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Explore the value of FAMIS animations in teaching, how to create them using PowerPoint and Camtasia Studio, and their benefits in engaging students. Learn why custom animations are effective and future research directions. Discover the pedagogical parameters and importance of making your own animations.
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A B ABLE E L 2008
FAMIS Animations as Teaching Tools and Laboratory Exercises: Their Value and How to Make Them Danton H. O’Day, PhDDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Toronto at Mississauga
Things I’ll Talk About • FAMIS Teaching Animations • Animating with PowerPoint • Pedagogical Parameters • Some Research Data • Student Comments • Future Research: A Call to Arms
FAMIS ANIMATIONS = FOCUSSED = ACCURATE = MODIFIABLE = INEXPENSIVE = SIMPLE • F • A • M • I • S
Making FAMIS Animations .avi.mov.wmv.flv .swf PowerPoint CamtasiaStudio
Custom Animation Click onCustomAnimation Click onAddEffect HighlightItem Click onEntrance, Emphasis, Exitor CustomPath
Use of Custom Animationin a Single Slide I Ron GonzalezGraduate Student UTM
S H Cys Cys Disulfide Formation
O ADP O P O O ATP Phosphorylation O Thr H Ser O H ProteinKinase
Use of Custom Animationin a Single Slide II Nima VaezzadehUndergraduate Student UTM
0137 BUS
Animations: A Complete Story • A teaching animation covers a complete concept or event • It is made up of a series of component slides or cels • Animation occurs within slide: e.g., Custom Animation • Animation occurs by changing slides
Value of Animations • Another means of communication • Facilitate understanding during lecture • Bring dynamic events to life • Give insight words & static images can’t • Value for web-based/distance learning • Provide greater “AccessAbility” • Value as a study tool for students
Why Make Your Own Animations? • To communicate dynamic events • To reveal complex interactions • To save lecture time • No available animation exists • Available animations aren’t suitable An Example
A Professor is not a molecule… Or, how I made a fool of myself and then I made a movie….
Existing Animation Packages • Need to learn new program/approach • Steep learning curve for most • Most are relatively expensive • Producing animations is time-consuming • Once completed, animation not open to revisions/updates My Goal: Develop an easy method for making my own animations
Pedagogical Parameters • Stage-appropriate material (Tversky & Morrison, 2002) • Images & text adjacent (Mayer, 2003) • Term (Text) spoken as it appears (Mayer, 2003) • Oral narration in conversational tone (Sweller, 1994; Lowe, 2003) • Give student some control (Tversky & Morrison, 2002) • Use visual cues to reflect change (e.g., Colour/Shape; Wilson-Pauwels, 1997)
Use Common Sense • Know your goals • Consider your audience • Keep it simple • Keep it short • Focus & make goals clear • Remember: You’re not in competition with Dreamworks or Pixar Studios
Camtasia™ Studio www.techsmith.com • PowerPoint™ 2003 or higher add-on • When animation ready: click “Record” • Recording starts and stops with presentation • Export animation in any current movie format • Education pricing: $179USD • 30 day free trial (full version) • Lot’s of other academic uses for program
Research Part I:Animation vs Static Graphics • Students viewed either graphic with text or the animation with narration • Students filled out anonymous questionnaire:-Specific questions (10 questions)-Opinion questions-Control questions-Comments
Questionnaire Results Group Treatment A (n = 21) Graphic viewed 1 to 2 times maximum B (n = 16) Graphic viewed 3 or more times over 15 minutes C (n = 16) Animation viewed 1 to 2 times maximum D (n = 33) Animation viewed 3 or more times over 15 minutes ANOVA 1-wayanalysis of variance: D significantlydifferent from A,B,C
Student Comments • Animation was better than graphic (77%) • Many spontaneous comments on high quality of the animation • Prefer access to both graphic & animation • Each has its place/value • Issues with computer access for viewing animation
Research Part II: Long Term Retention Initial Exposure Retention Graphic Graphic Animation Animation 100 80 60 Mean ± SEM (%) 40 20 0 Apoptosis Cholesterol Influenza Legend orNarration? No No Yes No No
Research Part II: Summary • Long-term retention is better with animation than graphic whether or not a figure legend was present • FAMIS animations rival even 3D
Future Research: Call to Arms • Length of animation • 2D vs 3D • Value of sounds • Value of classroom discussion • Interactivity • Other?
Animations as Lab/Tutorial Exercises • Students can easily make animations • Serve as long-term or short-term project • Animate a pathway or event or process • Students show & tell—to share info./ideas • Result: -in-depth understanding of topic-learn how to translate info to animation-learn how to communicate complex ideas to others-skills learned are transferable
emaildanton.oday@utoronto.ca Special Thanks • Aldona Budniak • Nima Vaezzadeh AcknowledgementThis work was supported by a grant from theInformation Technology Courseware Development Fund
References • Lowe, 2003. Learning & Instruction 13: 157-176. • Mayer, 2003. Learning & Instruction 13: • O’Day, 2006. CBE—Life Sciences Education 5: 255-263 • O’Day, 2007. CBE—Life Sciences Education 6: 217-223 • O’Day, 2008. American Biology Teacher 70: 286-290 • Sweller, 1994. Learning & Instruction. 4: 295-312. • Tversky & Morrison, 2002. Journal of Human-Computer Studies. 57: 247-262. • Wilson-Pauwels, L. 1997. Journal of Biomedical Communication. 24: 12-16.