| Active Learning on the Rails Jace Hargis, Director OFE, jhargis@unf.edu |
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This course focused on conceptual, contextual learning through the disciplines of anthropology and (environmental) science. A broad integration of history, literature, music and multimedia was overtly infused. The course was taught aboard Amtrak passenger trains. Students shared sleeper cabins for nine days as we crossed the continental United States. The journey took us from Jacksonville, Florida north to Washington, D.C. then northwest to Chicago, west to Los Angeles, CA, north to Oakland, east through Denver, CO then to Chicago, south to New Orleans, then east returning to Jacksonville. This trip encompassed over 7,400 miles and provided students an opportunity to observe, engage and experience over half of the 50 states. Students met prior to the trip, and complete assigned readings, music and movies to prepare them for the trip. Upon departure, “classes” or gatherings commenced in which instructors shared material, and activities, although most of the course involved students participating in individual or group activities as they traveled through particular areas of the country. At each stop, a major activity for students was to depart the trains and acquire something regional – newspaper, advertisement, rock, soil, food, etc., which was used in a debriefing discussion about that region when the train began again. In addition, Amtrak offered various educational activities aboard, such as local experts sharing Lewis and Clark’s passages. |
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Therefore, by providing experiential, active learning in and outside of the classroom, the opportunities for students to engage, relate, connect and scaffold significant perceptions were significant. Taking the time to create or introduce students to experiential environments can not only be advantageous in short and long term perspectives, but it can assist instructors who struggle with “coverage” of material. In a process-driven, active approach, students are able to make the leaps in understanding, many times extrapolating the material, which they have read in a text or heard in a lecture more often and concretely as opposed to when this material is provided in a linear didactic, seemingly more efficient mode. Overall, the intent of this approach is not to replace, but similar to the use of technology in the classroom, the best use of experiential learning is to subsidize and enhance current pedagogical practices. Media Coverage |
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Fall Blackboard Course Requests |
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Let us know if you have any questions or would like help with any of this. We can be reached x.3927 or in 10/1150. BbCar is available here: For more frequently asked questions, try visiting: |
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Digital Video Workshop Blackboard Week: A Series of One-Hour Focused Workshops Check out the new webpage we have available with all of our past events and handouts, sortable by topic: |
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PODCASTING |
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Podcasting is a relatively new internet media developed to allow people to download and listen to ‘shows’ using their computers or mp3 players. The idea is to install a program on your computer that allows you to subscribe to podcasts (mp3 shows). Once you have subscribed to a podcast the software will periodically check to see if there is a new episode available, and download it to either your computer or mp3 player. The only things you need to get started listening to podcasts are a computer (the mp3 player is optional, and does not have to be an iPod), an internet connection, and a podcast program. A good program to start with is iPodder. iPodder is a free software available for Mac, Windows and Linux. iPodder includes a few tools to help manage your podcasts, and also has the ipodder.org directory of podcasts built in, making them very easy to find. There are also several websites that act as directories of podcasts including: iPodder, PodcastAlley, and Podcast.net. If you are interested in creating podcasts, please contact David Wilson in OFE/CIRT, dwwilson@unf.edu. |
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| UNF PowerPoint Templates http://www.unf.edu/dept/cirt/help/ppt.htm |
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These templates were created by Dane Boog, a student assistant in OFE/CIRT, using photographs of different scenes and objects on our beautiful campus. Each Template has a blank slide for a title slide in your presentations, along with a variety of other designs. Use the link above to download the templates and find directions for use. We hope you enjoy implementing these in your courses and professional presentations. |
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| TIMELINER TOOL Erin Soles , Instructional Designer, esoles@unf.edu |
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The timeline interface is customizable, allowing users to select font families, colors and the number of bands to display. Users are able to add events to the main band and to secondary bands of the timeline. Adding events to the timeline is simple: just type in the title and dates of an event and select an icon to represent the event. The software can be downloaded at: http://timeline.cer.jhu.edu/product.htm View an example created with the Timeline Creator Software at: http://timeline.cer.jhu.edu/amhist/amhist.html |
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT |
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While writing a scholarly piece for Postmodern Culture, the authors wanted to take full advantage of the publication's digital format to support their work. Jillian visited CIRT and worked with Deb Miller to create the layout for the article in a webpage format using Dreamweaver MX04. By using a series of still images set in a table with a black background, the illusion of a filmstrip is created. The images, along with the two column structure, visually support the argument being made The piece has been accepted for publication and is currently undergoing revisions on a laptop checked out from CIRT with the neccesary software. Click the image at the left to view a functional working copy. |
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This newsletter is a publication of the Office
of Faculty Enhancement and the
Center
for Instruction & Research Technology at the University
of North Florida.
Please direct any comments or questions to ofe@unf.edu.