Presentation to the DIT Graduate showcase 2016

1. LTTC Showcase & Graduate
Conference
Observing the effects of introducing
screencasts to support students using a
computer simulation program to learn
computer networking.

2. Introduction - About Me
• Padraig McDonagh
• Working in Computers since 1990
• Teaching Computer networks since 2003
• Lots of Industry/practical experience
• Teach 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th year subjects
certificate, degree & honours degree.

3. Tutorials can be intense
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=468726

4. My Idea
• To scaffold or support learners.
• I chose first year students.
• Unfamiliar with College level.
• Learning “alien” concepts.
• Using new & complicated software to
do it.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Atlas_trophy_bronze.png
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C-5M_Cockpit.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Universit%C3%A9_Missouri_School_of_Journalism.jpg
Me
My Students
Program Interface

5. Packet Tracer

6. My Concept
• Create screencasts.
• Short instructional videos.
• Capture actions on screen.
• Can be used to teach tasks or concepts.
• For my first years behaviourist/constructivist
principles apply.

7. Research
• Four Strands
– Action Research – my methodology
– Network Simulation Programs – are they a valid
teaching tool?
– Screencasts – Do’s and don’ts and theoretical
underpinnings
– Cognitive Load – a specific aspect of learning I had
identified from the other literature

8. Creating the Screencasts
• Started with one tool recommended by a
classmate – Microsoft expressions encoder.
• Ended up using another tool recommended by
another classmate – Activepresenter.

9. Active Presenter Interface

10. My approach
• Create some screencasts
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cecil_B_DeMille_1922.jpg

11. Do the Tutorial

12. Survey the Students for Feedback

13. Get the feedback and adjust the screencasts
Impressive, I like this didactic tool you are
using to teach very much, for some reason I
missed this particular class where you
explained to the class how to use this
software and I felt it was of big help to me to
make the assignment and learn what I
missed in class.
It is good, because we can follow the video,
pause, try do it and come back and check it.
Is easier for me as it lets me follow step by
step and do it myself so I learn way easier
and faster than reading a tutorial or
instructions.
In my own opinion Screencast are very useful
and really good for learn because if I
misunderstand something I can just pause
the video and play it again.
I think the only disadvantages is if you have a
question you can't ask the teacher
immediately.

14. Publish more screencasts
http://www.luxurystnd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Lucas.jpg

15. Run another tutorial

16. Survey again for comparison

17. Run Assessment using the program

18. Compare results to previous year

19. Run a Focus Group
http://www.autismsa.org.au/Media/Default/MarComm/focus-group.jpg

20. Analyse all feedback
Themes/Categories
Convenience
Learning Preferences – needs to be broken down
Trustworthy source
Sound Quality
Video Quality
Individual Attention
Cognitive load – low incidence only prompted by the researcher is this irrelevant or just
unlikely to be contemplated by the students.
PMc OK Ive been told this will work so, so hopefully it will, so out of the five of you that
are here how many of you viewed the screencasts?
W1 - I viewed the first one, the second one, a little bit it was during the exams so I didn’t
do the whole thing
PMc sure yeah but you looked at them?
W1 I looked at them
PMc OK, and, did you think they were a good thing or a bad thing? or
W1 Em, I liked them because you can go back to them, em its a good its kind of interesting

21. Findings so far
• The screencasts have changed me more than
the students.
• Assessment results improved BUT that could
be due to other factors – a whole other
research project.
• The students liked the use of screencasts –
mostly positive feedback – audio quality was
an issue at the start.
• Read the theory first, too late afterwards to
“shoehorn” in pedagogical best practice.

22. Where next?
• More screencasts – Created 9 for the original
project, have published another 20 since.
• More “depth”, introducing the why into more
advanced screencasts – 2nd & 3rd year
subjects.
• Screencasts for other lecturers, have created
some workshops to run over the summer.
• Combine with other technologies to identify
“muddiest point” – Next Project??

23. Thank You for Listening
Questions?