Modeling With Hypermedia: Assignment # 1

Chapter 16 Assignment

Part 1:  I explored many different hypermedia tools and decided to use not just one, but many of them to construct my hypermedia model.  I used Glogster as my primary background display and inluded many forms of text, sound, graphics, animation, video, and images.  I created my first Prezi ever, about exploring the solar system and incorporated it into the Glog.  I also made my first Voki creation, which is Miss Baker who is the first monkey to survive a trip to space and back.  There are many links in the Glogster that take the user to pertinent information about space and the solar system.  Here is the link to my Hypermedia Model.

Part 2:  

Name:  Billie Perez

Topic:  An Exploration of the Solar System

Audience/Age:  Sixth Grade Science, Age 11-12

Learning Objective:  The students will view the Glog that I have created and explore it.  Then in collaborative groups of three, they will create a Glog to demonstrate new and exciting facts about their favorite planet in the solar system and present their findings to the class.

Type of Hypermedia Model:  The hypermedia model is Glogster,  which demonstrates the use of technology in order to explore and find information about the planets of our solar system using different kinds of multimedia.  I used Glogster to create the backdrop for all of the multimedia that I incorporated, it was very user friendly with respect to integrating all of the multimedia that I wanted to use in order to create the model that I had envisioned in my mind.  I was able to incorporate screenshots of my Prezi creation and my Voki, and easily link back to my original creations.  The images and animation were also not hard to incorporate into my Glog, I could just download what I wanted and insert it.  There are also so many little add-ons that Glogster has for a graphics library, that are really handy if you are looking to add that special touch to your Glog.  My hypermedia model is appropriate to teach sixth grade students about space and an exploratory overview of the solar system, because it lends itself to engaging their minds through different displays of multimedia.  Instead of passive learners, the students are actively engaged and learning about some of the important people and events that have occured, as they explore the planets of our solar system.  This use of technology gets students excited and sparks their interest in creating Glogs together about particular planets in greater detail.  My experience exploring and creating a hypermedia model was outstanding.  I looked at all of the different avenues that we explored in class, and decided that a mixture of all the different kinds of hypermedia tools would best suit my needs.  I had no idea there were so many ways for students to engage and express their ideas through multimedia.  I had so much fun actually creating my Glog and will use this tool in my class, as well as Prezi to explain different topics.  I feel that these tools are creative and allow learners to think outside of the box with regard to the creation and personal meaning of a project.

Explanation of the Use:  Glogster allows the students to explore a creation that has been modeled by the teacher using different kinds of multimedia.  Students are exposed to the all of the multimedia that is available to them, which will help them create an engaging display of information that is rich in text, sound, graphics, animation, video, and images.  In collaborative groups of three, the students will choose a planet to elaborate on and develop a Glog to present to the class about their particular planet.  We do not want just to read what the book has to say, we want to go on an adventure and explore each individual planet.  The student will engage in conceptual change as they find out new interesting facts and make cooperative decisions regarding the best way to present this information to theie intended audience.  This is an important activity because it allows students to engage in negotiation, and build cooperative working relationships that foster creative ideas to be constructed further via multimedia.  

• My model was hyperlinked in part one of the assignment above.

Part 3:  I will evaluate the hypermedia model that I have created using Jonassen’s rubric.

Accuracy of information in nodes

• I think the information in the nodes is the equivalent of a 5.  The information is timely in that it provides middle school students information about the NASA space camp, if they are interested in aeronautic careers.  The information is also accurate and well documented, such as the biographical information regarding Galileo.  The information is also properly attributed and when followed, the links will take you to the original authors that provided the information.

Representation of information in nodes

• I think the representation of information in the nodes is the equivalent of a 5.  The text, graphics, sound, and video are well balanced between all of the different ideas or content in the Glog, and each of these media are used to convey the intended message in a clear way to the intended audience.  All of the media enhances the understanding of the ideas, especially in the Prezi.  The Prezi uses images, text, and video in an alternating fashion to accentuate understanding of each particular planet in our solar system.

Quality of media representations

• I would give the quality of the media representations in the hypermedia model an equivalency of about a 4.  The sound was clear for the videos that I used to supplement the content.  However, the recording on my Lulin Comet animation would not come out as clear as I would have hoped.  My Voki recording on the other hand, came out extraordinary and I was very pleased with the results.  The sound that was incorporated into my Glog was checked for clarity, and for the most part is noted to be undistorted and loud enough for the audience to interpret.  The graphics are focused and are all well labeled with transition statements that allow the user to figure out where a certain link will take them.  The video shots were smooth and stable, not to mention well balanced with regard to the other media that is represented throughout the Glog.

Meaningfulness and descriptiveness of links

• I would give the meaningfulness and descriptiveness of the links in my Glog an equivalency of 5.  The links that I created in my Glog support smooth navigation and are well labeled to allow the user to have an idea about what sort of information they will be taken to.  Glogster helps users to clearly identify when a link is present, because it circles the link in bright red so that the user may click with ease.  My ideas are inherent in the links that I have created within my Glog, and I have made it as user-friendly as possible.

Quality of screen design

• I would give the quality of my screen design the equivalency of a 5.  I had a galactic orientated theme that was demonstrated throughout the entire design, and I placed objects in a balanced manner that was consistent and helpful for the user because the composition was not distractful in any way.

Nodes organized in meaningful, informative structures

• I would give a quantitative score of 5, with regard to the nodes I created being organized in a meaningful structure that is very informative in nature.  The content that I supplied on the Glog was broken down into well-labeled nodes that contained concise content.  This content was displayed in a manner that resonated with a significant clear purpose regarding the content topic that the audience was being informed about.

Purpose of hypermedia knowledge base clear to users

• I feel that the purpose of the hypermedia knowledge base was made clear and transparent to the intended audience, thus I evaluate it with a quantitative score of 5.  The purpose of my Glog with regard to space exploration and the solar system was well communicated to the intended audience.  The knowledge base meets the needs, interests, and purpose of a sixth grade classroom of students interested in obtaining an overview of the solar system and space knowedge and exploration.  In closure, I would evaluate my model with a high score that is correlated with a quality hypermedia model production.  My reasoning behind this, is because I consulted Jonassen’s rubric as I was creating my hypermedia model to satify and exceed the criteria that he set forth.