MDDE610+Sheryl+CAI

By Sheryl Heikel
 * Learning With CAI**

What is CAI?
toc In Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) the computer becomes the teacher. Specifically developed software and content lead the learner through steps to master knowledge and skills. CAI content ranges from linear text-based instruction to the current favorites of video, YouTube and interactive simulations. Learners interact with the course content via the computer. More recently interaction between learners in the same course and learner-instructor interaction have been added to CAI by locating courses on the web (Web Based Instruction) and increasing the use of social networking tools. This addition has enabled the CAI learner to feel less isolated but at the same time has reduced autonomy and flexibility.

What did I learn and why?
I have chosen to use CAI to learn the program iMovie. This was a free endeavor as I already owned the software. I had long wanted to learn to use this software but had not had time to explore the program. iMovieis self-contained video editing software that is part of Apple’s iLife suite (iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand). In my experience Apple has earned a reputation for developing straightforward, intuitive yet powerful software. Members of my family have used the other programs in the suite and I have been impressed with the results. Consequently I am excited about being able to create and let the artistic side of my personality express itself. I have several clips of a grandchild that can be used to practice with and I look forward to sending the resulting video to family who live far away. Professionally I have need of video-editing skills in order to create laboratory demonstrations that can be exported to YouTube to use with the online offering of the science courses I teach. Many resource videos and simulations can already be found in on the Internet but there are always concepts that I as the teacher wish to treat a little differently or make my own.

What did I learn and accomplish?
iMovieenabled me to take several video clips and combine them into one presentation with background music and transitions. In order to do this I had to learn to crop and rotate some video clips and enhance color on others. Scenes were trimmed and ‘stills’ extended. Voiceover and title frames were also added. I am pleased with the final ‘cut’ but I am also realizing that in creative endeavors one always wants to add and finesse just one more little thing and so you are never really finished. I can say that my grandson, the child featured in the video clips, loves the final product and asks for the ‘Johann movie’ again and again. The completed video clip has been included for viewing as well as examples of the original clips for comparison.

Skill list

 * Combining clips
 * Trimming, editing, deleting scenes
 * Cropping and rotating clips
 * Adding music – fade in / fade out
 * Voice over
 * Adding titles
 * Adjusting color
 * Transitions between scenes
 * Sharing the final video to email, iTunes or to my e-portfolio

Learning Experience Evaluation
Online tutorial videos for iMovie08 from were used to learn the required skills. It was great to be able to find video that specifically referred to the older version of the program I owned. Apple is to be commended for maintaining such support of their software.

These resources are organized to facilitate flexibility and learning. Instructions are clear and generally easy to follow. Each video is only 1 – 4 minutes in length making it possible to learn small skills and then replay the video or practice with actual video clips before going on to new content. The learner can progress through the videos from first to the last and become progressively more proficient or skip to the particular aspect that they wanted to learn first, for example music or sound effects. A check mark appears beside the instructional video once you have viewed it thus tracking your progress.

I watched all the instructional videos before beginning to edit as I did not have access to practice videos at the time. This was not ideal and I do recommend having clips available with which to practice each skill as you work through instructions. It is possible to have one window with the instructional video open and another with the iMovie program and go back and forth, pausing and replaying the instruction as required. This interactivity complemented learning a I, the learner, was able to explore, test ideas and have immediate feedback as my video clip changed (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999).

With this instruction I had control over the content of the video clips I edited, the look and feel of the final product, the pace of instruction and the sequence of skills learned. This control created ownership in the project and increased engagement. Sitzmann, Kraiger, Stewart & Wisher (2006) found that learning is enhanced when the learner is given a high level of control.

All of this was accomplished in a safe environment. Edits made to video in iMovienever change the original video clip and the edited clip is auto-saved. I knew that I could experiment, edit, and try new effects, but if things went wrong, I could trash the movie and start again with from the original videos. This is an important software feature as I did not have to worry about permanently damaging the irreplaceable video of my grandson’s summer.

These Apple iMovie instructional videos could be been improved by allowing the user to make them larger. Full screen view is not available and many of the editing buttons are very small and cannot really be seen on the screen. It is often hard to find the cursor to see where the editing button is being activated. By the time I found where I was supposed to be looking the cursor had clicked and moved on. Fortunately the ability to stop and replay a few seconds was possible. Also a contact email for questions or other means of support would be helpful if these video tutorials were to be used in an educational framework.

