Part+1+-+What+technologies+and+media+are+required

Once we have decided on a course or unit or module to redevelop, we can decide on what technologies and media are required and why.
 * (Two things to remember from the assignment sheet - 1. we've got plenty of money, and 2. assume all students have broadband)**

//Considering blended learning as opposed to completely online.//


 * Technology / media (ideas)**
 * 1) **Wiki** / Wikispace
 * 2) **Learning Management System** (Moodle, Blackboard, Desire 2 Learn)
 * 3) Screen Recorders - Video tutorials - **You Tube**
 * 4) **Discussion Boards (asynchronous)** - this would be incorporated in if we choose to use a wiki or **LMS**
 * 5) **Online quizzes** (formative tests and simulations)
 * 6) **Podcasts / Vodcast**
 * 7) **Smart Board**
 * 8) **Web 2.0 (Prezi etc)**
 * 9) Google Docs


 * Delivery & Assessment (ideas)**


 * 1) Group work/ Individual work
 * 2) Simulated Communication Exercises
 * 3) Role Playing
 * 4) Self assessments/ Peer assessments
 * 5) Portfolios
 * 6) Case Studies
 * 7) Reflective exercises

Look at the Assessment Task for Unit 1 summary for what's required for assessment.

Assessment tasks for this unit are chosen from the following:

• case study analysis;

• business research (print and online);

• development of a business plan;

• interview and report on contact with business;

• business simulation exercise;

• school-based, short-term business activity;

• essay;

• test;

• computer applications and simulations;

• business survey and analysis;

• analytical exercises;

• media analysis;

• investigation and report (written, visual, oral).

evaluation || 30 hours ||
 * Suggested teaching plan **
 * **unit ** || **Area of study ** || **Suggested duration ** ||
 * //1. Small business management // || 1. Introducing business || 9 hours ||
 * || 2. Small business decision-making, planning and
 * || 3. Day-to-day operations || 11 hours ||
 * ||  || 50 hours in total ||


 * BLENDED STUDY PLAN || =BUSINESS MANAGEMENT UNIT 1= ||  ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || ===Technology and media used=== || ===Activity/Assessment=== || ===Assessment Breakdown=== ||
 * **OUTCOME 1** || ==Introducing business== ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || Key skills ||  ||   ||   ||
 * 9 Hours || These skills include the ability to ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || • accurately use relevant management terms; || online discussion via LMS || Students actively discuss the features of organisations for profit and non-profit organisations. ||  ||
 * 3 weeks (school time) || • recognise and classify types of businesses; || online quiz/servey via LMS || Students complete an online quiz/survey about "the contribution of small businesses to the economy". ||  ||
 * || • acquire and exchange business information and ideas; || research paper (online and print) || Students prepare a researh paper which compares the different sized businesses ||  ||
 * || • research aspects of business management using print and online sources; || online research || (extra study for online quiz) ||  ||
 * || • apply business management knowledge to practical and/or simulated business situations; || debate (podcast/vodcast) || Students debate on business ethics and social responsibility. (Discussions will be recorded as audio (podcast) or video (vodcast) ||  ||
 * || • analyse business information and data. ||  || Chapter Test (print document and in class). ||   ||
 * ||  || YouTube || Teacher shows videos/simulations from YouTube. ||   ||
 * **OUTCOME 2** || ==Small business decision-making, planning and evaluation== ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || Key skills ||  ||   ||   ||
 * 30 Hours || These skills include the ability to ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || • accurately use relevant management terms; || online discussion via LMS || Students discuss on invention vs innovation/pros and cons. ||  ||
 * 11 weeks (school time) || • research aspects of small business management using print and online sources; || research paper (online and print) || Students prepare a research paper which includes one profit and one non-profit business and their legal and governmental obligations. ||  ||
 * || • acquire and exchange business information and ideas; || online discussion || class and online discussions ||  ||
 * || • explain the importance of complying with legal and government regulations relevant to the small business; || video conferencing || A guest speaker can be invited (or video conferencing can be arranged) to talk about legal and government regulations and students can discuss these regulations ||  ||
 * || • apply small business management knowledge to practical and/or simulated business situations; || online project (wiki) || Students develop a "Business Plan" as group on wikispace. ||  ||
 * || • evaluate management practices with respect to decision-making and planning. ||  || Chapter Test (print document and in class). ||   ||
 * ||  || YouTube || Teacher shows videos/simulations from YouTube. ||   ||
 * **OUTCOME 3** || ==**Day-to-day operations**== ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || Key skills ||  ||   ||   ||
 * 11 Hours || These skills include the ability to ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || • accurately use relevant management terms; || online discussion via LMS || Students discuss the possible use of available technology such as databases, spreadsheet, presentation software, Internet, podcasts, SMS, blogs or emerging technologies. ||  ||
 * 4 weeks (school time) || • research the selected day-to-day operation/s of a small business using print and online sources; || research (online, print and interview) || Students interview (podcast/vodcast) with a business and their application of ICT into their day-to-day operations ||  ||
 * || • acquire and exchange business information and ideas; ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || • apply the selected day-to-day operation/s to a practical and/or simulated business situation; || online project (web 2.0) || Students design a web page/ business card/ advertisement/ commercial film for their business. ||  ||
 * || • discuss the ethical and socially responsible management of the selected day-to-day operation/s ||  || Assessment task - an essay of ethics in ICT and business ||   ||
 * ||  || YouTube || Teacher shows videos/simulations from YouTube. ||   ||
 * ||  || Prezi/ppt || Teacher uses Power Point presentations for instruction. ||   ||
 * ||  || Smart Board || Teacher uses Smard Board technology in class. ||   ||

