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Using Interactive Objects throughout the Learning Process

Posted by Mark Bullen on February 22 2011 at 7:08 p.m.

It is common practice to use interactive objects as a way to revisit material that has already been taught. For example, a drag-and-drop activity to label the parts of the human heart is a useful way to reinforce students’ knowledge of that area. While this is an important use of interactivity, the same object can be of greater value when used throughout the learning process.

Interactive Objects as Teaching Aids
Instructors often give lectures using standard, illustrated PowerPoint presentations but students sometimes find it difficult to stay focused on the subject matter. Interactive objects play an important role during instruction because they allow the instructor to interact with an image or demonstrate a concept in a non-linear fashion. In doing so, they help maintain their students’ focus and improve learning. Interactive objects are particularly helpful when the content is difficult to describe with static images alone.

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The LTC was asked to create an interactive object to explain how to diagnose symptoms of pressure-regulator malfunction. Various regulators were installed on a wall in the shop but it was difficult to get a large number of students to view it at one time. The instructor approached the LTC with the idea of replicating the objects and their relationships via an interactive graphic that could demonstrate various scenarios on a screen in front of large numbers of students in a classroom setting.

Interactive Objects as Learning Activities
In many courses, students must cover a great deal of reading material in order to understand the content. Interactive objects can help to break the monotony and reinforce learning objectives by making the learning process more active and facilitate a deeper understanding of a concept.

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In the case of Regulator Diagnosis, the instructional tool was further extended to include additional scenarios and a quiz feature that allowed the students to interact with the model of the system and evaluate their own diagnoses. This was especially valuable for online students who were not able to view the shop demonstration.

Interactive Objects as Evaluation Tools
Interactive objects also prove useful for testing competency. When they are used in the evaluation phase of a course, they can create a much more engaging user experience as opposed to using solely text based questions and answers. Rather than writing a description of a scenario or an event, students can interact with the graphic then choose the answer that best describes the situation.

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For Regulator Diagnosis, the same learning object the LTC created for classroom instruction can be used as part of a test in Desire2Learn. The answers are still based in the quiz system and the instructor can decide whether they want multiple choice or short answers.

In the end, the goal is to engage the student and improve learning. Interactive objects provide a way to illustrate complex concepts, test for comprehension and, in some cases, even entertain. When used as a teaching tool, a learning activity, and in evaluation, interactive objects can add significant value to the courses for which they are developed.

For more information about the ways the Learning and Teaching Centre at BCIT uses multimedia in course development visit our web page at http://www.bcit.ca/ltc/materials/multimedia.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.bcit.ca/ltc/materials/multimedia.shtml.

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Original Post: http://www.bcitltc.com/2011/02/using-interactive-objects-throughout.html

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