Product+Redesign

=Product Redesign=

===Analysis | Design | Development | Implementation | Evaluation === 

Analysis
 The purpose of this product redesign is to repair flaws of the initial recording of a presentation of the Top 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning by Heather Moorefield-Lang, the chair-elect of the American Association of School Librarians. This presentation was originally advertised to faculty, staff, and all others interested within the College of Education (COE) and College of Library and Information Science (CLIS) at the University of South Carolina. Therefore, these groups will function as the clients for this product redesign project. Two sessions for the presentation were offered, one in the morning at Davis College (the location of CLIS), as well as an afternoon session the same day in Wardlaw College (the location of COE). The afternoon presentation was recorded in a "smart" classroom with a wall-mounted camera at the back of the room focused on a projection screen displaying images of ten websites from the 2010 edition of the //Top 25// list, and two nominees for their 2011 //Top 25//. The purpose of recording the presentation was to make it available to those who were unable to attend the two face-to-face presentations, so that they could be made aware of these tools and discover how the presented tools may enhance their instruction, and the instruction of their students (future teachers and librarians).
 * Objective**

The product redesign will be a series of videos divided into the following categories:
 * Delivery Medium**
 * Introduction to Top 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Project/Website by Heather Moorefield-Lang
 * **Media Sharing Tool Sites**
 * Digital Storytelling Tool Sites
 * Manage and Organize Tool Sites
 * Social Networking and Communication Tool Sites
 * Curriculum Sharing Tool Sites
 * Content Resources: Lesson Plans and More Tool Sites
 * Content Collaboration Tool Sites
 * For the purpose of this project, only the video created for the Media Sharing Tool Sites will be displayed.**

The videos will be captured using Camtasia Studio screencasting software with audio narration and demonstrations of selected sites from the //Top 25// list by Catherine Murphy, the instructional designer. The videos will then be uploaded to TeacherTube and posted on the College of Education Instructional Support Website and Wiki. The videos will also be made available to interested faculty, staff, and students in the College of Library and Information Science or anyone who chooses to access them via the TeacherTube website.

As the use of technology in education continues to become more common and necessary in higher education learning environments, more instructional content is being made available online. One consideration in the design of this product is addressing issues faculty and staff professional development. As an employee in College of Education Instructional Support, I have firsthand knowledge of the the need for quality instructional and informational content for college faculty and staff, as well as the time constraints as far as being able to attend presentations and workshops for professional development. Instructors have voiced interest in learning about Web 2.0 and technology tools to use in their instruction, or the instruction of their students (future K-12 teachers and librarians), but they have stated they need instructional content for professional development to be flexible, self-paced, well-designed, and as succinct as possible. Since the videos will be uploaded online, learners will need to have a basic understanding of navigating websites and viewing streaming videos online. The only hardware learners will need is a device that can access the internet.
 * Learner Characteristics**

The series of instructional videos will be made available online, with connections to information about the //Top 25 Best Websites for Teaching Learning// project and website. The //Top 25// list is updated every year with a completely different list of websites. Therefore, this will be an ongoing project. Learners can choose to access only the videos demonstrating tools that interest them. They can also pause, rewind, and return to the videos as often as needed. The use of quality graphics and audio, and adherence to graphical design principles and consideration of traditional and contemporary theories of learning will provide learners with quality, valuable instruction.
 * Expected Outcomes**

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Design
Learners will view the video demonstrations of websites from the Top 25 list, and successfully use the tools presented for their own instructional and professional use. They will create accounts on the individual websites that interest them and generate content that is meaningful to themselves as learners, as well as their students.
 * Goals**

Learners must be able to perceive visual and auditory cues to successfully comprehend instruction. The psychomotor and cognitive domains will be used to successfully complete the tutorial and apply information to create new schema, and build on existing knowledge to expand their knowledge base.
 * Knowledge Domains**

//Cognitive Learning Theory// Learners will organize information presented in the instructional video by moving through the three-stage processing of information mode: sensory register, applying instruction to short-term (working memory), and then to long-term memory. They will create new schema, organizing the new knowledge into categories for later retrieval from long-term memory.
 * Applied Learning Theories**

//Constructive Learning Theory// Learners will create meaning from their personal learning experience through multiple representation, discovery learning, self-regulation, and authentic learning.

//Cognitive Load Theory// The presentation attempts to reduce cognitive load by only focusing on relevant visual and auditory information, avoiding extraneous audio and visual load. The pace of the video is set to not overload the learner with too much information at once. It allows them to establish meaning to instruction for comprehension.

//Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning// Consideration for dual-channel learning and limited capacity of auditory and visual channels. Visual load is minimized by focusing on relevant information and reducing the screen area/zooming in to important visual information. Auditory information is presented in a succinct, deliberate manner.

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Development
The video clip below is a portion the original recording of the presentation. media type="custom" key="9161370" The original recording of the presentation had several flaws: These flaws made it impossible for those who missed the original face-to-face presentation and wished to view it online to receive meaningful instruction.
 * Violations and Deficiencies**
 * No audio
 * Presenter moving in and out of camera view
 * Visual overload with spectators in view
 * Unable to zoom in on presenter, or screen containing visual information
 * Poor quality video (blurry screen, bad lighting, etc.)

media type="custom" key="9160502"
 * Redesigned Instruction**
 * (**//Best if viewed in FULL SCREEN mode**)**//


 * Improvements**
 * Audio instruction is clear
 * Focus on content by using screencasting software to display websites visually
 * Zooming function of Camtasia Studio used to focus on important, relevant information
 * High quality video
 * Step-by-step instruction on navigation of sites and tools
 * Organization by chunking relevant information together by category (i.e. separate videos for each category of //Top 25 Best Websites//)
 * Posted online with relevant information presented in text format here

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Implementation
The video series will be uploaded to TeacherTube, embedded on several websites relevant to the target population of learners, and be available at the learners' leisure.

Evaluation
Learners can post comments on the videos on TeacherTube, comment on the College of Education Instructional Support Wiki, or email the instructional designer to provide feedback.

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