TCEA 2003 Annual Convention & Exposition
February 3 - 7, 2003
Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas

Presenter: Peter Skillen
Title: Multimedia Tools – Are Students Really Constructing Knowledge?

‘Multimedia presentations' created with hypermedia tools are relatively common in many school systems as a means by which students report their project findings on a subject topic (for example, endangered species). These presentations typically include graphics, text, sound, animation, and video. But how much effect does this activity have on the students' understanding of the content or thinking processes involved? Many of these projects are attractive and interesting, but:

• What knowledge have the students developed in their creation?
• Have they merely made a linear presentation with reworded information that they acquired from books?
• Did they learn procedural or metacognitive knowledge that is not domain specific, but rather will add to their expertise as a learner? That is, did they learn more about how to learn?

Find out how can journal writing, collaboration, scaffolding and information technologies be brought to bear on these issues.

© Logo Computer Systems Inc., 2001-2008. All rights reserved worldwide. Journal Zone and the Journal Zone logo are trademarks of Logo Computer Systems Inc. LCSI and LCSI logo are trademarks of Logo Computer Systems Inc.