May 07 2012
Video clips and teachers tools
In searching for available content, I was able to track down a few relevant TED talks and a number of youtube videos relating to Antarctic Science. I’m hoping the video clips will complement the course lectures and add some visual interest to the course. I’m writing my lectures as scripted powerpoint slides, so i think the video will be really important to bring in a more dynamic element to the course.
I also came across some video-recorded lectures that I considered linking to for some of the course topics, but unfortunately these were really a bit painful to watch, and often the slides were difficult to make out or were out of sync with the talk if presented as a separate frame. So I definitely have a better appreciation for the concept of avoiding a videotaped lecture for online course delivery.
I found some scripted powerpoint lectures on the website for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research that might be useful, but it’s tough to find something that covers exactly the topics/level of detail you’d hoped to cover in a lecture.
I also came across some teachers tools for a geography-based Antarctica curriculum targeted for A-level students in the UK (most of the other teachers’ tools I’ve come across tend to target younger students) that have given me some ideas for student activities. One of the issues I noticed with this site was that a number of the links to outside content were no longer functional, and that started to worry me about relying on existing content that is available online. If a site goes down in the middle of the quarter, will it result in panic among your students?
You point out a valid concern when linking to outside content on the web — you have no control over its ultimate availability. It is important when choosing content (especially a learning module that might help explain a critical concept) that it be selected from a site that is well-supported and stable. Sites that support large museums, universities, or information repositories through the federal government are best bets. Private industry sites can pose some problems, unless they have a strong history.
Another tip: When searching at sites such as Merlot.org, you can narrow the search to college-level materials, excluding K-12 materials. This can help you pare down your initial search results.