• Assignments make worth points. Progressing towards level.
• Methodology doesn’t leave the students in a place where they just give up.
• Give kids skills as they level. Pickable powers as they level.
• Reward System  to rule for one another. Encourage student to work with camaraderie and as a team
• Game teach us that different choices have different accounts and we control the choices that we make.
• Information you want to learn as the pieces that unlock the next section of the game. In the search for this information they will learn about tangible related topics.
• Key: make schooling more magical and a sense of mystery.
• ARG is about communal solution and information scouting.
• Unlock spread out, so the learners can share ideas and learn.
• Encourage curiosity (benefit)

Examples of ARG:
i <3 bees
year zero

Deathball.net/notpron

MLA Citation:

Andersen, Paul, perf. Classroom Game Design: Paul Andersen at TEDxBozeman. 2012. Web. 24 Jan 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4qlYGX0H6Ec>.

Summary:

Failure is OK. Failure is part of the learning process.

Importance of leveling

•             Students should move on at their on pace through a mastery system.
•             Become more powerful as they learning new material in the class.

Leveling System by Lee Sheldom at University of Indiana Gain Experience points and move their way up.

Leader boards, to see how they are doing against everybody else.

Mastery System where students can take tests in multiple occasion until they get it.

Teach some skills and then they can apply that.

Students learning to learn independently.

Add elements of social learning to make it more compelling.

Move to an active student-center learning environment.

Online education platforms like Blackboard lack of e-learning material are designed with a variety of learner-focused options; as they say, their purpose is to “engage, reach and connect.” Unfortunately their design process and execution leaves too much to be desired for IT learning. Therefore I propose to develop an interactive e-learning application that will target user needs and enhance their learning experience by allowing them to explore and learn at their own pace.

The era of technology education has moved from the traditional classroom into an online classroom. The advancement of technology has facilitated this move by offering systems to support online education. One of the major and most used systems for online education is Blackboard. This system offers different types of platforms to  “enable clients to engage more students in exciting new ways, reaching them on their terms and devices—and connecting more effectively, keeping students informed, involved, and collaborating together” (“Blackboard” 2013). The automated system assigns courses through a data transfer from the Student Information System (SIS).  Depending on the set up and user restrictions, instructors are able to upload their resources.  Blackboard provides messaging, discussion boards, web conference among other tools to promote communication (“Blackboard Learn | Creating a Virtual Campus” 2013). This method of online instruction may work for some fields, but their design process and execution it leaves too much to be desired in the context of basic information technology (IT) skill training. Participants report being unsatisfied with the learning process. This automated learning mechanism lacks of learner-focused options to provide students with customizable learning experiences that better meet their diverse needs.

Solution

Customizable e-learning experiences make it possible to address these various learner needs and preferences, enhance the learning process, and provide students with more avenues for self-directed exploratory learning. By extracting a few elements from games, we can create engaging applications that are not only instructional but also encourage exploration and promote self-directed learning.

To support this investigation, an interactive educational application named Web Designer 401 has been designed to help teach college students and IT professionals the new coding standards of web development.  The target audience is online ITGM, CS students or other participants in the fields with previous knowledge in the subject. Web Designer 401 provides learners with various options that facilitate a customizable and individualized learning experience using user-center design and user focus interaction.