1. The Effective Use of
Technology in Teaching
The Learning Curve
Thursday, March 22, 2012

2. S. Todd McKee, M.Ed.
Instructional Developer
Little Rock GRECC, CAVHS
Arkansas Geriatric Education Center

4. Outline
• Define types of media technology
• Describe the principles of message
design or communication
• Identify guidelines of an effective
presentation

5. Media Types
• Text
• Audio
• Visuals
• Video
• Animations
• Real objects

6. Text
• Words, numbers, signs, symbols,
equations, etc.
• Faster than other media
• Most reliable
• Cannot adequately
represent everything

7. Audio
• Human voice, music, sound effects,
natural, mechanical, etc.
• Excellent for teaching attitudes
• More effective when the topic is simple,
concrete, and unstructured
• Very effective when
combined with other media

8. Visuals
• Drawing, graph, photo, map, charts, etc
• Identify objects, classifying objects,
showing relationships, help make abstract
concepts concrete
• Visuals combined with text help with
retention

9. Video
• Best for showing realism, skills that need
recognizing, making abstract concepts
concrete, classifying or comparing
information, presenting introductions, or
getting someone’s attention
• Requires more mental processing with
potential to overwhelm
• Weak at teaching detailed information

10. Animations
• Show relationships between objects, help
explain difficult concepts, simulations

11. Real Objects
• Provide real objects or
activities
• Better than simulation or
representation

12. Selecting Media
• Text is a base, build on top
• More than one media is usually better
• “Does it enhance or distract?”
• Media carries your message

13. Example

14. Communication Process

15. Communication Process
Experience Experience
Msg Msg Msg Msg
Receiv
Source Encoding Channel Decode
er
Feedback
Context

16. Media & Experience
Dale’s
Cone of
Experienc
e

17. Dale’s Cone of Experience

18. Designing Effective
Presentation
Guidelines
• Big
• Simple
• Clear
• Progressive
• Consistent

19. Make It Big

20. Make it Big (Text)
• This is Arial 12
• This is Arial 18
• This is Arial 24
• This is Arial 32
• This is Arial 36
• This is Arial 44
• This is Arial 54

21. Make it Big (Text)
• This is Arial 12
• This is Arial 18
Too Small
• This is Arial 24
• This is Arial 32
• This is Arial 36
• This is Arial 44
• This is Arial 54

22. Keep It Simple

23. Keep It Simple (Text)
• Too many colors
• Too Many Fonts and Styles
• The 5 x 6 rule
• No more than 5 lines per slide
• No more than 6 words per line

24. Keep It Simple (Text)
Instructional Technology:
A complex integrated process involving
people, procedures, ideas, devices, and
organization, for analyzing problems and
Too detailed !
devising, implementing, evaluating, and
managing solutions to those problems in
situations in which learning is purposive
and controlled
(HMRS 5th ed.)

25. Keep It Simple (Text)
Instructional Technology:
A process
involving people, procedures & tools
Much Simpler
for solutions
to problems in learning
(HMRS 5th ed.)

26. Keep It Simple (Picture)
• Art work may distract your audience
• Artistry does not substitute for content

27. Keep It Simple (Sound)
• Sound effects may distract too
• Use sound only when necessary

28. Keep It Simple
(Transition)
• This transition is annoying, not enhancing
• "Appear" and "Disappear" are better

29. Make It Clear

30. Make It Clear
(Capitalisation)
• ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE
DIFFICULT TO READ
• Upper and lower case letters are
easier

31. Make It Clear (Fonts)
San-serif Serif
Z Z
clear busy

32. Make It Clear (Fonts)
• Serif fonts are difficult to read on screen
• San-serif fonts are clearer
• Italics are difficult to read on screen
• Normal or bold fonts are clearer
• Underlines may signify hyperlinks
• Instead, use colors to emphasise

33. Make It Clear (Numbers)
Use numbers for lists with sequence
For example:
How to put an elephant into a fridge?
1. Open the door of the fridge
2. Put the elephant in
3. Close the door

34. Make It Clear (Bullets)
Use bullets to show a list without
• Priority
• Sequence
• Hierarchy

35. Make It Clear (Colors)
• Use contrasting colors
• Light on dark vs dark on light
• Use complementary colors

36. Make It Clear (Contrast)
• Use contrasting colors
• Light on dark vs dark on light
• Use complementary colors
This is light on dark

37. Make It Clear (Contrast)
• Use contrasting colors
• Light on dark vs dark on light
• Use complementary colors
This is dark on light

38. Make It Clear
(Complement)
• Use contrasting colors
• Light on dark vs dark on light
• Use complementary colors
These colors do not complement

39. Make It Clear
(Complement)
• Use contrasting colors
• Light on dark vs dark on light
• Use complementary colors
These colors complement

40. Make It Clear (Size)
• Size implies importance

41. Make It Clear (Size)
• Size implies importance

42. Be Progressive

43. Types of Instructional
Discovery
Tools
Learning
Individual Social
Constructive Constructive
Mode of Instruction
Tools Tools
Guided
Too many in one go!
Inquiry Informational Tools
Individual Social
Instructive Communicative
Tools Tools
Direct
Instruction
Individual Pair Group
Complexity of Interactions

44. Types of Instructional
Discovery
Tools
Learning
Individual Social
Constructive Constructive
Mode of Instruction
Tools Tools
Guided Informational Tools
Inquiry
Progressive &
Individual Social
Instructive focused
thus Communicative
Tools Tools
Direct
Instruction
Individual Pair Group
Complexity of Interactions

45. Be Consistent

46. Be Consistent
• Differences draw attention
• Differences may imply importance
• Use surprises to attract not distract

47. Be Consistent
Differences draw attention
• Differences may imply importance
• Use surprises to attract not distract
This tick draws attention

48. Be Consistent
Differences draw attention
 Differences may imply importance
o Use surprises to attract not distract
These differences
distract!

49. Be Consistent
• Differences draw attention
• Differences may imply importance
• Use surprises to attract not distract
This implies importance

50. Be Consistent
• Differences draw attention
• Differences may imply importance
• Use surprises to attract not distract
Confusing differences!

51. Be Consistent
• Differences draw attention
• Differences may imply importance
• Use surprises to attract not distract
This surprise attracts

52. Be Consistent
• Differences draw attention
• Differences may imply importance
• Use surprises to attract not distract
These distract!

53. In Summary
• Big
• Simple
• Clear
• Progressive
• Consistent

54. Some Final Words
• Communication is the key
• Text to support the communication
• Pictures to simplify complex concepts
• Visuals to support, not to distract
• Animations/Video for complex
relationships
• Sounds only when absolutely necessary

55. Thank you!
Questions?
Email: todd@uams.edu
SlideShare:
slideshare.net/todd