Author: sageworthen (Page 2 of 2)

Generative AI

GenAI stands for Generative Artificial Intelligence, a subcategory of Artificial Intelligence. GenAI is used to create images, texts, and even videos from simple text prompts. By searching and comparing what we ask to past work and ideas, GenAI creates a unique response to the demand it was given but does not actually create any new ideas. It simply recycles what it has been given to learn from.

If you were to ask for a summary of a well-known text, Chat GPT (a GenAI) would give an excellent, highly in-depth response. When it comes to the need for facts and credible information, GenAI isn’t your best bet. It will always give you a response, but it can often contain false information. Known as hallucinations, Gen AI will fabricate evidence to fulfill your needs even if the material is pulled out of nowhere.

Despite these drawbacks, GenAI has proved itself to be quite valuable for my learning at UVic. As I am terrible with spelling, I have found tools like Grammarly to help avoid simple mistakes so that I can get my point across. Although spellcheck is not directly GenAI, Grammarly does have functions that can re-write your work to make it sound “better.” This function only comes with the paid-premium version. AI can do much more then spellcheck. As another example of useful AI for education, Chat GPT is great for getting started on projects. Sometimes all I need to get going is a conversation with someone to get my ideas flowing. By bouncing off simple topics to Chat GPT and seeing what sticks, I can get on the right track for my work. The final project mainly will have very little to do with the answers I initially got, but it is still an invaluable tool to get off the ground.

For those who are newer to Gen AI, you should check out Stable Diffusions, a free GenAI image creator. This program could be excellent for generating the exact images necessary for a presentation or a classroom. Here are some of my first attempts at AI image generating.

Multimedia learning

H5P is really freaking cool. This editing tool allows you to take any video and add text bubbles, images, and even interactive quizzes. Until this course, I had no idea this was possible, especially for someone with limited tech skills. This tool enhances a student’s connection to the material, and I can see it being quite useful in the future of my teaching career

I wonder how easy this tool would be to use in a classroom setting. I can see there being a bit of pushback from teachers who have limited experience with tech. I don’t think that it would be easy for high school students to use this platform, as it was decently challenging for a class of university students working on it together. As far as accessibility for students in terms of a medium for content, there are limited options. Although I know very little about it, there is a website called Lumi that is supposed to be the bridge between students and teachers. For more information follow the interactive link below.

Although I have yet to decide what age of students I want to teach, I can see this being useful for intermediate students and above. As long as they can read and have beginner technology skills, they should be fine. As for younger kids, H5P could be used to insert pictures or to put breaks in the video, however, I can’t see the quizzing or text bubble functions being applicable as they generally can’t read or write. I can see this tool being particularly useful in more senior years of education, as it forces students to prove they have viewed the readings. The quizzing function also can introduce the style of questions students would receive on an exam, possibly reducing test anxiety.

H5P is an example of multi-media learning. By adding text to key aspects of the video, H5P can be used to attain the modality/split attention theory. This forces the viewer to use different learning channels to code the information they receive, making them more likely to remember. H5P allows a content creator to tap into the spatial and temporal ambiguity theory. Placing the text directly on the screen means that users do not have to go searching for key points or text, allowing for efficient learning.

This is a link to the website I used –> https://www.coolmathgames.com/

If you had enough time to read this far, do yourself a treat and play a couple of levels! Grab a friend for an enhanced experience!

Sept. 15th, 2024

New Ways of Learning

This is a small video that I remember seeing in high school, and it relates well to the course content at hand. Although it may be a little on the theatrical side, its portrayal of our stagnant education system is easy to grasp for any audience.

Do we need to reimagine education? Yes. As shown in the short film Most Likely to Succeed, today’s education system is suitable for the creation of 19th-century factory workers. Its structured days are broken down by bells and blocks to increase organization, not education, claims speaker Ken Robinson (12:36). This method of education doesn’t prepare today’s students for entering into the modern workforce, one that requires critical thinking and ingenuity over structure and obedience.

Now that we have established the need for change, what’s the next step? Why don’t we change everything today? The steps forward will take time as there are obstacles for teachers to overcome. One difficulty is that teachers of today have been taught how to teach in this system. Additionally, the costs of creating new programs and classroom redesign would fall to teachers. Even if these weren’t issues, parents would have to agree to these changes. Concerns of students being prepared for post-secondary education would provide pushback, regardless of the validity of the claims.

I am looking forward to learning about alternatives to the current system, a system that is seemingly not fit for many. Although I believe many of the changes from the documentary would improve our systems, I have some concerns. I worry about students who need rigidity and firm instruction to learn. I need due dates to make sure I get work done. In my years of elementary, if the teacher wasn’t breathing down my neck and forcing me to work, it wouldn’t get done. Alternatively, less structure may have had more of an effect on me and forced me to take more responsibility.

For those reading, please comment if you feel the video represented how you felt after Rich’s lecture or if it was too off base.