Pam Solvie - psolvie@morris.umn.edu

Pam Solvie is looking for a wide variety of resources in order to develop courses that use technology to teach to diverse learning styles. She requested the following:

• conceptual mapping software
• Video clips of classroom instruction and learning, particularly in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, read alouds, shared reading, and guided reading.
• a tool to gather baseline data on learning styles
• further information on Kolb and Kirby's theories on learning
• a discussion space for her students, such as UM Portals with desktop video conferencing capabilities
• instruction on Flash animation over words and pictures in a webpage and PowerPoint
• a Wiki
• more information on Bruner's theories, especially in language instruction and guides on how to apply these to her courses
• articles on interactive PowerPoint and on using it to engage students

SMF Discussion Board User Guide
SMF Discussion Board Administrative Guide

Some video clips/resources have been located:

http://www.intime.uni.edu/ovcs/home/index.htm
-The Online Video Case Studies website is being developed as a resource tool for PT3 grantees and those who are interested in the "how-tos" of video case studies. 

http://www.intime.uni.edu/about/New_about/Overview/CD.html
-I NT IME provides an online library of over 500 exemplary teaching video vignettes and supplementary materials that enables educators to watch online video vignettes of PreK-12 teachers from various grades and subjects infuse technology into lessons, teaching challenging content. Incorporating the latest research on learning and cognitive psychology, I NT IME has developed a program that helps teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. This three-year grant is from the United States Department of Education’s PT3 program (Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology).

http://www.pt3now.org/
-Video Classroom is a collection of video and radio programs documenting K-12 teachers, student teachers, faculty and administrators in real life classroom experiences.

http://www.aace.org/conf/site/pt3/paper_3008_619.pdf
-Abstract: this paper reports the findings of preliminary trials using digital video and digital video editing to encourage reflective practice in pre-service teacher candidates. Initial digital video editing projects were piloted to guide future program-wide efforts to integrate digital video tools for capturing and reflecting on teaching practice in a meaningful and productive manner. Issues of technology skill development, access to hardware and software, in addition to the technical aspects of collecting, editing, and publishing large video files all affect program-wide integration. Strategies and technologies for addressing these issues and implications for future research are suggested.

http://www.intime.uni.edu/vidsearch/Search/Content_Area_Search.asp
-link to the InTime video collection

http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/phonics.htm
-clips and resources about classrooms learning phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension

http://www.ccsd.net/cpd/literacy/k_5/reading.htm
-clips of instruction on spelling, phonics, vocabulary, and alphabetic principle

http://www.boyntoncook.com/shared/products/E00748.asp
-Drawing on 22 instructional (and inspirational) video clips, this comprehensive, easy-to-navigate DVD vividly conveys the inner workings of writing workshops in a variety of elementary classrooms. The two hours of live-from-the-classroom video clips are supported and enhanced by an optional voice-over coaching commentary from Lucy that explains the teaching moves and strategies.

http://www.readingrockets.org
-Launching Young Readers is a series of half-hour television programs airing on public television stations nationwide. The programs look at different reading strategies that help young children learn to read; feature practical advice for parents; and interweave the personal stories of children, families, and teachers. A DVD copy can be ordered. The programs cover topics including: Roots of Reading, Sounds and Symbols, Fluent Reading, Writing and Spelling, and Reading for Meaning.

http://www.teachingmatters.org/c/@K2uu3kw1QlS1./Pages/promising_classroom.html
-These illustrated and animated Virtual Demonstration Classrooms are used during online discussions and face-to-face to stimulate dialogue about what works and what doesn't in the classroom.

http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/resources/languagearts/index.html
-a great resource developed by Springfield Public School District #186 in Illinois, USA, provides information on reading comprehension within a reading workshop format. Two of the strategies discussed are making connections and inferring. A description of each strategy is provided, along with several video clips showing teachers working with children to demonstrate the strategy, and to provide opportunities for shared experiences and guided and independent practice.

http://www.gse.uci.edu/cli/languagevideos.html
-the Language Arts Video Series developed at the California Learning Exchange at the University of California, Irvine.

