C  U  I  N     6  3  4  5:
I n t e g r a t i n g   T e c h n o l o g y
i n    t h e    ( M e d i c a l )    C u r r i c u l u m

 S u m m e r    2 0 0 7

Course Calendar Course Description Required
Materials 		Submitting
Assignments		 Final Semester
Projects 		Grading
Policy		 Contact the Instructor

return to the CUIN 6345 main page
 
Class Six: July 5, 2007

 

Activating Accounts for the eClassroom Discussion/Submission System

In order to participate in the online discussions, students may need to activate their accounts via the web, by going to: https://myadvisor.coe.uh.edu/act

 

Review of Posting Assignment from Class Five

Posting Assignment Five

  • Post a reply in which you discuss your reaction to this week's online class by addressing the following questions:

    • What worked and what didn't work?

    • Was this technology worth the trouble it took to try to make it a useful tool for online class meetings? Should we continue using it?

    • Are there other things we can do to improve our next online class?

    • Do you think it would help if every student in the course had their own webcam?

    • What about having a student research a particular topic and then facilitate the discussion, instead of having the instructor in charge of the online meeting?

    • What other thoughts or suggestions do you have?

Some of the discussion items from this assignment are shown below. Items in bold are ones that I believe we should try to implement for our next virtual meetings.

DD:
  • Advantages: avoiding the traffic and parking costs and being able to access my refrigerator during class.
  • A useful tool for online meetings, especially for circumstances like when the room was unavailable.
  • I would not want an entire course to be done online unless it provided a clear advantage,  such as access to famous lectures from several geographic areas.
  • One thing that would make me like it more would be using the tool where we can see the instructor's screen.
  • I don't think that everyone having a webcam would be necessary at this stage, because the audio is not good when everyone is on and so there is no need to see people if you can't hear them either.
  • Having students facilitate the discussion might work well for some topics.
  • Use the system for online "office hours" where those with questions could log in and chat at a scheduled time and have questions answered, etc.
JF:
  • Audio could be improved.
  • I felt the need for a few more seconds delay from responders to read their typed answers before moving to the next; Maybe ask for any further comments before progressing to the next issue.
  • I did not like one way audio. I don't care about everyone on video but I would prefer everyone to have audio for free flowing conversation/discussion.
  • Add audio for all and no typing.
LM:
  • There were times when I couldn't hear any sound or the sound was distorted. Switching off other people's mics helped, but there were still occasional issues with the audio from Dr. Robin.
  • I think the key is to have a computer and accessories that can fascilitate this technology.
TR:
  • I would not mind using this again, however, not for every class.
  • Maybe students using webcams could be optional.
  • There are times when teachers or students can’t go to class and if the online class was available, then it would be easier to attend the class and not get behind. Not sure if this is available or even something that can be done. I would like to have the option if I was sick or out of town and be able to log into the classroom itself when you are teaching the day of class and still be able to participate.
MM:
 
  • I forgot my headphones, so this is about the only thing that didn't work for me.
  • If a student were assigned to present a topic for the class, I would first like to make sure it would not be me. Then, I would be all up for it
     
MD:
  • I would love to have all the classes online.
  • Maybe if you were using a faster connection (like institutional connection) it would take care of the delays in audio and video and lessen the need to refresh several times.
DW:
  • I think the teacher should be the only one with a mic. Everyone does not mic manners so there will sometimes be problems.
  • Since I don't know everyone in class it was kinda difficult to put the name with the face. Is it possible to load an image up?
 
 
 



 

Introduction to Digital Storytelling

What is Digital Storytelling?

Combining the art of telling stories with:

  • a mixture of digital graphics, text, recorded audio narration;
     
  • video and music to present information on a specific topic;
     
  • revolving around a theme and often containing a particular viewpoint;
     
  • to create stories that are typically between 2 and 10 minutes long.
     

Joe Lambert helped Digital Storytelling get off the ground as the co-founder of the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS), a non-profit, community arts organization in Berkeley, California. Since the early 1990s, Lambert and the CDS have provided training and assistance to people interested in creating and sharing their personal narratives.

