Collaboration in Multimedia Learning Objects

Collaborative learning covered a variety of methods in multimedia learning where a joint intellectual effort by trainers and we were involved. Multimedia-based involved being trained on acquiring knowledge as well as skills in designing, planning, and creation of a learning object. In my project, we were working on developing learning objects for the mobile phone. We did this by adapting the learning objects in the referencing books. Collaboration affected the process of the creation of multimedia learning objects in a positive way.

Through collaboration, we worked in small groups in coming up with three prototypes for the objects. Through group work, I was able to maximize my learning as well as the learning ability of my friends. The collaboration worked as a means of shared creation where I interacted with other peers to create a shared understanding of the concept that I could not have done on my own. I worked in a group of six people, and I aimed at being active in making a personal contribution to the final product.  Collaboration not only involved many aspects of the typical cooperative process of learning methods but also it rose above focusing on synergy and creation of the mutually produced multimedia product. In this case, the product was the learning object for mobile phones.

The collaborative process was involved for instance in the modeling of the prototypes and coaching to help us be aware of our learning. Through the process, I was able to develop a deeper understanding of the creation process of the learning objects. Through collaboration, I learned that the learning object design involved the methods of remembering, comprehending, application, analysis, evaluation, and creation. From the experience I had, I propose that collaboration is a way of interactivity including not only human-human collaboration but also technological adaptive learning. In this case, technology adapts to the user and supports the user during the process of knowledge construction.

Feedback received on my work

The feedback I received from my multimedia learning objects works impacted my creative process. Positive feedback was likely to motivate my learning and creation process, but in my case, the input received from the instructor was all negative. My instructor was so strict, and I was afraid of making any new progress as I thought that all I would do was all wrong. I wished to finish the course any coming day as I could not bear any longer the negative feedback from my strict trainer. The trainer was so harsh on everything including grammatical errors, the prototype of the LO, learning objectives, communication, videos, lesson plans, and images. I felt my whole project was full of mistakes.

The disadvantages of the negative feedback I received included waste of time, turned my group members against me and the feedback was not proportionately represented. I wasted a lot of time repeating one process after which the trainer could accept after several trials of making impossible changes. Therefore, I took more time than expected. The negative feedback turned away my group members, and they regarded me as a failure, and moreover, they stopped trusting me. I could not participate fully in my class work, and I, therefore, felt inferior.

I did not represent proportionately all that my trainer said because at times I could weigh the feedback and find that the proposal from the instructor could not work out. For instance, the plan for developing the fourth prototype was impossible as there are only three prototypes in learning objects for mobile phones.

Development of Assessment

The assessment I developed to field test my Learning Objects involved evaluating the final prototype with students to get feedback on its impacts on student learning. I wanted to get the views of the students on the mobile phone learning object and analyze whether if students found it the LO easy to use as well as go through it. The assessment was done on three sessions where six students were involved. Each student was given a Nokia mobile phone with the learning object installed, and the students were given instructions on working through it and comment on their experience. I gave the students instructions on navigating through keys and execute processes.

Instruction on use of the LO was not given as they could do it on their own to test if the LO was easy to use. After this, the students being assessed were required to fill in a questionnaire, and a discussion was held concerning their experiences. The students possessed mobile phones and were not hence novice mobile users.

The students assessed comprised of three males and three females and they represented a wide age range of one aging 19-21, two aging 23- 26, one aging 27-30 and two aging 32-46. The questions in the questionnaire included their thoughts about the Referencing Resource Books of which the feedback was positive. One of the students wrote that the resource was useful; another wrote it was refreshing and the rest commented that the resource was concise and could have contained in-depth information.

Regarding the usability of the LO, the students assessed thought that the object created was easy to use. Two students rated the learning object as very easy to use, and three rated it as easy to use. The ratings were based on a three-point scale comprising of very easy, easy and those that not areasy. I specifically asked the students if they had challenges in navigating through the object and one wrote that there were no challenges. One said that once one is familiar with the phone, there would be no more problems. Another student reported being unaware when one section was getting to an end. No significant problem was reported on navigation as per the recorded views.

However, one student raised a vital usability issue on whether to scroll up or down after completing the audio file. I thought it was general thinking that one scroll down and not up, something natural but I was mistaken and so I had to instruct the direction of scrolling. With the details as mentioned earlier on questions, I was able to learn the effectiveness of the use of the mobile phone learning objectives.

Regarding the visual design of the resources, the assessed students described the LO as beine g clear, basic but very efficient. Initially, I had expected the assessed students to complain of having difficulty with using the object, but the assessment proved me wrong. On the assessment tool, they were able to easily use the LO, and this helped interpret the instructional process as effective in student multimedia learning.

Though I have confidence that the LO could be easy to use, I think of making changes on the use regarding scrolling up or down. I will make improvements on my instructional procedure on the direction of scrolling for the next step after every video. This change is based on the report from the assessed data from the questionnaires.

Personal Growth

As the creator, I have now reached a stage where I had developed the prototype for each phase for peer testing and feedback. I now have a fully functional prototype in multimedia learning objects in mobile phones. I have researched and solved many issues involved in the development of multimedia-based learning objects. The responses and the experiences confirmed that the multimedia mobile learning objects of mobile phones are desirable and hence I feel that I have personally achieved my set objectives.  I appreciate the collaborative work I had with my class members and through the learning process was not good, and I have no regrets nor disappointments.

The reactions and negative feedback I received from my colleagues as well as the instructor changed my designing at the comfort zone. I realized that to succeed, challenges were part of the journey and I had no option but to embrace all the negative and positive feedbacks. I now know that a successful trip is not as easy as I had initially thought. However, I have no hard feelings to those that had the intention of bringing me down.

I appreciate the collaborative efforts of integrating the multimedia learning objects in the mobile phones of students. The issue now is developing prototypes for different subject areas where trials will be conducted. There exist many opportunities for embracing the benefits of using mobile phones as multimedia learning objects. Meaningful feedback from students has helped me visualize the future of mobile learning.

The feedback I have received so far has been very positive and encouraging. I am always encouraged by the positive reactions from students towards mobile learning. A comment by one student involving how the student wished the object was applicable in the course the student was taking indicated a receptive behavior towards MLOs. It is an indication of the more significant potential in continuing with the research in mobile learning.

As an educational technologist and as per the experience, I think multimedia learning objects offer opportunities for other learning environments. The different learning environments are inclusive of intensity in collaboration and feedback, unique goals as well as processes, motivation, a feeling of challenges caused by anxiety or boredom, a feeling of getting directly engaged and the right tools intruding or distracting the whole process.

With the necessary knowledge on these types of environments, there is a need for the avoidance of the distractions is likely to pull students away from the learning environment. Research has found that were involved in the activity were at a better position of remembering and getting to move their studies to new circumstances as compared to those that read the material.

Moreover, when some information is presented theoretically, learners are only able to retain more than on the screen. The environments mentioned above ought to be collaborative and involve numerous multimedia learning objects as well as intensive performance training. Students are required to be engaged as soon as possible to get control of moving forward through the learning objects willingly. Learners also need to be given the opportunity to develop new learning objects from the work they have done. The learning objects need to be accessible and culturally inclusive.

References

Masud, M. (2016). Collaborative e-learning systems using semantic data interoperability. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 127-135.

Claros, I., Cobos, R., & Collazos, C. A. (2016). An approach based on social network analysis      applied to a collaborative learning experience. IEEE Transactions on Learning ` Technologies, 9(2), 190-195.

Do you need high quality Custom Essay Writing Services?