http://ctell.uconn.edu/home.htm
-Funded through the Interagency Educational Research Initiative under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, the CTELL project (http://ctell.uconn.edu) is an ambitious effort to determine if the use of anchored video cases of effective K-3 literacy teachers in preservice reading methods courses can (a) enhance preservice teacher candidates' knowledge of best practices for teaching reading, (b) result in the implementation of these practices in the candidates' classrooms when they become teachers, and (c) foster teachers who teach in ways that positively and significantly affect children's reading achievement.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/development.htm
-This tutorial is a sample lesson from a Scholastic professional development session on vocabulary development. It is part of a comprehensive course on how to improve student comprehension. This resource contains three sections: "Owning" Words and Word Knowledge, What words to teach, and a model lesson on a Concept Definition Map. Video clips of classroom instruction and sample lessons are available at the website. (author/mcg/ncl)

http://www.adihome.org/phpshop/movies/...+of+Reading+Mastery&username=
-Short movie clips

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A number of articles on Kolb's Learning Style Theory were located:

"An Evalutation of Kolb's Learning Style Theory by Graduate Student Teachers During their Teaching Practice" - John Heywood
-Abstract:
This paper describes the reactions of graduate secondary school student teachers to an experiment which required them to evaluate specified techniques and theories of teaching and learning as part of their classroom practice. The aim of the experiment was to: (1) improve the quality of their judgments about pupils; (2) acquire variety in teaching styles; (3) increase understanding of student learning; and (4) evaluate the merits of Kolb's theory of learning and its application to teaching practice. Kolb's cycle of learning has four stages: learners are actively involved in a specific experience; they reflect on this experience from several perspectives; they draw conclusions using abstract conceptualization; and they take action as a result of the conclusions. Kolb developed a Learning Styles Inventory to determine the disposition of learners within a framework of four learning styles: convergers, divergers, assimilators, and accommodators. The student teachers devised lesson plans to take their pupils through each quadrant of the cycle and a test to assess student performance based on the learning styles. Over 50 percent of the participants said they experienced a permanent change in teaching as a result of the exercise; 56 percent said they fully intended to use the Kolb plan again; and 29 percent said they would use a Learning Styles Inventory in the future. Comments from student reports illustrate the insights which the exercise brought to the work of these student teachers.
Link to article

"Problems and Inconsistencies with Kolb's Learning Styles" - Iain Garner
-Abstract:
Argues that there are substantial problems with the theoretical foundations of David Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Notes anomalies with the relationship between Carl Jung's style and Kolb's use of possibility processing. Argues that these anomalies make it impossible for defining firm conclusions about the nature of Kolb's learning style.
Link to article

"On Matching Teaching Approach with Student Learning Style: Are We Asking the Right Question?" - Davis
-Abstract:
Experiential learning theory, as developed by David Kolb, offers a useful framework for designing courses to meet diverse learners' needs. Kolb describes learning as a two-dimensional process: grasping the experience (or taking in information) and transforming it. In early life, we are primarily engaged in acquiring information and the basic skills for effective functioning. By adolescence, we have developed certain learning preferences, or styles. Kolb developed a Learning Style Inventory identifying four styles: divergers, assimilators, convergers, and accommodators. Learning styles literature is broad, but few studies have directly addressed the relationship between instructor and student learning styles and the effect that the degree of instructor commitment to a particular mode might have on student achievement. As part of a broad spectrum outcomes assessment program, the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory was administered to all 196 entering students enrolled in freshmen English and to their 7 instructors at a small, selective southern liberal arts college. At the end of the semester, course grades were collected. Results showed no significant differences in course grade point averages among students who were matched or partially matched with, or held opposite styles to, their instructors. Further analysis indicated that student divergers, assimilators, convergers, and accommodators showed no significant differences in grade point average. Several reasons for these inconclusive results are presented, along with recommendations for further research. Included are 21 references, 3 figures, and 4 tables.
Link to article

"A Critical Comparison of Learning Style Instruments Frequently Used with Adult Learners." - Rule, Grippin
-Abstract:
Theoretical framework, instrument development, and psychometric qualities are reviewed for some measures of learning style currently in use with adults. Instruments reviewed include: (1) Kolb's Learning Style Inventory I; (2) Kolb's Learning Style Inventory II; (3) the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; (4) the Productivity Environmental Preferences Survey; (5) the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale; (6) the Personal Style Indicator; and (7) the Group Embedded Figures Test. For each review, the reliability, validity, interpretation, and utility of the test are discussed. Reviewed instruments come from various theoretical perspectives and have been in existence for varying lengths of time. The review does not indicate that older instruments are more reliable or valid than newer counterparts, but does demonstrate the vast amount of information available for older instruments. For instruments more recently developed, more quality information is needed for the user to make informed decisions about their use.
Link to article

