Digital storytelling can powerfully convey difficult concepts. However, individual assets can’t provide the entire story. Combined with the right “container” and expert text and animation, these assets have been used successfully to teach A&P courses. Our containers include ibooks and SoftChalk™, which both allow for interactive, multi-touch student experiences.
We know that an engaging and interactive delivery of Anatomy and Physiology concepts is essential for student success, especially as we continuously advance the technological environment offered to our diverse student populations. Notoriously, engaging digital material is only accessible to students at a very high cost or with great effort in researching and tailoring an OER. However, our faculty have produced numerous digital assets, incorporating the memory-enhancing power of digital storytelling. Organizing these assets into an iBook which contains numerous videos, interactive learning objects and self-assessments, as well as text, has allowed for delivery of high-quality resources. The digital assets, in addition to brand new illustrations, have been produced through collaboration between faculty and Instructional Designers. This unique method of OER development can be applied across many platforms and used in eLearning environments.
Learn how the ibooks we’ve produced allow students mobile access to an affordable digital container of accessible and innovative science content. For those who do not have an Apple device, or who prefer larger screens, digital assets were incorporated into lessons using the SoftChalk content and eLearning authoring tool. We will demonstrate the unique ibooks and SoftChalk lessons we have created, teach you about our collaborative process and engage our audience through participation, all to gain an understanding of the impressive innovation that makes learning successful and fun.
Level of Participation:
Participants will experience the digital material with a guided walk-through and will be encouraged to interact directly with our iBooks and SoftChalk lessons, being placed in groups to competitively complete assessments. In addition, opportunities for hands-on experience with the anatomy and physiology iBooks and SoftChalk lessons will be available as presenters will bring ten iPads and attendees will have opportunities to work in groups through multi-touch lessons, and complete worksheets which are used to direct learning. Attendees with Apple devices will have the opportunity to receive copies of a Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology iBook airdropped to their device.
Session Goals:
Individuals attending this workshop will be able to discuss the value of collaboration between faculty and instructional designers in the creation of engaging digital material, which can then be used in eLearning environments. Further, they will be able to discuss the value of choosing the method used to disseminate this material and learn approaches to creating the “container”, using iBooks author and SoftChalk authoring tools as examples. Finally, attendees will experience the value of digital storytelling and the power of multi-touch activities in learning a difficult science topic.