Week 2- My Reflections on Hypermedia and Education

The chapter makes a compelling argument for introducing Hypermedia based curriculum in schools. It enlists the benefits, goes over some real-life examples and cites a few practical limitations. In my mind, the difference between Hypermedia and text book based learning could be well highlighted by contrasting the experience of using Wikipedia vis-à-vis the conventional Encyclopedia. Undoubtedly, Wikipedia is a far more advanced tool to research on a specific topic purely based on the ease of access and the convenience of use. In addition, the users can efficiently cross-reference related topics and move back and forth between the primary and ancillary topics based on their preference. No such feature is available with an equal level of efficiency in the conventional Encyclopedia. In addition, the creation of Wikipedia demonstrates what could be achieved through collaborative efforts. People across the world contribute to the knowledge base on an open platform and millions benefit from it. The contents are also scrutinized and commented on by peers and are updated frequently to preserve accuracy. The entire project runs on the effort of a small community of dedicated developers and the voluntary work of a large community on the web. The remarkable success of such a broad project clearly gives the educators a compelling reason to embrace Hypermedia and ‘learning by design’ in their classrooms.

I also observed that the author frequently drew examples from topics in History and Arts while demonstrating the power of Hypermedia based learning. It is clearly understood that these topics generate interest in scores of related sub-topics and they could be conveniently organized and presented through Hypermedia. However, I feel that the science and technology topics could also be grasped using similar techniques and can make life easier for students who sometime struggle with mastering the key concepts. Understanding

pre-requisite topics is critical for science subjects as the learning stays shallow and incomplete without that. Also, often the students progress to the next section without completely understanding the current one, which by all means comes back later to haunt them. If the students are asked to author instruction material for science based topics, they will realize the gap in their understanding sooner and take steps to address them. The advantages of collaboration also cannot be overstated for complex subjects where the students can benefit from shared analysis and research. Finally, I would like to state that I completely agree with the author’s view on the potential benefits of using Hypermedia in education.

Week 2- Hypermedia & Multimedia: Summary

This chapter introduces Hypermedia as a modern and powerful mode of communication and discusses its potential as a learning medium. The initial sections define Hypermedia as a confluence of Hypertext and Multimedia. Hypertext is the mapping of topics to their detailed contents via URLs, a ubiquitous feature of web pages that we continuously encounter on the internet. It has practically invented browsing, a new way of referencing and accessing information. Multimedia is the technical term for information content that has features to stimulate multiple sensory organs like audio/video clippings, photographs or graphics illustrations. A combination of Hypertext and Multimedia creates Hypermedia, a unique way of organizing and delivering information. It has been popular in recent years due to the advent of technology, which has enabled computers to process Multimedia data at high speed making it easier to create content.

The next few sections describe how Hypermedia could be used in school curriculums to benefit learning. Students could take ownership of the learning process and can author Hypermedia content to illustrate their understanding of a specific subject. They can collaborate in small groups, organize their research and assign tasks to create illustrations and thereby promoting learning from a passive to an active process. In addition to grasping the core topic, the task of ‘designing knowledge’ also trains the students in team-building, project management and presentation skills, which are vital in the

real-world.

The article eventually discusses a few practical challenges associated with introducing Hypermedia in classroom. Apart from the fact that it is expensive, it is also quite time intensive. Students need to train themselves with Hypermedia tools, collaborate on projects and spend considerable time organizing their research content. However, the use of Hypermedia in education empowers the learners, motivates them and hones their skills in analysis and creative thinking. As a result, the author concludes with conviction that it is a key element of education for future.

Week 1: My Reflections - "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants"

I was introduced to computers when I was 21, rather late to be classified as a digital native. Now, I use computers extensively in my daily life as a source of knowledge, as a means of communication and also as a medium of entertainment. However, I hardly play video games and would rather spend time reading and travelling than checking the latest array of social updates on Facebook. Over the last decade, I am fascinated and humbled by the advent of technology and how it improved our daily lives. Day to day tasks like booking a travel, finding an address, exploring a deal, learning more about almost anything has become as efficient as possible. As a result, I see technology as a means to an end and want to harness its power as best as possible to improve my life and that of my community. I would identify myself as a digital immigrant who is still looking forward to her journey in this exciting world.

Over last few years, I have indeed come in contact with people who are more driven by technology than me. I worked for a company called Computer Explorers which liaises with the school systems to offer courses in computers and uses a blend of innovative software tools in classes to teach subjects like foreign language and mathematics. In the classrooms, I observed that young children in elementary or middle school are far more adroit in use of computer software that I would have imagined for their age. They learn quickly and process information more efficiently than what I can remember at that level from my schooldays.

As a teacher, I realize that there is absolutely no substitute for technology in schools. Educators have to train themselves to use technology with impact in classroom. In the past, the means of acquiring knowledge was limited to reading text books and learning through lectures. Computers and Internet has made the process of learning streamlined by allowing access to an ocean of reference over the web. Other presentation tools have made it easier to illustrate experiments, simulations and other complex content easily in the classroom. As a result, the students can learn a lot faster and expect a lot more from their teachers compared to what they did in the past. The art of teaching has never before looked so exciting or challenging than it is now in the present.