"Students' Learning Styles: Implications for Teacher Education." - Perry
-Abstract:
Many learners appear to approach learning in different yet reasonably consistent ways. The ability to recognize and take responsibility for these particular styles is an essential feature of efficient and effective planning and efficient and effective learning. Program planners can use knowledge about learning styles to develop programs that: (1) teach about learning styles; (2) model for the learner the implications of this knowledge; (3) provide learners with experiences that encourage the development of a wide variety of learning styles; and (4) do not disadvantage a particular learning style. This paper presents information about the learning profiles of 86 teacher education students using information gleaned from the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. According to Kolb, effective learners need ability in all of the following areas: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Student preferences for distinctive ways of learning were clearly shown--abstract conceptualization was the most commonly preferred. Conclusions are drawn from the data and implications for program planning that better match the needs of learners are provided. Diagrammatic representations as suggested by Kolb are included. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/LL)
Link to article

"Experience versus Theory in Teacher Education. Research in Teacher Education Monograph Series, No. 1/91" - Fitzgibbon
-Abstract:
This monograph contains two papers that examine the importance of learning styles and discuss whether teaching styles should be matched to learning styles. The first paper, "The Matching of Learning Styles to Teaching during Teacher Education (Theory into Practice): A Preliminary Study," by A. FitzGibbon and others, discusses a research project in which student teachers had to determine the learning styles of their students using the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory, and design and implement a lesson in which the four phases of the Kolb Learning Cycle were included. Student teachers indicated that they would examine the learning styles of their students in the future. They felt that learning styles did not have to be matched to teaching style but that there should be variety in instruction. When the learning styles of the student teachers themselves were considered, it was found that "divergers" reported least change in teaching style and "convergers" claimed to have changed their role more than any other group. The second paper is an example of a student report by Charlotte L. Callaghan, titled "Learning and Teaching Styles in the Classroom." It presents a second year French lesson which included experiencing, examining, explaining, and applying. The student teacher concluded that the lesson took into consideration students' learning styles and maintained students' interest and motivation, but was very time consuming to prepare.
Link to article

"Using Kolb's Learning Cycle to Improve Student Learning." - Stice
-Abstract:
Describes the learning style inventory and learning cycle developed by David Kolb. Discusses the learning cycle's four stages as concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Offers an example from a chemical engineering class in which Kolb's ideas are used in an effort to improve instruction.
Link to aritcle

"A Factor Analysis of Kolb's Revised Learning Style Inventory." - Geiger
-Abstract:
A factor analysis was conducted of scores on the revised Learning Style Inventory of D. A. Kolb from 718 accounting students from 2 large state universities. Results support two bipolar learning dimensions different from those theorized and only one separate learning ability. Caution in interpreting scores is advised.
Link to article

"Experiential Learning Theory as a Guide for Effective Teaching." - Murrell, Claxton
-Abstract:
David Kolb's experiential learning theory involves a framework useful in designing courses that meet needs of diverse learners. Course designs providing systematic activities in concrete experience, reflective observations, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation will be sensitive to students' learning styles while challenging students to develop competence in other methods of learning.
Link to article

"The Relationship between Student Learning Style and Performance on Various Test Question Formats." - Holley, Jenkins
-Abstract:
The relationship between performance on four test formats (multiple-choice theory, multiple-choice quantitative, open-ended theory, open-ended quantitative) and scores on the Kolb Learning Style Inventory was investigated for 49 accounting students. Learning style was significant for all formats except multiple-choice quantitative.
Link to article

"Relationship of Learning Style to the Effectiveness and Acceptance of Interactive Video Instruction." - Larsen
-Abstract:
Describes research conducted with employees of the NCR Corporation that examined relationships between learning style preference, as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, and the effectiveness and acceptance of interactive video instruction to determine how best to individualize instruction.
Link to article

"A Survey of Gender and Learning Styles." - Philbin
-Abstract:
Investigates differences in learning styles between men and women. Seventy-two people of different ethnic groups responded to the Learning Style Inventory (D. A. Kolb, 1976), 12 Educational Dialectical questions, and 1 question concerning learning experiences. Findings reveal that men appear to find congruence between traditional education and their learning style while women do not.
Link to article

