Activity 2.1: Arena of change mindmap

Click here to see my brainstorm as a PDF.

My central topic of research is the effective inclusion of instructional video within multilevel classrooms.  While the use of instructional video is not new to education, the way it is being used is evolving quickly as access to such videos becomes easier through sites such as YouTube.  The way these videos can be used by independent learners is affecting the teaching methods employed in classrooms.  The potential for students to view, and review instructions prior to meeting with the teacher has the potential to enhance the learning opportunities of the students in my class.  This sustained implementation of this depends on a wide range of factors.  The mind map attached shows some of the aspects and how they relate to the Arena of Change as
developed by Niki Davis of University of Canterbury.

The varying layers of the Arena are shown in the purple level on the mindmap.  Different aspects need to be considered within the different layer that affect education; personal (in class), local (school), regional, national, and international.  These considerations are also organised within different quadrants.   Corresponding colours show if they are driven by commercial, political, professional, or bureaucratic developments. The ideas shown on this mindmap is the beginning of a list of aspects that need to be considered when implementing the use of instructional video into multilevel classrooms.  

Update: October 2013
Since completing this task I have changed my focus to include a wider range of possibilities.  I am considering how to embed the use of e-Learning strategies instead of focusing on a single tool.  The reason for this is ...
I have found in my readings that it is not the digital/eLearning tool that is the focus, but the pedagogy that is important  (Moskal, P., Dziuban, C., & Hartman, J. 2013)  It is also important that student have the opportunity to learn with more than it is for them to learn from technology (Ertmer, P., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. 2013).  I still think there is a need for students to have instructional material available online and certainly in a small school with multilevel classes the needs of the learners - and their abilities - is very different to those of tertiary students which is the level most research focuses on (Huett, K. C., Huett, J. B., & Ringlaben, R. 2011).

Ertmer, P., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2013). Removing obstacles to the pedagogical changes required by Jonassen's vision of authentic technology-enabled learning. Computers & Education, 64, 175-182.

Huett, K. C., Huett, J. B., & Ringlaben, R. (2011). From bricks to clicks: Building quality K-12 online classes through an innovative course review project. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 14(4).

Moskal, P., Dziuban, C., & Hartman, J. (2013). Blended learning: A dangerous idea? Internet and Higher Education, 18, 15-23.