Personal narratives may be told in a variety of different ways, as described by the CDS:

  • Character Stories – explore how we love, who we are inspired by, and the importance of finding meaning in our relationships.
     

  • Memorial Stories – deal with memories of people who are no longer with us. These stories are often difficult but are emotionally powerful and can help with the grieving process.
     

  • Stories about Events in Our Lives - deal with significant occurrences that we remember and want to share. 
     

  • Adventure Stories – revolve around places we visit and adventures we have in our travels.
     

  • Accomplishment Stories – deal with achieving goals and understanding defining moments in our lives.
     

  • Stories about Places in Our Lives – examine the important places in our lives: our homes, our towns, and our experiences that connect us to our communities.
     

  • Stories about What We Do – allow us to talk about our jobs, professions and careers in terms of how we value and find meaning in the work we do.
     

  • Recovery Stories – deal with how we overcome great obstacles and challenges in our lives.
     

  • Love Stories – provide us with an opportunity to share some of the most meaningful parts of our lives with the people we most cherish.
     

  • Discovery Stories – let us reflect on what we have learned and illustrate our journeys of discovery.
     

Other Examples:


The CDS is also known for developing and disseminating the Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling, which is often cited as a useful starting point to begin working with digital stories.

The Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling

1. Point of View – what is the perspective of the author?

2. A Dramatic Question – a question that will be answered by the end of the story.

3. Emotional Content – serious issues that speak to us in a personal and powerful way.

4. The Gift of your Voice – a way to personalize the story to help the audience understand the context.

5. The Power of the Soundtrack – music or other sounds that support the storyline.

6. Economy – simply put, using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer with too much information.

7. Pacing – related to Economy, but specifically deals with how slowly or quickly the story progresses.

Many digital stories are based on personal experiences related to people, places and events in our lives. However, this technique can also be a powerful technology tool that educators and their students can use to present informational and instructional material, such as:

Delivering instructional content on many different topics, including math, science, language arts, health & medicine, and more.

Examples:

 

Most of the information about Digital Storytelling discussed in class this week may be found online at the following sites: 

 

Review of Hands-On Assignment from Class Five

Hands-On Assignment Five

  • For this assignment, you were asked to select a topic that you think would make a good digital story and begin collecting images that you can use to illustrate the story. Then bring at least 10 usable images with you to the next class (on your Flash drive), and submit a brief report in which you describe your plans for the story, including such things as the topic you selected, whether or not you were able to find useful images for the story, who the intended audience is, and any additional information you think would be helpful.

    Results from this assignment appear below.
 
 
 

 

Schedule for the Rest of July


We will not meet face-to-face for the next three weeks in July. Our next F2F class meeting will take place on Thursday, August 2, 2007 and our final class meeting of the semester will take place on Thursday, August 9, 2007.

It may be helpful to have some virtual class meetings during July and this will be discussed in class. If we do hold some virtual meetings, we will continue to use the Online Virtual Meeting System. You can log into the system by clicking on the following link:

http://eclassrooms.coe.uh.edu/jerry/disc12.html
 

 

Discussion of Final Semester Projects, Reports and Presentations

  • COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT: 25% of the total grade for the course -worth a maximum of 25 points
    Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end of the semester. Grades will be based on the degree to which the work meets the client's requirements and the student's ability to describe their individual contribution to the overall project.

    Final semester projects will be presented on the last day of the semester, Thursday, August 9, 2007. Each student is expected to present their project to the class using the instructor's computer which will be projected on the large screen. Each presentation should take between 5 and 10 minutes and presenters should be prepared to answer questions about their project from members of the audience.

    Final Projects may be on any educationally-relevant topic approved by the instructor. Each project should be either:
     

  • An "enhanced" PowerPoint presentation (which contains several of the following items: word art, clip art, new slide backgrounds and/or templates, action buttons, motion paths, web links, narration or other additional features)

    or

    •

    • A digital story

      or
       

    • A web site (I know we didn't cover creating a web site in this course, but it is an option for those who already know how to create one).