"Do Learning Style and Learning Environment Affect Learning Outcome?" - DiBartola, Miller, Turley
-Abstract:
Kolb's Learning Style Inventory was completed by 29 allied health students on campus and 27 in distance education. Both groups had similar learning outcomes. Only the Diverger learning style showed a correlation between learning environment and outcome: 83% of Divergers with above average grades were in distance education.
Link to article

"Inducing Students To Think about Their Learning: Four Approaches." - Hettich
-Abstract:
Instructors seeking to practice learner-centered principles of teaching have several tools at their disposal. This paper summarizes four approaches to help students become more aware of their own psychological functioning and how it shapes their learning. Journal writing induces students to reflect and connect course concepts to past or present experiences. The Bloom Taxonomy of Educational Objectives encourages writing journal entries to reflect examples of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The covert curriculum, those routine skill-related activities, behaviors, and attitudes transacted inside and outside of classrooms, links the present to the future by recognizing that study skills are career skills. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory represents students' preferred mode of learning. In Kolb's Experimental Learning Model (Kolb, 1984), learning proceeds in four cycles, from concrete experience to reflective observation to abstract conceptualization to active experimentation. Included are guidelines for journal writing, articles by Paul Hettich, "Journal Writing: Old Fare or Nouvelle Cuisine?" and "Study Skills Are for Career and College," and categories in the cognitive domain of the Bloom Taxonomy
Link to article

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Information on Kirby has been found:

Information regarding Patricia Kirby’s learning theory is very limited. As far as the UMMTEL student work group can tell, there are no articles in existence. The only resources that were found include a book written by Kirby in 1979 that is frequently cited by other researchers and a dissertation thesis, also written by Kirby, in 1982. The following are the various search tools that were used: Google, Google Scholar, Yahoo!, AskJeeves, ERIC, SUMMON, EBSCO, EBSCO MEGAFILE, JSTOR, Lexis-Nexis, Chronicle of Higher Education, Dissertation Abstracts, Education Abstracts, Expanded Academic ASAP, NetLibrary Electronic Books, Professional Collection (Gale Group), PsycARTICLES, and WorldCat. Any suggestions for further search options are welcomed (ummtel@morris.umn.edu).

Books:

A “Judicial Evaluation” of Samuel Messick’s Cognitive (& Learning) Style Match and Mismatch Model Toward Transfer Skill Acquisition
Patricia Kirby, 1982
Dissertation: Thesis (Ed. D.)-- Catholic University of America, 1982.
*printed text available at Southern Illinois University; microfilm copy available at Ann Arbor, Mich. (either form may be available through inter-library loan)

At Pam’s request, UMMTEL will ask for these resources through inter-library loan.

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Many resources on Bruner have been located:

The Other End of Bruner’s Spiral: A Proposed Educative Procedure for Easy Integration of Knowledge. A learning Module for Summer School in College or High School.
http://www.geniusbydesign.com/other/windocs/bruner.shtml 

When Reading Begins: The Teacher’s Role in Decoding, Comprehension, and Fluency (chapter 1)
http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00663/chapter1.pdf 

On Coping and Defending: Applying Bruner's Personal Growth Principles to Working with Gifted/Talented Students.
-Abstract:
The article describes two approaches, based on the ideas of Jerome Bruner, to helping gifted students handle the social-emotional tasks involved in actualizing their abilities. One approach stresses developmental principles of Bruner while the other applies Bruner's principles to personal and group empowering. (DB)
*not available in full-text on ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan

Thinking about Learning from the Perspectives of Bruner and Ausubel
Abstract:
This paper describes a teacher preparation instructional unit on the "Structure of Knowledge" that was designed to help students learn to think like Jerome Bruner and David Ausubel rather than merely acquire knowledge about them, while simultaneously improving students' thinking skills. The unit used Sternberg's triarchic theory to identify thinking skills and to plan instructional activities intended to help students think more intelligently about their academic work. The goals of the instructional unit were for students to: (1) use their knowledge about Bruner and Ausubel; (2) gain experience in assessing and preparing instructional materials; and (3) improve their intellectual skills within the contexts of both learning and teaching. The unit was tested with 23 college students enrolled in "Human Learning and Instruction" in which all students were required to keep a journal about out-of-class teaching episodes in which they connect course concepts with their own teaching experience. There were three primary learning activities in the unit: representation preference essays; handout analysis; and handout design. Unit evaluation data showed that students found all three instructional activities worthwhile and that the unit succeeded in helping students think like the theorists. The appendix includes background information on Bruner's and Ausubel's theories and Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, a lesson plan, and handouts. (GLR)
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

