Instructional Softwarefor use in High School Journalism/Media

Courses

Josh SimmonsEdTech 541

Summer 2013

Instructional software is a must in High School Journalism courses. All aspects of journalism in 2013 require technology including newspaper layout, audio

video recording and editing, and web design. Journalism curriculum and student requirements show

the advantage of using instructional software in coursework.

As technology has progressed in recent years, story telling through journalism has evolved into a digital

field. Instructional technology is essential for journalism education.

Drill & Practice

Drill and practice software “provides exercises in which students work example items... and receive feedback on their correctness” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013). Flash cards and online practice tests are common uses of drill and practice. The relative advantage of drill and practice in journalism instruction is that it builds the skills needed to create and deliver content in a professional manner.

Drill & Practice Software

newsroom101.net is an online tool that replaces a student workbook and acts as a lab for training students on the basics of the newsroom. The site includes quizzes on AP style, grammar, punctuation and word usage.

englishexercises.org offers grammar practice for students based on age level. The site gives feedback for the quizzes immediately.

TutorialsTutorial software is sequential in nature and self-paced in delivery. “Unlike other types of instructional software, tutorials are true teaching materials” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013).

Quality tutorials should be interactive, user controlled and appropriate in terms of pedagogy. The relative advantage of tutorials is seen in student-driven learning and review of previous instruction. Instruction can also be given in areas where a subject matter expert is not readily available. Tutorials are great for individual learning.

Tutorials

lynda.com provides video editing tutorials for various video editing software including iMovie.

KDMC from University of California at Berkeley is a great site providing tutorials for various areas of journalism.

YouTube.com offers numerous video tutorials on various software used in the journalism field, including iMovie, Adobe Creative Suite, and even basic newspaper layout and web design.

SimulationsSimulations are technological models based on a “real or imagined system that is designed to teach how the system works” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013). Simulations require user input on which outcomes are based.

The relative advantage of simulations is that students get a real-world experience in a digital environment. Students learn sequences and procedures and are often placed in hypothetical situations where decision making is key. “Simulations usually emphasize learning about the system itself rather than learning general problem-solving strategies” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013).

Simulations

Cameraism is an SLR camera simulator that is useful to train photo journalism students. Students can setup a shot and adjust every aspect of the camera before snapping a test shot. The test shot simulates the an actual picture with the settings made.

Instructional Games

Instructional games provide a fun means of learning including rules and competition to reinforce learning. The relative advantage of instructional games is retention of knowledge and the appeal of games to students.

According to Roblyer & Doering (2013), instructional games can take the place of worksheets and exercises, teach cooperateive group working skills and serve as a reward.

Instructional Games

Be The Reporter by the University of Minnesota gives students the opportunity to act as a reporter and conduct all research and report the findings.

Play the News Game is an interactive game that gives students the chance to report the news.

Problem-Solving SoftwareProblem-solving software “may focus on fostering component skills in or approaches to general problem-solving ability, or provide opportunities to practice solving various kinds of content-area problems” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013).

The relative advantage of problem solving in journalism is the for students to gain the ability to adapt to changes quickly. Journalism is an area where information is rapidly changing and journalists must adapt to breaking news and technology problems. The bulk of problem-solving skills needed in journalism will deal with the technology itself.

Problem-Solving Software

MPEG Streamclip MPEG Streamclip is a video transcoder and compressor. It takes a video file and converts it into a smaller, bigger, different video file to suit your needs, solving the issue of non-standard video. Students will learn to problem solve based on trial and error in video settings.

Audacity is a free audio editing tool. It solves the problem of audio clips that are too long or contain unnecessary content.

References

Roybler, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.