Journal Review

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I've always happy if you're read articles in my blog, it means a lot to me.

This article talks about the title, problem, solution, and result of a journal that I have read before, just a reminder that I just an English learner, not a native speaker though, so it might contain a LOT of mistakes.

What is the title?

Experiences on the Design, Creation, and Analysis of Multimedia

Content to Promote Active Learning

What is the problem?

      The assessment of the practical competencies acquired in the lab was commonly evaluated at the end of each session by fulfilling questionnaires (oral questioning can be extremely time-consuming if the number of students is very large, as it is the case), which were not entirely satisfactory since time constraints did not allow extensive answers. Second, students must attend the lab to both learning and assessing the task (which is a graded activity), thus implying less time to reflect and understand. Moreover, the large number of small groups implied that the teachers present in the lab had to repeat multiple times the same explanations about some specific issues related to each implemented circuit. 

       Researchers noticed that the students had trouble relating the contents learned in the subjects to real-life applications of electronics. This could imply less interest and, consequently, a reduced degree of motivation. The rationale of this work is therefore to improve the situations previously described by introducing the use of multimedia resources. We have focused on three main issues: multimedia material developed by the students, multimedia material developed by the faculty, and excerpts from feature films.

What is the solution?

1. Multimedia Material Created by the Students: Assessment Based on Video Reports Made with Smartphones.

        The use of student-developed digital videos has shown to be a powerful tool for teaching and learning (Kearney and Schuck 2006). Shewbridge and Berge (2004) analyze different benefits of the use of video productions in education, such as active experiential learning and motivation. Burden and Kuechel (2004) stress that students present a better understanding and acceptance of materials produced by their peers and teachers. In this sense, digital video production combined with the use of mobile devices has demonstrated the ease of use and flexibility, overcoming the disadvantages associated with technology and time constraints (Arnedillo Sánchez and Tangney 2006).

2. Multimedia Material Created by the Faculty: Video Tutorials Made with Screen Capture Technology.

         The implementation and success of flipped classrooms have been widely studied (Jeong et al. 2016; González-Gómez et al. 2016), showing the benefits of considering a learner-centered model aided by instructional content and online material. This is particularly important since students may have different learning paces, so the availability of various kinds of instructional materials helps to achieve more efficient and effective learning since students can work with the tools that best suit their own rhythm (Carver et al. 1999).

3.  Multimedia from Feature Films: Technical Analysis of a Science Fiction Film.

         Some authors have pointed to the relationship between the use of generic multimedia resources and the emotional connections that affect the ways of learning (Chen et al. 2012). Indeed, the use of multimedia as a learning reinforcement is not unknown in the field of electronics (Olmo et al. 2012;

Drofenik and Kolar 2002; Stumpf 2010).

What is the result?

1. The results concerning this activity have been very satisfactory. First, students have employed this method in a natural and simple way to explain the circuit design, implementation, and operation. In our experience, this kind of assessment becomes less stressing for the students as compared with face-to-face questioning. It also benefits the faculty, since reviewing the video reports does not require the physical presence of the students or the instructor, so the assessment can be done with a flexible time schedule. In general, the quality of the video reports indicates a significant interest and motivation of students towards the activity.

2. The vast majority of students watched the videos before the laboratory sessions. However, from the direct observation of the students at the lab, we noticed that the influence of the video tutorials over the progress of the lab sessions has been dissimilar between the small working groups (each one composed of two or three students). In some groups, the tutorials clearly helped the students to understand the exercises, especially the activities related to PSPICE simulations, while for other groups there was not a direct correlation between visualizing the tutorials and effective performance. Other aspects, such as the personal involvement and commitment of each student, seemed to be more influential. Due to this, the difference in the average grades obtained in a reference group that did not watch the tutorials compared with the ones of the group that did watch them is not significant from a statistical point of view. In general, video tutorials have constituted an additional tool for the learning process, with the advantage that such materials can be reused in future courses without extra work from the faculty.

3. The students’ involvement in the debate was relatively low, with a few exceptions (some students were very active, while others did not make relevant contributions). However, in the case of the large group, where the debate was a voluntary activity in an attempt to foster a reflexive and reasoned participation (the task requires a certain degree of maturity and predisposition), the quality of the inputs was significant, yielding even new topics not initially foreseen by the faculty. From this point of view, it was a very satisfactory outcome, since some students went further than expected searching for information on the Internet, and they clearly expanded their previous knowledge. However, we must point out that the explanation of the objectives of the activity may have been insufficient since some students experienced difficulties in relating fiction and real-world technology. This can be easily amendable in a face-to-face debate, as we saw with the small group.

Reviewed by: Ahmad Zaelani

Reference:

Rengel, R., Pascual, E., Íñiguez-de-la-Torre, I., Martín, M., & Vasallo, B. (2019). Experiences on the Design, Creation, and Analysis of Multimedia Content to Promote Active Learning. Journal Of Science Education And Technology, 28(5), 445-451. doi: 10.1007/s10956-019-09777-9