Understanding of Proportion as Embodied in the Concept of Fullness. An Investigation into Bruner's "Modes-of-Representation-Conflict Hypothesis
-Abstract:
This replication study negates Bruner's finding that older subjects (age 15 and adult) understand the mathematical concept of ratio as exemplified by comparing judgments of fullness in pairs of glasses differing in height, diameter, and water volume. Weaknesses in Bruner's design and procedure that explain the discrepancy between the two studies are discussed.
*full text not available on ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan.

Bruner on Writing
-Abstract:
Discusses Jerome Bruner's theories regarding language as a tool for promoting cognitive growth, and shows how Bruner's ideas apply to the teaching of writing.
*full text not available on ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan.

Redefining Teacher Education: The Theories of Jerome Bruner and the Practice of Training Teachers
-Abstract:
This book issues a call for the reform of teacher education from within each individual methods classroom. It challenges teacher educators to use the learning theories of Jerome Bruner as a catalyst for constructing their own narrative concerning teacher education. It provides practical applications of theory in order to improve pedagogical techniques, challenging teacher educators and their students to become individuals who are not afraid to take risks, make generalizations, search their value systems, hone their communication and management skills, and be models of competence in thinking and learning. Seven chapters examine: (1) "Breaking the Mold"; (2) "Leaping the Barrier" (e.g., the virtue of intuition); (3) "Apply, Generalize, Transfer: What's in a Word" (e.g., transferability); (4) "Constructing the Toolshed" (e.g., curricular superstructures); (5) "The Buck Stops Here" (e.g., raising the bar); (6) "A Two-Way Street" (e.g., building communities); and (7) "Finding Middle Ground" (e.g., theory to practice). Each chapter ends with Bruner's views on the subject.
*this is a book which can be retrieved through inter-library loan

Intuition Training as a Component of Reading Programming
-Abstract:
Following a discussion of the value of intuitive thought processes, this paper calls for elementary and secondary teachers to encourage intuitive thinking in addition to analytic thinking. It points out that the demand for precise, analytic answers to teacher-posed questions fosters student dependency; cites statements by Jerome Bruner about the need for children to learn inquiry methods; and advances reasons for the failure of reading educators to heed Bruner's writings. Two sample lessons for teaching inquiry/intuition techniques are then described: a readiness activity for introducing a reading selection and a reciprocal questioning exercise to help students develop questioning behaviors related to the reading of a poem.
*full text not available on ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan.

Preparing Teachers to Teach Brunerian Curricula
-Abstract:
Herein are discussed the relationship of Brunerian methodology to teacher training models; some attempts to implement Bruner's model of the relationship of school tasks to cognitive levels, grade placement of material, inquiry learning, motivation, and audiovisual efforts; and the preparation of teachers for the new curricula, including instituting the new curricula, preparing teachers to teach the new curricula, and preparing teachers of teachers for the new curricula.
*Full text not available on ERIC and the location is currently unknown. If the abstract sounds interesting to Pam, more research can be done to retrieve it.

Learning “Em Their Letters’ – Story, Professional Practice, and “New Paradigm” Research
-Abstract:
A combination of narrative, autobiographical, and arts-based research methods was used to explore experiential learning and professional practice in diverse teaching/learning and adult education settings. The research methodology drew upon concepts developed by the following individuals: Jerome Bruner and his constructivist approach that values autobiography as a continuing reinterpretation of experience; Howard Gardner and his arguments regarding the place of narrative in effective leadership; and Margaret Meek and her thinking regarding the ubiquitous nature of stories in human culture. Drawing upon these ideas, the author traced her own personal and professional journey from her school days through her entry into the teaching profession to her professional activities in the field of workplace literacy in Australia in the 1990s. She then turned to a discussion of the "ancient metastories of the 1990s" and new stories for building alternative futures across Australia. Selected themes raised during the discussion are as follows: the idea that "fast capitalism" and the "new work order" are not new ideas after all; changing views toward learning in Australia and the view of learning as a commodity; the greatly differing attitudes and behaviors toward indigenous Australians and asylum seekers; and the potential role of literacy practitioners in cultivating, telling, and embodying stories.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

Learning Through Experience and Learning Through Media
-Abstract:
The paper is directed to an examination of what is common to different forms of experience. The paper concludes that different forms of experience converge as to the knowledge they specify, but they diverge as to the skills they develop.
*Full text not available on ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan.

