Mike Eisenberg: Multi-Modal Interaction Dr. Michael Eisenberg Background:Professor and former Dean of the UW Information School, Mike Eisenberg lectures on information science, information literacy, and technology development. Eisenberg is a big fan of smart technology use in the classroom. He employs multiple technology tools including Facebook, WebQ, chat, CollectIt, Gradebook, Vimeo and others to encourage participation and increase retention. Eisenberg is well known for developing and conducting workshops on the Big6 process, which describes “what people go through when they seek or apply information to solve a problem or make a decision.” A typical outline of the Big6 process follows these stages:
1. Task Definition
2. Information Seeking Strategies
3. Location and Access
4. Use of Information
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation
Subtitled “Information & Technology Skills for Student Achievement,” the Big6 reflects Eisenberg’s pedagogical philosophy of finding methods of moving from information to knowledge to action. Problem: Data -> Information -> KnowledgeTurning data into information and translating that information into knowledge is the end result of students deeply engaging with ideas and making them their own. With multiple modes for capturing information in Eisenberg’s courses, it could be easy for students to be overwhelmed. Eisenberg turns this potential chaos into a learning opportunity. “Technology allows us multi-modal interaction with content.”
By encouraging them to become adept at managing information, he helps them to develop skills they’ll need
later in the professional world. To demonstrate the knowledge that students have acquired, Eisenberg assigns them to create multimedia products including videos, which have proven
to be an effective way for students to demonstrate their learning. According to Eisenberg, “The five-minute video is this decade’s essay.”Solution: Multi-modal Interaction with ContentEisenberg assigns group projects for students to create multimedia presentations. They can use whatever tools they want (Eisenberg purposefully leaves this open) and then upload the result onto a video-sharing site like Vimeo or Youtube. See two examples below: Overall, these presentations reinforce class content because they force students to interact with the information in new ways. In Eisenberg’s words, “Technology allows us multi-modal interaction with content. The only problem Eisenberg has encountered in these assignments involves occasional (and usually unintentional) intellectual property violations – especially when it comes to integrating copyrighted music in the videos. Eisenberg also integrates communication tools both in and outside the classroom to increase class participation. Using a “backchannel” chat, students can raise questions or discuss the lecture content with other students during class. A volunteer student facilitator is periodically called on to update Eisenberg and the class on any important questions or discussions in the backchannel. This allows him to respond to the pedagogical need of the moment. Outside of class, Eisenberg sets up a Facebook class group (“because that’s where the students are”) to work like a threaded discussion and bulletin board (Facebook "Wall"). Students can post thoughts on class content on the Discussion board as well as relevant videos, pictures and links via the Wall. Eisenberg has found that using these tools has increased class participation from 20% to over 80%. Lessons LearnedEisenberg has some general advice for those interested in integrating technology in their course design.
“The more online stuff you do, the more time it takes. The factory model of teaching was more efficient: come in once a week, do my thing, leave. Students don’t expect to hear from me. With more connectivity, they expect more interaction. I have to check chats, etc.” However, the positive effects of technology use on learning in terms of class participation and student knowledge retention outweigh the added cost of extra engagement. |
