Using Images
Some people have a visual preference to learning with images and would prefer to see photos and moving images stored on their pocket devices. Most PDAs and camera mobile phones support still images as well as short video clips and these can be used for learning in a number of ways including:
- Contribute to a collaborative visual story of a particular topic – of the local community or about family and friends.
- Create a visual reflective diary or blog capturing visual prompts accompanied by sound or text.
- Provides a visual reference before visiting a museum or art gallery or an index of flowers, weeds, birds etc
- Provide visual stimulus to encourage creativity in arts, crafts, language and communication activities.
Taking photos is a great way to capture an event as it’s happening whether in a classroom or outdoors.
Slideshows can be created using specific software e.g. Microsoft Photostory which is free to download to a computer. The Photostory software allows you to add images, text and sound to the slideshow and finally prompts to save on a computer, Pocket PC device, Smartphone or a portable Media device. Watch and listen to the YouTube video tutorial below.
In Practice
Cornwall Adult Education Service captured images using their PDAs then uploaded the images to a computer to create a Photostory slideshow. They then converted the slideshow back to the PDA or to their own personal device so that the story became portable and personal and one that could be shared with friends and family.
Video clips can benefit learners who have print difficulties or those with strong visual learning styles such as deaf or dyslexic learners.
In Practice
“During a recent lesson, I decided to show a video-taped 5 minute excerpt from an educational TV programme. I asked for comments and the lesson moved on. Later, PDAs were used to show 3 further clips. Once again I asked for comment. The PDA clips were more effective. I think this was because they were able to view in pairs or alone and this fostered wider debate.” Childcare Tutor, Dewsbury College.
Other gallery of images might be used purely as reference materials so learners can access a list or look at an alphabetical selection of items and see relevant images. Bishop Burton College for example use a visual list of weeds to help learners identify plants and weeds.The tutor added re-sized JPEG images of weeds onto the devices and the students used the HP Image Viewer to check and identify what was seen in the field to the gallery of images on the device. Written notes could have been taken to name and label the weeds in particular. “Learners found the task of identifying the weeds much more interesting than referring to a book or from copied drawings.”
Images can also be captured on some PDAs and on all cameraphones. This can be used for learning in a number of ways including:
- to provide evidence of a learner performing a physical skills e.g. yoga position
- to provide evidence of an artefact created e.g. a clay pot
- to illustrate a piece of written work or an oral presentation
- to record stages during a process of creating an artefact
Read about Terry Freedman's two rare sightings in one day , and how he captured them on his mobile phone.
In Practice
London Action Trust won a contract to provide accreditation for offenders' vocational work in the Essex Probation Area. The evidence will be captured electronically using digital cameras, video and sound recording. Although camera phones won't be allowed to capture evidence the assessors will use recorders to record voice.
In Practice
'I tried taking pictures of art with the PDA camera but it was abject failure - they simply weren't good enough. So I thought I'd photograph images that are too big to scan and it worked quite well. I cropped them and edited and they are viewable. It's certainly given me an opportunity to use bigger pieces of artwork that could not have been scanned.' Art History Tutor, WEA.
Look out for cartons of milk with images of CD art printed on them. Each image and accompanying message will urge people to take a picture of the art with a camera phone. Then, if you send the snapshot to a database operated by a marketing outfit, a free song will be sent to your phone from the band's sponsoring record label. In USA people will also be able to use their mobile phones to take a picture of a movie billboard, and then send the image to a special database that returns a film trailer, locates a theatre showing the movie advertised on the billboard or allows the user to buy tickets to the movie.
In Practice
Wolverhampton Adult Learning encouraged parents using PDAs at Bilston Nursery to capture photos and video clips of their children at home and at play. They would then incorporate them into a PowerPoint presentation which drew together their work on child development.
In Practice
Dudley Adult Learning used PDAs for use as work scrapbooks. The
PDAs held photographs, videos and sound clips which were
collected by the learners from within their cultural experience. The learners were encouraged to:
- Take a family photograph
- Write over it (in Sharada or other mother tongue script)
- Type over it in English text using onscreen keyboard
- Record a conversation in English with the family.
All ESOL learners worked at Entry level and spoke very little English. They had access to the PDAs at home to take a family photograph and during short period of project all learners, who didn’t use English language at home, recorded conversations with other family members in English. They also were encouraged to tell other PDA users how to use the device and this in itself encourages communication.
Other tasks with the ESOL group have been to create an encyclopaedia around familiar vocabulary and to create a storyboard around an issue or situation, which challenges language skills.
Quicklinks
In Practice
Using Text
Using Sound
Using SMS (Text)
Using MMS (Images)
Using Planning Tools
Quizzes and Interactive activities
Out and About
Getting Connected
Other sections
Choose the Right Device
What to look for when buying the devices, reviews and suggestions
Technical Tips
Troubleshooting, software and hardware solutions
FAQs for Organisations
Issues and questions that organisations experience
Making it Accessible
Ways to use the technology accessibly
The Future
The changing world of handheld devices
Glossary
An a-z glossary of mobile technology terms