(1st Draft: more addition will be done)

With the implementation of new technologies in education, teaching and learning outcomes remain unchanged but the approaches in the way we teach has changed. Teaching was understood to be teacher driven and information based, but over the years the pedagogies behind 'teaching' has been adapted to become one which is now more student centred, creativity, thinking, collaborating, and networking skills are encouraged using the new availiable technologies. Students are learning more than before by having fun, creating their own outcome/product as they become engineers of life long learning approachers facilitated to them via their teachers. Web 2.0 applications allow students to enhance their knowledge by using ICT in a productive way, not only being an observer/listener as previous teaching and learning (teacher centred) methods. Apart from enjoyment in an increasingly complex and collaborative online environment, a Web 2.0 skill set is an important one for all students to master for digital literacy and lifelong learning in the connected environment (McEwan, 2010).

__//There are a number of reasons for teachers to use the technology/**Web 2.0 tools** ://__ Therefore, the implementation of these objectives in our blended unit design will support, prepare and equip students with the skills needed for real life and life long learning experiences.
 * //allows students and teachers to collaborate and communicate// **(learning contracts)**
 * //enables teachers to collect evidence of participation in formative and summative assessment tasks// **(diagnostic instruments)**
 * encourages higher order skills such as group work and problem solving **(reflective component)**
 * //enables students to use this technology away from school// **(reflective component)**
 * prepares students for a workforce in which industry likes employees who can communicate, collaborate and be creative (Casey, 2008). **(learning contracts)**

Hanewald and White group the web 2.0 applications into 5 categories: 1) Knowledge management and transfer, with learning management systems (LMS) (WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle, Wikis, Google etc.) 2) Applications with an audio-visual focus (Flickr; photo sharing, YouTube/ TeacherTube/ podcats/ vodcasts; video sharing, Google Earth etc.) 3) Collaborative focus for publishing or project work (Wikis, Google Docs, C-maps, WebEx etc.) 4) Social interactions, networking and community building (Facebook, MySpace and Blogs etc.) 5) Virtual Worlds (Second Life, World of War, IMVU etc.) (Hanewald & White, 2008).

There are two main types of knowledge management and transfer applications: The first are wikis or websites where people contribute to the existing information on the internet. The second are Learning Management Systems (LMS) for communication and instructional purposes, usually with restricted access to people associated with the provider organization (Hanewald & White, 2008).

//Increasingly, wikis are being used by teachers because (Casey, 2008):// //• different people can contribute to a collaborative project creative writing tasks can be drafted and tracked each person’s contribution, as well as other versions, can be tracked// //• contributors can add their own pages// //• they can be public or private (read by and contributed to, by whoever the creator of the site chooses)(Casey, 2008)//

Wiki spaces can be used to put up course materials and a discussion board for a VCE class, and alternatively, a junior class might have a page each on their project or topic under investigation (Hanewald & White, 2008). For our blended course, students need to use wiki space for their group project; business plan. They should use wiki space for communication, planning, organizing and combining their work and display their project. This project allow them to apply small business management knowledge to practical and/or simulated business situations.

