Technological advances can be used to vastly improve education. Hypermedia products are one such tool which can enhance instructional methods (Robyler & Doering, 2013). Reference materials no longer consist of simply physical books in a library. Many reference materials can be found “on the Internet for little to no cost” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.175). These commercial hypermedia products include encyclopedias, newspapers, and almanacs (Robyler & Doering, 2013).
The U.S. Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health offer an online medical encyclopedia which would be extremely useful in my biology classes. The following link accesses this collection of articles, information, medical photographs, and illustrations: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html. My students could use this reference material to complete a genetic disorder pamphlet that I assign during a unit on heredity. Students are given a rubric detailing all the facts needed for the pamphlet such as causes, symptoms, and treatments. Medline Plus contains all this information and is easily accessible. Students could also use the medical encyclopedia for photographs and/or illustrations to be included in their finished product. The medical encyclopedia might be utilized in various secondary science and health courses.
The Medline Plus site also includes an extensive assortment of videos, interactive tutorials, quizzes, and games. The following video illustrates the anatomy and workings of the cardiovascular system. Students could use this in preparation for dissections and when studying human body systems. (You must have Apple QuickTime to view the video.)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/anatomyvideos/000023.htm
Multimedia authoring tools allow people of all skill levels to produce professional hypermedia products (Robyler & Doering, 2013). Working with these tools can also help to prepare students for the “information-intensive and visually oriented world of the future” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.178). Audio and video production and editing systems is a type of multimedia authoring that gives users the ability to produce high quality videos. In the classroom, students could use such tools to create presentations. For example, in my biology classes we have a CELL-abration Day in which students are asked to use their creativity in presenting information about cells. Past student presentations have included poetry readings, songs, dramatic performances, original artwork, and videos. I see endless possibilities if students were able to use these multimedia authoring tools in the classroom. As a teacher, I could also employ audio and video editors for students who miss labs, demonstrations, and/or lectures.
Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
I love that you found a hypermedia online medical encyclopedia that is backed by the U.S. government. Using accredited websites like these are also a great way to teach students how to look for scholarly resources.
ReplyDeleteI sure do wish I had had more access and experience with audio and video production and editing systems when I was a young student. I’ve had dozens of projects, both school work and personal projects alike, that would have been that much more amazing with the use of this type of authoring tool. I think it is important for students to get as much expose with them as they can at a young age.
I am very excited to hear you discuss these materials with real examples. It is refreshing to hear how they are being utilized in your classroom already. The resources that you found are excellent, and I can fully understand how your students enjoy them. Good job!
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