Christopher’s learning object - Barista - cafe quality espresso coffee at home By Airsource

The iPhone app identified as Barista is a useful example of a learning object. I found this iPhone app useful for three reasons.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/barista-cafe-quality-espresso/id302556126?mt=8
http://www.iphonebuzz.com/home-barista-iphone-app-for-coffee-drinker-235865.php

First, it looks like it is an example of a learning object which includes real-life examples. The Barista app shows pictures and videos along with instructions on how to make several types of drinks. It clearly shows real world examples in video and pictures.

One concern I had with the Flash based simulators was that those objects were so removed from reality. The animations were loose representations. The Barista app raises the standard on quality with pictures and videos.

Learning objects which could be classified as being of the type “contextual representation” (Churchill 2007) are ones which show real-life examples and display data as it emerges from an authentic situation. The Barista app appears to meet this requirement.

Second, I believe the coffee making app meets another criteria of Chruchill’s learning object which is defined as the contextual representation type. The app allows users to collect data about the coffee that is produced; the app allows users to take pictures of their artful pictures made in steamed milk. Not only does the app present and explain the way to make several types of coffee, it also allow users to collect data, i.e. pictures, and save and share the data with other users. This learning object clearly allows users to display data “...as it emerges from represented authentic scenario” (ibid 2007).

The third reason I find the Barista app useful is that it situates the information it presents in a socio-cultural practice. This app allows coffee makers to compare their artistic coffee creations, and that is likely one reason this app has been so successful. Not only do users learn the facts and steps to make several types of coffee, but the information is situated within a social practice.

I am impressed with the approach as it makes use of a way of ordering information in a way that works for the users. This app allows users to make sense of the information in a socio-cultural context. Similarly, my research on information literacy seeks to better understand information literacies situated in practices, and why not start this research over a cup of coffee or tea?

Churchill, D. (2007). “Towards a useful classification of learning objects”, Education Tech Research 55:479-497.

Evaporation - Drying Rate - Activity Critique

Posted By Malcolm Drew


We discussed this activity in class as a group, and as such most of our combined or overlapping ideas have already been stated by the group members posting earlier.


The most significant problems have been mentioned as:

1. A poorly (or not at all) defined idea of rate (which is the main learning outcome of the task),
2. A mismatch between the learning object, the question sheet, and the stated learning outcome,
3. And the learning object's disconnection from the real world.

Points one and two have been thoroughly handled in the other posts, I'll contribute a bit more on the believability of the task.

The activity we chose used a Flash-based learning object which could only provide the learner with results programmed by the creator. The learner chooses parameters for temperature (hot/cold), wind (windy, no wind), and cloth size (small, medium, large). The simplistic choices for parameters, imply that the results come from a list that the developer created rather than from a formula. There is no reason given to the user that suggests why the results are true or meaningful in the real world.

I would intuit that the idea behind the learning object is to simulate a discovery experiment. Unfortunately the accompanying task did not follow an experimental method. The most value I see in this learning object is that it allows for the immediate testing of a hypothesis. Students could have practiced the steps of a scientific experiment by making a hypothesis, gathering data, analyzing the data, and performing a conclusion and discussion of the results. However, I believe that even this possible usefulness is lost because of the lack of any reason to believe in the results. Without that, there is no motivation to do any of these activities.

When using technology to simulate nature, the single most important aspect of the simulation is to provide the learner with a reason to believe that he or she is learning something real.

The greatest positive about the learning object is that it provides immediate results for a variety of combinations of parameters. With modification, it could be quite useful as an alternative to doing a lengthy real-life discovery experiment.

Activity 2A - 14/9/2010 Gavin Hopwood

Dry Rate

How will the size of of a wet object affect the rate of evaporation?

This is the question that is presented to the students.

Students are provided with an guided activity sheet and a flash applet to manipulate.

There is an obvious problem with this task. The activity sheet and flash applet do not relate to the question. Both ask the student about factors (plural) affecting evaporation but the question only asks for one factor, the surface area of the object. There is also no explanation of what rate is and a vague explanation giving a scale of 0-9.

There are some positive points to this task. The applet is easy to follow, very self descriptive, in some way is task oriented and is also fun to use. The exercise leans towards a cognitive approach but we feel as a group that there is a discrepancy between the complexity of the language of the activity sheet and the reality of the imagery. Not taking anything away from the applet, which obviously has taken time to design we feel that its function does not relate to the task.

The applet is only a simulation and does not provide for a realistic approach to the situation. For example if one is good at flying on a PC simulator it does not necessarily mean you can fly a real airplane. The activity sheet leads directly into students being asked to design an investigation to further explain the concept that they have learnt through this applet. We feel as a group that students should be exposed to a more tangible method before being asked to do this.

The applet does not provide sufficient information for the student to complete the task at hand. The applet is a nice idea but should be used soley as an introduction to the activity / topic but should not be set as a cognitive activity.