Games, Social Exchange, and the Acquisition of Language
-Abstract:
The nature of early games and how they might assist the infant in language acquisition were explored in a longitudinal study of two mother-infant dyads, using video-recordings of their free play. The analysis of appearance and disappearance games was particularly revealing.
*Full text not available on ERIC. Can get though inter-library loan.

Symbols and Texts as Tools of Intellect
-Abstract:
The impact of language (especially written language) on the acquisition of knowledge and skills in children is discussed.
*full-text not available through ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan.

Play, Thought, and Language
-Abstract:
Free, spontaneous play provides the child with opportunities to practice problem-solving and language use. Nonetheless, results from laboratory observations of children's play indicate that adults and instructional materials can enrich the play of young children.
*full text not available on ERIC. Can get through inter-library loan.

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Using PowerPoint to Engage Students:

The following articles that include links can be viewed online in full-text. Those without links may be retrieved through interlibrary loan.

Learners’ Perceptions of the Value of PowerPoint in Lectures
Frey, Barbara A.; Birnbaum, David J.
Abstract:
Students of today, who have grown up with and become accustomed to the visual stimulation of television, computers, and video games, expect technology to be used effectively as part of their learning experience. As a result, faculty are continuously challenged to hold the attention of these learners from the high-tech generation. Through the thoughtful use of computer presentation programs, faculty can create professional-looking presentations to enhance student learning and achieve course goals. The intent of this study was to assess student perceptions on the value of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. One hundred sixty undergraduate students at the University of Pittsburgh completed a 12-item Likert scale survey and two open-ended questions regarding the use of PowerPoint. Results from the survey are discussed, along with the professor's goals for using PowerPoint. The majority of students agreed that PowerPoint had a positive effect on lectures, especially in helping them to take notes and to study for exams. They preferred PowerPoint lectures to traditional lectures using a blackboard or whiteboard. They also perceived professors who delivered PowerPoint as being more organized. Students did not believe that making PowerPoint slides available before class was a strong motivator or deterrent in attending class. A literature review and the student PowerPoint survey are included.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

Rewards and Liabilities of Presentation Software as an Ancillary Tool: Prison or Paradise?
Atkins-Sayre, Wendy; Hopkins, Sonya; Mohundro, Sarah; Sayre, Ward
Abstract:
This study is presented as an exploratory research effort regarding students' perceptions of PowerPoint presentations used by college instructors in a basic Fundamentals of Public Speaking course. Data were collected to determine the outcomes in four primary areas: General Questions about PowerPoint use; Perceived Effectiveness of PowerPoint; Demographics of the Respondents; and Student Preference for Future Use. Four hundred and eighty-five (N=485) surveys were collected from participants. Respondents ranged in age from 17-57 years old with a mean age of 24. Results indicated that: (1) 29 percent of the students had been exposed to PowerPoint in other classes, and 33 percent had given presentations using it; (2) students had a higher effect for classes using PowerPoint as a lecture tool; (3) 69 percent of the students perceived PowerPoint as a cognitive aid; and (4) the use of the technology significantly increased the desire for Hispanic students and English-as-a-second-language students to want to see the technology used in other classes.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

Using IT in the Undergraduate Classroom: Should we Replace the Blackboard with PowerPoint?
Szabo, Attila; Hastings, Nigel
Computers and Education v. 35, n. 3, pp. 175-187, Nov. 2000
Abstract:
Describes three studies that were performed to investigate the efficacy of digital PowerPoint lecturing in undergraduate classrooms. Results revealed that lecture difficulty, but not the method of lecturing, contributed to grade differences, and suggest that the efficacy of PowerPoint lecturing may be case specific rather than universal.

