Group 3 Technology - Glogster and It's use as an elearning technology

So as it turns out, making a glog is actually pretty fun! That is of course if you have a fast internet connection. My first attempt on my dial up speed failed miserably and left me feeling frustrated for the time I had lost. Once I got on a fast connection I was able to explore freely and see the potential in the learning object. This should be a consideration when choosing such a presentation tool: no super speed broadband = no Glogster

If you haven't seen my play with a glog, it's at the bottom of this post. It's based on the scenario of a moodboard for a year 9 photography photo shoot. I chose this scenario because I found out that my first prac will have me involved with a photography class.

Before I start reflecting on the potential of this multimedia authoring tool as a learning object, I would like to point your attention to a real moodboard I did for a catalogue pitch last christmas based on a photoshoot.

Moodboard used in an actual creative pitch

Moodboards are considered 'old school' in our industry. Clients expect to see a finished layout in the pitch stage so they don't have to imagine anything. They can either like it or hate it. Easy. Well I decided to take the clients back to 'old school' and create a moodboard that would delight their senses and get them so excited about the idea for their product that they couldn't say no. They could touch it, play with elements on it and because it was all pinned onto a corkboard they were able to take things off and move things around.

If we relate this to the 'new literacies' or visual/aural langauges, I have engaged the client with colour, space, shape and texture. Now let's imagine this same concept in the form of a digital moodboard using a tool such as Glogster. I have now been able to engage the client/student with colour, sound, space, light, rhythm, movement, line, shape and texture aiding their Visual and Aural literacy skills.

Creating a moodboard in Glogster has limitless creative possibilities for the students to present their ideas. It is a fantastic example of how technology has multi-sensory possibilities (Susan Marcus, 2005). In my play in Glogster I have been able to show how I would apply the make-up to the model (video), give you a feel for the style of photoshoot through the music (aural) and given examples of clothes and colour palettes (visual). Another important point is that by giving students multiple ways to represent an idea (video, music, images, text) then this tool is essentially catering for many different learning styles and multiple intelligences.

It should be pointed out that Glogster is useful for presenting analysis, evaluations or new ideas. It isn't going to generate new ideas for the students. It can be a very dangerous trap to jump straight to the technology when given a learning goal. Students would need to map out a learning journey using a number of different media tools before using a tool such as glogster to present ideas.

I recognise real value and potential in presenting work in this way. Students are limited for space on a glogster and need to evaluate what the most important pieces of information are and how they are going to present them. Is a demonstration best done through illustration or by showing a video, or is a paragraph of text best written or spoken. A number of questions need to be thought through and answered, engaging students in a number of different High order thinking levels.

A PMI Analysis of Glogster as an Effective Digital Presentation Tool

Pluses

• A glogster is multi-sensory
• It accommodates different learning styles and multi intelligences 
• Provides a very fluid, non-linear environment in which to create

Minus'

• In the context of the moodboard a glogster loses the 'touch' and 'feel' element
• Limited space and layout capacities. The heirarchy of information needs to be carefully thought out as information at the bottom may never get scrolled to
• Slow internet means slow loading when viewing a glogster

Interestings 

• The potential for Glogs is only going to keep getting better. Imagine being able to directly record video through the glog, or chatting to someone through your glog. Or how exciting, to start a glog space with a 'pen pal' or just another student in a different geographical area and interact live through the glog. This might sound like a wiki but a glog is so much more fluid.

Legal, safe and ethical guidelines
Glogster operates in a secure environment that is not public to the general internet population. Still I would be extremely careful in putting up students names and photographs. It says on the website that students are protected from inappropriate content when logged into the virtual classroom account. Students will only be able to view other students Glogs from within their classroom and will also only be able to communicate with each other. I think so long as it is set up properly and publishing childrens person details is avoided then it can be a fairly safe activity.
Because students and teachers are covered under the statutory text and artistic licence we can pretty much use whatever resources we like within limits. Some examples where students can use imagery are:
Students can create new artistic works from existing artistic works as a fair dealing as part of their own research or study or for the purpose of criticism, review, parody or satire. For more information on this
Click here for more information
Students and teachers can make copies of a print advertisement as permissible under the Statutory Text and Artistic Licence
Click here for more information