Other CAI experiences
Learning to edit video is not my first experience learning from CAI. In the late 1980’s I was a computer courseware evaluator for Alberta Education. CAI and educational games and simulations development was in its infancy. My job was to not only try to freeze or crash the program (because if I could then certainly a junior high student could) but to comment on pedagogy. One issue that presented frequently was that it was easier, quicker and less boring to get the wrong answer than the correct one. The correct answer required thinking, after which the learned was subjected to the same ‘reward’ time and time again: music, pretty picture, well done comments, etc. The incorrect answer resulted in a quick ugly beep and a hint. Three or so wrong answers and the learner was given the correct answer. While CAI and computer capabilities have come a long way since the 1980’s, I still find aspects of this ‘problem’ in many CAI applications. Perhaps this is because the developer rarely sits and completes and entire course from start to finish. After all, they generally already know the material.

In 2007, I was a student in an introductory accounting course at Athabasca University. The design of this CAI course was very linear. It was required that questions be completed in a specific sequence. If a minor error was made on a problem it was impossible to learn from the minor error and move on. Instead the learner was given another huge question on the same material. It was very time consuming and repetitive. The entire course proceeded in exactly the same pattern. In addition the textbook, the text materials and the CAI used different terminology for the same entity, many times using archaic terms which were impossible to adequately define. The lack of control made the experience very isolating and frustrating.

I again experienced CAI in MDDE604 when I was required to peer review a classmate's CAI instructional unit assignment. This time I was to use SketchUpto learn drafting and attempted to follow the directions and complete the assignments. However there was no feedback available as to what my completed assignment was to look like. I had no idea if I had completed the assignment correctly or if I was totally wrong. This lack of feedback made the experience very isolating and frustrating.

Evaluation of CAI
Many advantages of CAI instruction stem from its ability to respond to individual student situations. The student works through content independently. The program can be designed to adapt to individual learner needs. However these same features of anonymity and individuality create its greatest weakness. CAI students often feel isolated, alone with the content, and frustrated when they have difficulty with content, technology or software.

Advantages of CAI

 * Programs can be designed to require minimal prerequisite computer skills
 * Adaptable to a wide range of topics and learning levels.
 * Flexibility – it is possible to design for control over content, sequence and pace. Sections may be repeated and review as the students feels necessary without holding up an entire class.
 * Can decrease required instructional time.
 * Especially effective for short courses or units.
 * Can be cost effective if curriculum is stable for a period of time long enough to average out design and implementation costs, or if used large numbers of students.
 * Makes learning available over long distances.
 * Is adaptable for learners with physical disabilities.
 * Students can remain anonymous if desired (shy, weak, disabled, etc.)
 * Offers greater engagement and variety than text based instruction (audio, video, simulation)
 * Simulations of expensive or dangerous lab situations can be included.
 * Increased focus and learning.
 * Instant feedback and remediation can be tailored to individual student responses.
 * Can be easily incorporated into face-to-face instruction in a blended program increasing engagement and freeing instructor time for individual students.

Disadvantages of CAI

 * Requires prerequisite computer skills, software and hardware.
 * Available CAI options are not always pedagogically sound.
 * Designed for the average learner and is difficult to adapt for those above or below the norm.
 * Easily becomes mechanical and repetitive
 * High initial development and implementation costs
 * Difficult and expensive to adapt to changing curriculum or environment
 * Dependent on up-to-date hardware, software and available bandwidths
 * Less effective for courses with a duration longer than a few weeks
 * Many distractions to learning available on the readily available Internet
 * Students easily feel isolated and frustrated if learning does not go well
 * Feedback and support not always available

Conclusion
It is very important to me as a learner that CAI have enough structure to provide guidance, flexibility to permit ownership and control, and feedback to evaluate ones performance. In addition there must be some way to access support and have questions answered. Without these CAI can be a very frustrating, isolating experience for students. It is best incorporated into short courses so a particular style or pattern does not become tedious. As with all educational tools finding the right fit is key. CAI has a place in distance programs as a remedial tool and as a change in pace in the face-to-face classroom. I enjoyed this application of CAI and will continue to use my newly developed skills using iMovie.