I am preparing my Masters Thesis on the use and effectiveness of motion graphics (primarily Flash animation) in the classroom. I am in the preliminary research stage, and working on narrowing my focus. I am leaning toward post-secondary educational uses, but will appreciate any experience or comments received.
UPDATE: I am pursuing an MS in Technical Communication. My primary interest is motion graphic design and implementation. I will probably use PowerPoint as a platform. I will conduct usability testing to assess effectiveness from a learning perspective. I have yet to choose a discipline for my study... I am considering psychology or anatomy/physiology, but am grateful for comments/experience in all disciplines.
Use of Motion Graphics in Education
Submitted by RondaO on November 3, 2005 - 12:18.
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good idea and suggestion
Hi Rhonda!
This sounds like a very interesting topic. I don't have much experience with Flash animation myself, but it sounds like a very good area for research.
Can I suggest, though, that it may help to give a much more detailed description of what you are thinking about? It would make it easier for people to express comments. You could always edit your original post and add in more detail as an update (usually people just add "UPDATE:" after the existing text and append on additional text).
So what's exactly is your field? (MS degree in what?)
If a picture is worth a thousand words then what is an interactive image worth?
Very good question. I wish you the best of luck.
Do you have any psychologists on your committee? I was thinking that it would be interesting to look and see if a flash animation of a neural impulse leads to better learning than a graphic of a neural impulse (and/or a written description).
If you don't know what a neural impulse is then get out yoru old intro psych text and turn the the physio/bio/neuro chapter.
Who knows. You might make a mint working for textbook publishers one day if you become an expert on this.
Thanks for you comments
cel4145: I have updated my posting per your suggestion. Hopefully I can get even more detailed soon!
Ronda Olsen
MS Technical Communications Candidate
Montana Tech
Thanks for your encouragement
Professor Chuck: I'm seriously considering Psych, and have a Psychology Prof willing to be on my committee if that's the direction I pursue. I'll have him interpret your "neural impulse" suggestion for me. One concern that I have about this project is going into a field (like Psych) without a strong background. But I'm hoping that a willing mentor will get me over that hurdle.
I especially thank you for you're last comment. Wouldn't that be something...
Ronda Olsen
MS Technical Communications Candidate
Montana Tech
Learning Objects
I would have to say that Learning Objects (LO) would be a good avenue for you to explore, in that many of them, particularly in the sciences, make use of Flash.
The LO concept has been around for a while in distance-ed, has been seriously challenged (Downes) and defended and refined (Wiley), and good iterations have begun to emerge in new contexts.
Wesleyan University has been heavily invested for some time, and they are leading the charge among liberal arts institutions. The LoLa Project (Learning Objects, Learning Activities http://www.lolaexchange.org/) is designed to be a high-quality referatory of LO, and time will tell if it works. It certainly has a lot of potential, and I've been trying to sell the concept on my campus as well. Cheers, and good luck on your research.