Learning Management Systems are the main body of schools/universities main communication environment which enable an active environment for students and teachers. For example Deakin University, based in Australia, uses Blackboard/D2L as LMS which makes university resources reachable by students and teachers. They can communicate easily, share knowledge, submit their assignments/projects, search from library etc via LMS. In our study design, we did not select a specific LMS, we assume that each school has a LMS that can be used for blended teaching/learning environment. In our blended course, students need to attend and actively participate in the discussion sessions (via LMS) to learn and use relevant management terms accurately and to improve their business management skills by sharing and discussing ideas with their peers.


 * YouTube or TeacherTube** have many resources related to many subjects. TeacherTube is based on YouTube but designed specifically for educational resources, containing mainly classroom teaching materials, aids for teacher training and student produced work (Hanewald & White, 2008). There are many videos on YouTube for a Business Management course. Some of them are used in our blended study program for students to acquire and exchange business information and ideas by allowing them a visual learning environment.

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">**Podcast or vodcasts** are another audio-visual tool which is mainly sharing of sound or videos. With the new copyright regulations, teachers can bring the podcast and vodcasts into class for listening, viewing and discussion (Casey, 2008). Students are asked to research the selected day-to-day operation/s of a small business using interview method. They <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> can record the interview as vodcast or podcast or as a written document and they can display their work to class and discuss the topic in class. Also debating sessions on business ethics and social responsibility <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">are organised and d iscussions can be recorded as audio (podcast) or video (vodcast). Class discussions and lectures can be recorded as Podcast or Vodcast for a future reference and extra study document and back up.


 * <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">IWB / Smart Boards **<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> are a common teaching tool used mainly within classroom. This tool is an effective and interactive way to support teaching. The interactive whiteboard gives students a chance to engage with the lesson in an interactive way. With its interactive nature it is a tool which can be used to cater for differentiated learning methods. Akbas and Pektas (2011) explain some of new teaching and learning activities by using IWBs as capturing, emphasizing, storing, annotating notes, games and linking. Capturing from a textbook or web page and use it on IWB to edit, solve or explain is a good opportunity for interactive learning. Emphasizing essential parts of the texts by using underline or highlight tools or hideaway feature is possible. Storing option is very crucial for absent students who can catch up with missing class time. For our unit, class works (flip charts and video records, power point presentations) will be upload to school LMS and students will find a chance to study and discuss on them later on (at home or in later classes). Class records also allow teachers to make an easy revision of previous classes. Power point presentations can include concept/mind maps of relevant subject/Business Management and teacher can ask students to fill the concept map on IWB which has a special pen to write on slides or to move given parts of an object etc. Computer screen can be seen and IWB pen can be used as a mouse. IWB screen can be used for many games and activities. Becta (2003; cited in Akbas and Pektas, 2011) (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) have listed the advantages of interactive whiteboards for students as; enhanced motivation, improved participation and cooperation, more attractive presentations, ease of use for younger children since there is no requirement for a keyboard, easier handling of complex concepts with the help of clearer, more effective and dynamic presentations, and the appeal to students with different learning styles.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ** Discussion Boards ** (asynchronous via LMS & Wiki and synchronous via Windows Live Messenger & Skype etc): Students can interact, communicate and collaborate via social medium of web-based environments such as discussion boards of LMSs and Wiki spaces or other social networks such as MSN, Facebook, Tweeter, Skype etc. Social networking spaces such as FaceBook, MySpace and YouTube afford students unprecedented opportunities to share their ideas, celebrate their creativity and receive immediate feedback from fellow networkers (Wheeler, Yeomans and Wheeler, 2008). Interaction can be provided by asynchronous and synchronous communication tools, and students can be fostered to be the part of learning process as in face-to-face learning. Asynchronous communication means participants communicate at different times. They send their comments to other participants, they see all other comments and they get instant feedback from instructor and peers. In our blended unit, students use discussion board of present LMS and share their ideas and reflect on other posts and get feedback from the teacher and classmates. What is more, discussion boards are used to engage students to topics and support them to use relevant management terms accurately and acquire and exchange business information and ideas. Students need to participate in online discussions because their online participation is also a part of their assessment. Students can also communicate via social mediums such as wiki space, Facebook and blogs to discuss any topic, homework, assignment or project. They can also use synchronous communications such as Skype, MSN and GTalk etc.

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