Title: Intelligent Multimedia and Thinking Skills
Performer(s):
Lynn Fontana
New Media Group
George Mason University
Gheorghe Tecuci
George Mason University
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Cluster: CAPER
Contact Information:
Phone: 703-993-3641
Fax: 703-993-1439
email: lfontana@gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-1722
email: tecuci@cne.gmu.edu
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1. Instructional Focus:
Content areas/topics: Social science (American history, government.)
Process skills: Research, collaboration, knowledge construction; Teaching Strategies: Collaborative learning, inquiry, student-centered instruction, research-based learning; Critical Thinking Skills: Evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and application of knowledge.
2. Target Population: Initially teachers and students grades 8 and 11 American history; eventually 5-12 social studies.
3. Summary Description: Software designed as a tool to promote higher-order thinking and hence research skills while advancing studentsŐ knowledge of specific historical content. As a tool, the software assists teachers as they engage students in historical research with multimedia materials which require student higher-order thinking skills. In this prototype, the software tool has been used to create a curriculum module on slavery and the African American experience during the Civil War. With this MMTS software slavery unit, developers are testing the effectiveness of software to promote studentsŐ learning of thinking/research skills while they are acquiring historical content.
4. Training and Staff Development:
- Teacher prerequisite skills/knowledge needed: Good history teachers who know and understand historical research. Comfort with computers, multimedia, and email; awareness of and interest in the World Wide Web.
- Student prerequisite skills needed: To be determined in conjunction with teachers in the field when piloted.
- Training needed/provided: To be determined in conjunction with teachers in the field when piloted.
- Technical support needed/provided: None specified.
5. Technological Resources Needed: Pentium PC or Mac/MacOS 7.5+ with 17 inch Monitor, 16 mg memory, 100 mg free disk, CD-ROM. Internet access and support for connectivity required and will be provided by the project.
6. Intended Outcomes:
Students: Students will develop skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application of knowledge.
Teachers: Teachers will develop their technological skills and skills in teaching higher-order thinking skills.
7. Instructional Time Required: To be determined in conjunction with consulting teachers.
8. Role of the Pilot Teacher(s): A) During the development period (1/96 - 6/96), teachers will provide feedback to developers about concepts, curriculum orientation, metaphors, screen design, etc. B) During the field, teachers will prepare for the learning activity by being trained in using the prototype software as a means of facilitating small group research activities with students. Teachers will be encouraged to integrate this prototype with material from their texts and other local sources.
9. Example(s) of the Use of this Product (Scenario):
Students in a middle school American history class are studying the Civil War. They collaborate to produce multimedia reports about slavery. They are guided through a multimedia database (a virtual archive) that includes primary source documents on slavery in the Ante-bellum and American Civil War period. With the help of an intelligent tutor, they learn to examine, analyze and synthesize the information they gather. They prepare multimedia reports, journal accounts, and debriefing statements that can be evaluated for both development of higher-order thinking skills and for knowledge acquisition and application.