    Each project should include AT LEAST FOUR of the following components we covered in class this semester:

    1. Graphics that have been created or modified

    2. A digital audio segment (narration, music or both)

    3. A link to an online survey

    4. A CD or DVD version of your project

    5. Plus links to any of the following Web 2.0 resources:

    • A set of your own images uploaded to a web resource such as Flickr  

    • A set of del.icio.us tags that you create on an educational topic

    • An audio episode that you recorded on Gabcast or any similar web resource

    • An online, narrated slide show you created on SnapGenie or any similar resource

    • Any podcast, blog, or wiki (that you or anyone else created) on an educational topic

    • Or, any other web-based resource you select
       

  • FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT: 15% of the total grade for the course
    -worth a maximum of 15 points
    Each student will be graded on the degree to which their final project report and presentation are completed and presented in a thorough and professional manner.

    • In addition to presenting the final project, each student should submit a 2 to 4 page written final project paper that describes the project, and includes the following information:

    • The goals and purpose of the project;
       

    • The intended audience for the project and a brief description of where and when it will be used;
       

    • A description of the challenges you faced creating your project;
       

    • The most significant things you learned from this course and from completing the final project.

    If all components of your project are not completed, you should include some descriptive information about the components that are still in development and describe your plan for completing this work.

    Some additional questions about this course and other technology courses offered in this program will be announced soon and these should be answered at the end of the final project report. 
     

     

    Additional Resources
    Assignments for Next Class


    Reading Assignment:

     
     
     
    Posting Assignment 6: (This is the next to the last posting assignment of the semester, the final posting assignment will be added in the next few weeks. The final discussion item will be related to online surveys.)
    • Go to the CUIN 6345M Online Discussion System (http://eclassrooms.coe.uh.edu/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1) and post a reply in which you discuss your reaction to digital storytelling. Do you feel that this is a technology tool you can use? If so, how? Or if not, why not? Do you think it's a valid tool for medical/dental education? Do you have any other technical or pedagogical questions or comments about digital storytelling?

     

    Hands-On Assignment: 6 (This is the last hands-on assignment of the semester):

    • After reviewing the Photo Story 3 Tutorials (listed above), download and install the free Microsoft Photo Story 3 Software for Windows XP http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx and begin creating a digital story related to your work or instruction. If the computer you normally use is not running the Windows XP operating system, try to find a PC that you can use that has Windows XP installed and where you can download, install and begin using the Photo Story 3 software.

      If this is not possible, you may want to try creating a digital story with PowerPoint, but please do this only if you have no other choice.

      When you have completed the assignment, use the online submission system at: http://eclassrooms.coe.uh.edu/assignments/ to submit a brief report in which you describe your initial work with Photo Story 3, including:

      • what topic you selected and why,
      • what kinds of images you decided to use and where you found them,
      • what type of audio you included, if any, and
      • a description of your experience using the Photo Story software and whether or not you had any problems with the creation of your story.

      When you are at a point where you are satisfied with your progress, save the project file (it will be a .wp3 file) and save it. For more information on saving the project file, refer to the tutorial on saving a project in Photo Story 3.


       

    Virtual Meeting on Thursday, July 12

    I will be available on Tuesday afternoon to discuss course issues and assignments as well as answer questions. I'll try to log onto the eClassroom Online Virtual Meeting System around 4:30pm.

    We will continue to use the eClassroom Online Virtual Meeting System. You can log into the system by clicking on the following link:

    http://eclassrooms.coe.uh.edu/jerry/disc12.html 
     

     

     

    ©Copyright, 2007
    For more information about this course or the materials presented within this site,
    please contact Dr. Bernard Robin via email or at (713) 743-4952.

    State of Texas Privacy and Policies Homeland Security Compact with Texans Reporting Copyright Infringement Contact U H Feedback Site Map Statewide Search U H System University of Houston