Students as Designers Principle states, “Good learning designs engage
students in using content to construct meaningful outcomes by comprehensively
scaffolding students’ ability to design.”
This can be accomplished by promoting the Creative Spirit of Design including design processes to allow
designers/our students to exemplify these three characteristics: imagination,
being creation-oriented, and interdisciplinary action.
Last week in
class we experienced this process of students as designers as we worked in
groups to create a promotional video. We
were given clear guidelines/outcome, had solid background knowledge of the
design principles and how to make an “in camera editing” video and Priscilla
provided us ample opportunities for feedback. We were allowed to have choice in what type of
video it would be. We also had voice in
how we would demonstrate our knowledge of the six design principles covered
throughout the course. This creative
spirit of design lead us to be active participants or motivated, engaged
students. We became designers. Prior to class we had to first write a
comprehensive treatment plan to include the purpose, audience, length and
style, as well as, brainstorm ideas to get us into focus. We chose to do a video chat which allowed us
to practice the inter-disciplinary action, or collaboration, as we each have
different specialties and perspectives to share. We typed it up and turned it in for feedback
before beginning the next step. Then, in
class, we continued to work as a group to map out the storyboard of our two and
a half minute video to include the style of the shot, any technique to be used
and dialogue between two teachers. This
demonstrated the use of our imagination.
Students should be given opportunities to plan the process around
solving authentic problems so they can experience having choice in the best way
to go about reaching the learning goal.
With clear
guidelines and expectations for the outcome, opportunity for collaborating with
others, and providing students with ample opportunities for feedback, students
can be designers too. Having more ownership
of their learning will hopefully lead to more engaged and motivated students
who enjoy these experiences to show us their knowledge that is more meaningful
to them. I love the conclusion in the
article that stated, “By becoming great designers, as encouraged by the
creative spirit of design, all instructional designers are in a better position
to develop educational environments that are effective, valuable, inspiring,
and powerful. They are in a better
position to develop instruction of the highest quality that they can imagine”
(p. 57).
Hey! Everything you mentioned about making the video, from the treatment to the editing to the feedback, proves that the whole experience was more about the process and the content used than the final video. Our videos were incredibly entertaining, but probably won't be winning any Oscars any time soon. But they more than got the message across about what it means to be in the DDLS program, which was our ultimate goal.
ReplyDeleteI like that in this activity we got to play the part of the students. We got to see the results of a well designed sequence from a student's perspective. Of course we are all students, but going through this, I think, enabled me to see how a lesson design would be constructed to allow students to take their knowledge and apply it to a real problem. I like that our teacher gave us the freedom to operate within a well-built framework to create something that was both specific and open-ended. We were able to choose what format to present our information. All the groups had the same ultimate goal, but we all approached it differently. All of us produced different videos, but we all learned something in the process. I think that creative freedom is the mark of a well-built lesson design.
ReplyDeleteOwnership. Something I feel students in today's classrooms have little of... but it's changing as more teachers go through the DDLS program! (still wearing my DDLS promotional hat!) It's such a powerful thing to be a part of your own learning and the project this week helped solidify it more for me too. Learning how the constraints that were enforced helped keep us on track was eye opening to me - Artist by nature have always had this I want to color outside the lines mentality, give me my freedom, but it is important as teachers as designers to set those boundaries, as I feel it didn't constrict our creativity but actually enhanced it.
ReplyDeleteHey Kim! I really liked making the video too. I have had students story board like that too but never to that level of detail. So, I appreciated the process that Priscilla had us go through and realized , like Stacey said, that it was about so much more than just video production.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the courses so much. I feel like each week, we have been students participating in the design process to make our own meaning in creative ways. But more than that, they are examples of what and how we could be incorporating well-designed learning opportunities with our students, no matter what discipline we teach. This particular week was very powerful as I think it provided all of us with the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the principals as we experienced the making of the video as "students as designers."
ReplyDelete