PowerPointing the Way
Stafford, Deborah J.
Technology Connection v. 4, n. 1, pp. 16-17, Mar. 1997
Abstract:
Describes instructional uses of Microsoft PowerPoint software as demonstrated in a summer workshop for educators. Notes three uses: open house-type presentations, tutorials, and student-produced projects. Discusses how PowerPoint was used to present general information about the school and gives examples of uses in science and music history instruction. A sidebar details how PowerPoint was introduced in the workshop.

Using PowerPoint in the Classroom
Howell, Dusti; Howell, Deanne
Corwin Press, Inc., A Sage Publications Company
Abstract:
This book is intended for those teachers who want to create more dynamic classroom lessons and presentations using quick and easy custom animations. The focus of this book is to explain how to use PowerPoint to create transitions, graphics, charts, graphs, and sound effects in a format that makes learning fun. The book is designed to give immediate results using either Windows or Macintosh platforms. Teachers will also learn the fundamentals of designing effective slides while discovering ways to use PowerPoint in the classroom. The book consists of six chapters: "Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint"; "Creating a New Slide Show"; "Adding Graphs and Graphics"; "Special Effects"; "Presentation Delivery"; and "Classroom Applications." A quick review is provided at the end of each chapter. Chapters also contain troubleshooting tips that include possible problems users may encounter with alternative methods for performing the task, and time saving tips, as well as a feature called "Learn More" that suggests ideas for experimenting and becoming more proficient with PowerPoint. The book is illustrated throughout with sample screens and icons.

“PowerPoint”: Just Another Slide Show or a Useful Learning Aid?
Parkinson, John; Hollamby, Peter
School Science Review v. 84, n. 309, pp. 61-68, Jun. 2003
Abstract:
Extols the virtues of PowerPoint as a teaching aid yet cautions against inappropriate use of it which may cause students to learn very little. Explains a number of features of slide preparation and presentation techniques that enable teachers to give effective lessons. Includes examples of PowerPoint presentations.

Creating Great Overheads with Computers
Gribas, Cindy; And Others
College Teaching v. 44, n. 2, pp. 66-68, Spr. 1996
Abstract:
Steps in preparing effective overhead projector transparencies for college instruction are outlined, using the PowerPoint program for Windows. They include thinking analogically in translating from concept to visual form; using the features of the presentation program to create a polished product; and assuring readability (visibility, typeface style, simplicity, white space, and focus).

Getting Everybody Involved: Cooperative PowerPoint Creations Benefit Inclusion Students
Kelly, Rebecca
Learning and Leading with Technology v. 27, n. 1, pp. 10-14, Sept. 1999
Abstract:
Describes the use of PowerPoint software in a cooperative setting that allows inclusion students to create presentations as part of the learning process. Discusses equipment needed, audience, teacher and student preparation, and student evaluation, and includes examples of storyboards and worksheets.

Planning into Practice: Resources for Planning, Implementing, and Integrating Instructional Technology
Sun, Jeff
Abstract:
The intent of this publication is to support schools as they connect the vision they have for technology and student learning with the tasks they need to accomplish in order to achieve their vision. Chapter 1 provides an understanding of the origins of "Planning into Practice" and lays the groundwork for how to use the materials. Chapter 2 focuses on technology planning and the processes involved in creating a strategic technology plan. Chapter 3 provides strategies and tools for integrating technology into the curriculum. Chapter 4 is an overall orientation to professional development as a process of design, and it also addresses technology competencies for teachers and presents ideas for professional development. Chapter 5 features community engagement. Chapter 6 focuses on managing hardware and software and discusses various computer configurations for educators, how to make the most of a few computers, methods for evaluating software, and software resources. Chapter 7 presents a model and instruments for evaluating a technology program. Chapter 8 provides resources and recommendations for funding technology initiatives. Throughout the text, URLs are included to online resources and other materials. The Appendix includes blank forms used in the text that may be reproduced. Also included are a few additional resources and printouts of Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations that present the key points in each chapter; these are also available online at the SEIR-TEC web site at http://www.seirtec.org. Early in each chapter the tools provided in that chapter are listed. At the end of each chapter, a "Putting It All Together" section is provided. (
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

PowerPoint in the Classroom: What is the Point?
Hlynka, Denis; Mason, Ralph
Educational Technology v. 38, n. 5, pp. 45-48, Sept-Oct 1998
Abstract:
Presents a postmodern view of educational technology, specifically PowerPoint, highlighting new frames: multiple voicing, breakup of the canon, supplementarity, nonlinearity, slippery signifieds, and ironic juxtaposition.

