Tena Crews

Beth,

I agree that audio should add to the course. That's one thing you think is important. What are the other two?

Please list three total. Thanks.

BETH BUCK

Easy to Navigate -

I teach how to build a website to market your business. If the site is not interesting or too difficult to navigate the individual will become frustrated.

Time

Understand the time contraints that individuals will have due to outside commitments: Family, full time job, possibly other course work, etc.

Tena Crews

Beth,

Thanks for the information. Creating an online coruse that is easy to navigate is important. It is also not only important to understand others' time constraints, but understand your own time constraints. The key is to also communcate the information and expectations to students.

Thanks!

Daryl Daniels

It would depend on the course or topic you are teaching.

I believe, sound and animation should be added to power point slides if it enhances the learning environment. I teach many financial management courses. Sound would only be effective if it guided (step by step)students through the process of solving problems using forumulas and explaining topics.

Tena Crews

Daryl,

You bring up a goog point. The content of a course many times drives how we do things in an online course. It is important, though, to try to provide information to students in a variety of ways (audio, visual, etc.) so that you can connect with the many different (or dual) learning styles of students.

Thanks!

Robert Boston

Hi Beth,

I do think audio presentation with powerpoint works well, but I also feel that ppt's used with live lecture enhance the presentation's effectiveness. For example, when anatomical disorders are being presented, this gives the instructor an opportunity to express counterpoint and added information in a clear and concise manner so as not to confuse the student.

Tena Crews

Robert,

Thanks for your response to Beth. You bring up a good point about PowerPoint "live lectures." I use a variety of software to record my voice over PowerPoint for asynchronous learning and do live session for synchronous learning.

Both are good additions to the online classroom. Thanks!

Tara Kociszewski

I belive that audio would be a great idea to add to the online courses. Although, I feel that it should be an option to use or not to use for the student. Audio for some students could be a distraction.

Tena Crews

Tara,

Yes, audio can be effective or could be a distraction.

How would you suggest you determine how/when to use audio? OR For what aspects of the course would you use audio?

Thanks in advance for your additional information.

Robert Boston

Agreed. Audio presentation, combined with lecture can offer 2 valid viewpoints on a common topic.

James Hogan

Well audio works very much like the soundtrack to a movie. Appropriately done it can enhance and further a students understanding by tuning more senses/brain power toward the learning objective. It enriches the experience.
For instance supppose your teaching the anatomy of the heart. To see it in a text book is one thing, but to actually hear the rhythm makes the it all the more memorable. It gives a chance for the student to hear different heart beats. Faster, slower, diseased, or labored. Now add an animation of blood flowing through that heart as it contracts and the student has an easier time underestnding how it works.
Alternately if theses were seperate, say just the picture, then just the sound, and no animation. The student may not put the process together appropriately.

Tena Crews

James,

I like the way you describe how audio can enhance the learning experience. You use good examples. This is a great way to get the point across to students. I know you must give good examples to your students as they put the process together in your class.

Providing information to students in a variety of ways is a great way to "hit" all learning styles.

Nice job.

Miriam del Campo

Sound can be turned down or off by an individual students if it is distracting to her or him.

Sound is a very effective learning mechanism for auditory learners and should be included whenever possible over PowerPoints or any other course feature.

Tena Crews

Miriam,

You are right. . .providing students the option is a good thing. Some students do learn more by listening and others by seeing and touching. So, offering a variety of experiences is essential.

When recording voice over PowerPoint, please don't make the recordings too long. Fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient. If you have a lecture that would normally take 60 minutes, break it down into three or four segments.

Thanks again.

Jay Mcalister CHEP

I agree. A power point is a recipe for sleep!

Tena Crews

Jay,

Typically I say "Yawn" - Ha! But there are some software packages like Adobe Presenter in which you can record voice over PowerPoint and put in little quizzes between the slides as well. They are a bit more engaging, but keeping them short is the key. No more than 10-15 minutes.

Thanks!

Tena Crews

Jay,

I work hard to make my PowerPoints more lively with quiz questions built in and everything, but every semester, I get some students who are still not enthralled. I keep trying. ;-)

Ginny Anderson-Klasen

Hi,
I love the idea of sound in a boring old power point!! Spice it up! I like to add some cartoons as well, sometimes I even get a laugh out of them. I will have to check into the Adobe Presenter software.

Thank You,
Ginny Anderson-Klasen

Tena Crews

Ginny,

There's always something new to try with the great technology out there. I just found a text to voice software called Ivona and you can script what you want your PowerPoints to "say" and then buy a voice and it will say it. It's pretty cool. Thanks!