Embedded Task 3 - Images

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up this week’s learning material to discover that we were dealing with images, video and audio, as these are digital mediums that I am relatively comfortable with in comparison to some of the tools we have been looking at recently. I have chosen to base this week’s reflection around the use of images in learning.

The range of use for images in a learning environment is extremely large, broad and diverse. For this reason it is difficult to briefly summarise the technical aspects of this medium in this context. The broad range of use for images in the classroom, by teachers and students, makes this tool accessible to virtually anyone when used at a basic level. As pointed out in this week’s learning material, the use of images can be as simple as the presentation of artifacts or student work via digital photographs. At the other end of the spectrum, the creation and manipulation of images can require a great deal of technical expertise when using editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.

Many valuable learning outcomes can be achieved through the use of this tool. As the saying goes “a picture says a thousand words” and this is relevant to learning in the sense that images are very effective in illustrating concepts and ideas, often so more than text on its own. As pointed out on the JISC Digital Media website, images are effective in many ways such as enhancing visual communication skills and encouraging critical thinking. They can be used both as a means of presenting material as well as platforms for collaborative activities.

   
Below is a table showing how images could be used in a classroom at each level of the SAMR model, based loosely on the sample activity presented at the end of this blog entry.

 

SAMR Level	Modification of task/activity
Redefinition	Once the students have located images, illustrated their maps (by hand) they can upload a digital photo of their map to a wiki where other students and teachers can compare and discuss the maps collaboratively.
Modification	Once students have located the images (present & historical) they can draw up a map illustrating the changes that are visible in the images.
Augmentation	Students could be given the co-ordinates of the location and asked to retrieve their own images from Google Earth using the historical and image capture tools
Substitution	Images are taken from Google Earth and presented to students via a blog rather than handing out physical copies of images

           

 As I pondered the possibilities for using images in a classroom context I recalled that I had participated in an activity using aerial photos for a geography lesson during my professional placement. The lesson was conducted using printed material and I thought it would be a good idea to loosely recreate the activity on a primarily digital platform using the website I created for last week’s task. The (geography) activity requires students to analyse images of an area taken from Google Earth in 2005 and 2013 and identify the physical changes that have taken place in the area during the period due to development. The students are introduced to the topic (urban sprawl and development) on the weekly topic page with an introduction, instructions and an embedded YouTube video. From the website the students access the topic blog where they a presented with the Google Earth images and the instructions to complete the activity as seen below