Sub-Badge 4: Analyze technologies

Challenge 1: Analyze the characteristics of existing and emerging technologies and their potential use.

Criteria for successful completion of this challenge: Evidence of describing emerging technologies and evaluating the benefits and limitations of the tool’s usage.  Reflection must address: How you determined the use of a piece of technology and described its potential use or non-use. 

Examples: Course discussions on emerging techs (EDCI 577, EDCI 568, EDCI 564), Final EDCI 513 paper if focused on the use of a technology, artifacts showing benefits/limitations of tool usage or selection (design, performance, workplace, educational, other). 

Reflection

I submit one artifact to demonstrate my ability to “Analyze the characteristics of existing and emerging technologies and their potential use”. In my literature review, I reviewed multiple sources which discuss video lecture technologies and best practices. My goal for this assignment was to identify emerging video technologies, compare and contrast various video lecture styles, and investigate the best fit for each technology.

As a direct result of my video technology evaluation, I have begun implementing video instruction as a supplement to in-person lectures. The potential for expanding the learning opportunities to our students using video demonstrations is immense. Directly related to this evaluation process, I have started an initiative to build a video library for our students using our Moodle LMS. Currently, this video library is limited in use as a supplemental resource. However, we are exploring the possibility of shifting to a problem-based learning environment that places a strong emphasis on video content to deliver instruction related to theory topics.  

This artifact works well within the scope of this challenge for several reasons. First, video lectures are a rapidly evolving technology in distance education. ID professionals must understand best practices and select from a variety of different video styles when developing engaging online learning content. Second, the incredible growth in online video content services over the last decade has muddied the waters for ID professionals when choosing video solutions. I performed research that identifies the best technology solution based on the target population and project topic.

My experience with video lecture technologies spans several years. The recent global pandemic catalyzed the transition from face-to-face instructional content to video content streamed online. As I reflect on my strengths and weaknesses when using technology, I realize the previous decisions I made to use a specific format for video content were made with little consideration for research-based principles and thoughtful analysis of the individual characteristics of specific technologies. I feel confident in my ability to implement technology solutions. However, this alone is insufficient to ensure the video technology is appropriate for a specific use case. For example, one study found that video content that deals with emotion, such as a soft skills course, benefits from using an onscreen presenter who makes eye contact to establish a human connection between the audience and the presenter. In contrast, another study found that purely mathematical lectures do not benefit from a picture-in-picture presenter. Instead, the study participants preferred to focus on the math problem without a presenter on the screen.

I plan to expand my knowledge in video technology shortly as I build a distance learning streaming studio at my school. I have been tasked with specifying all components, assembling and programming the system, and then developing content to live stream to our students. Considering my first class starts in mid-January 2023, I plan to work diligently to implement the research-based strategies my artifact highlights.

Artifact - Literature Review