Example 2: Interactive Tours
A high school history teacher, located on the
west coast of the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits
being held at two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her
students to take a "tour" of the museums and be able to interact with
the museum curators, as well as see the art work on display. Afterward, the
teacher would like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have
the students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As
a novice of distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher
turned to the school district’s instructional designer for assistance. In the
role of the instructional designer, what distance learning technologies would
you suggest the teacher use to provide the best learning experience for her
students?
The teacher has come up with a great idea to engage students and
also allow them to tour actual art museums at a distance. One of the benefits
is that using computers in the classrooms “reduce the need for special
high-cost equipment or special networking” (Simonson, 2012). It also cuts the
costs of travel and lodging when traveling from the west coast of the US to New
York City which is on the east coast. A virtual tour still gives students that
opportunity to experience visiting a New York museum. This is a great example
of distance learning.
The Museum of Modern Art is a great site for students of all ages
to explore the exhibitions at this museum. The “Explore” tab includes
information on that exhibition, videos and pictures. Students can explore these
exhibitions, listen and watch the videos as if on an actual tour with a tour
guide, and answer questions as they go along. The “Learn” tab will allow the
educator to use slide shows of art work in the classroom and have students
answer questions along the way. This can be used a whole class assignment or
independently. Working independently, students can work at their own computers,
maybe with a partner, and explore these different pieces of art work as they
complete questions to support their understanding.
The Frick Collection is also another great art museum. It has an
online virtual tour where students can explore the actual museum and interact
with the art work pieces. As the students make their way down the halls of this
museum, they can click on art work and background information will pop up on
that art piece. It gives the feel of actually touring the museum. There are
also online lectures and videos. Its elegance does not fit well young visitors,
but the Columbia Spectator calls it an easy fit “into the art repertoire of a
New York college student” (Corry, 2010). This can get the high school students
into the feel of college courses and exploring pieces as a college student,
building their higher level thinking skills.
Simonson,
M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and
learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston,
MA: Pearson=
Corry, F. 2010. Reframing
the Frick as Student-Friendly. Columbia Spectator. http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2010/10/15/reframing-frick-student-friendly
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