Teacher Education: Linking Theory to Practice through Digital Technology
Wursta, Melanie; Brown-DuPaul, Judy; Segatti, Laura
Community College Journal of Research and Practice v. 28, n. 10, pp. 787-794, Dec. 2004
Abstract:
Teacher education faculty need to bridge college course knowledge to actual practices in early childhood classrooms. Historically, faculty have lectured about best practices and then students have attempted to integrate these concepts into their own teaching with children. This article highlights one community college's use of digital photography to create a visual archive of student teachers exemplary environments, displays, curriculum materials, and learning experiences. The photographs are cataloged and formatted for PowerPoint presentations in college courses as well as in faculty development and recruitment opportunities. After discussing limitations in other pedagogical techniques, the article chronicles the thought processes involved in the creation of this unique teaching tool. The article details numerous benefits of utilizing digital photography for modeling best practices. The benefits include modeling the use of visual documentation for student teachers, exposing students to technology-based instruction, introducing photographs for online courses, teaching in the visual as well as verbal modes, and promoting the development of student teachers’pride in their own work. An archive of exemplary photographs of actual children and children's classrooms links to college course lectures and discussion. This connection can lead to a more complete understanding of key concepts and practices.

Using Technology to Enhance Teacher Preparation
Pedras, Melvin J.; Horton, Jeff
Abstract:
This paper discusses the use of technology, including computers and media tools, to enhance teacher education. Benefits of technology in the classroom are considered, particularly increasing student and instructor motivation, enhancing the learning process and instruction, and facilitating classroom management and organization. Technological resources such as CD-ROM players, videos, the Internet, electronic reference materials and other tools support and enhance the traditional educational resources of textbooks, movies, video tapes, magazines, and reference materials. The University of Idaho College of Education is developing innovative ways of using educational technology in teacher education, such as use of e-mail for transmission of assignments, use of multi-media software to develop projects and presentations; and developing a presentation using computer graphics. These efforts encourage students to use technology and places technology in the classroom. Two appendices are included: an outline detailing the steps for creating a presentation and a Powerpoint quick reference guide,
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

The Integration of Technology into a Constructivist Curriculum: Beyond PowerPoint
Tucker, Gary R.; Batchelder, Ann
-Abstract:
This paper reports on a three-year study of a model that uses the tenets of constructionism to integrate technology into a constructivist curriculum. The model has been used in regular face-to-face courses, in interactive instructional television courses, and in an online course. The following three significant themes emerged from analysis of the data: (1) the nature and characteristics of successful learners; (2) the power of project-based instruction; and (3) the power of interaction and collaboration. The model has proved to be effective both from the standpoint of being able to achieve the course objectives and the students' view of their success and learning in the classes.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

Approaches for Generating Animations for Lectures
Roessling, Guido; Freisleben, Bernd
Abstract:
This paper provides a short review of the following basic approaches for generating animations so that teachers can determine the way best suited for them and be better prepared to select a tool addressing their needs: (1) using classical presentation tools such as PowerPoint; (2) visual editing using drag and drop or selection of options; (3) direct animation of source code; (4) using function calls implemented in a function library; and (5) animations generated by a scripting language or text commands. For each basic approach, several sample tools are cited. All selected tools are available for free use or download.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_...

Maximizing the Effectiveness of Electronic Presentation
Business Communication Quarterly v. 65, n. 2, pp. 82-85, Jun. 2002
Abstract:
Notes that the manner in which the author was using the incorporation of electronic slides into his lectures allowed students to become disengaged from the learning process. Presents strategies to combat disengagement and strategies to supplement textbook slides. Concludes that student disengagement can be counteracted with limited expenditure of instructor time and effort.

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A number of learning style inventories are available online:

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/instructor-info.asp

http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000718.shtml

http://www.learningfromexperience.com/Assessment_Tools.htm

http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

http://www.stylesoflearning.com/trial_inventory.html

http://www.ldpride.net/learning_style.html

http://pss.uvm.edu/pss162/learning_styles.html

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Comparison of alternatives to Inspiration:

Cmap Tools - http://cmap.ihmc.us/
Descision Explorer - http://www.banxia.com/dexplore/userhome.html
SMART Ideas - http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Products/SMART+Ideas/

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