Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 28 Number 5

Edited by Diane McGrath

Volume 28 Number 5 Summer 1996

Multimedia Science Projects: Seven Case Studies, Data Attitude–Changes

Kansas State University

Attitude Toward Content of Projects

HS1-1, Teacher T1

Student Journal

G1. 4/13-Soil conservation people came down and we took some samples of the soil on the hill. It was very interesting to see the differences in the soils.

4/20-Went to Cheyenne Bottoms today. Was a very interesting and educational experience. Took video of it so we can take some more notes off of the tape.

Teacher Journal

3/2-We're supposed to take a field trip to NC today to the Register of Deeds office to do some research on the history. ...The trip was a great experience... the Register of Deeds was super with the kids. She is such a spunky person! Some of them showed some interest in historical research.

3/3-We spent half the class period planning for next week. The kids are really excited and want to do everything at once.

5/10-There has been a significant amount of progress with the project by most of the students. They have even shown a little bit of creative humor - i.e. the movie to illustrate the different types of soils is entitles "Dirty Movie."

HS-3, Teacher T3

Video and Notes, CC

The students now came into the class, the time was around 1:10pm. One of the students picked up a book on plant identification and went around the table and picked one of the plants up and tried to identify it in the book. The student did this on his own initiative without T3 telling him to do it. One of the girls students came by and picked up another plant and looked at it very intently and she even smelled it....Now in this group (there were others in the class) there were two girls and two boys. One of the boys was reading the plant reference book and trying to identify some plants. The two girls were looking at the plants too, but they were not trying to identify them. One of the girls went around and she became interested in one of the pictures in one of the newspapers the plants had been laid out to dry. She called the attention of the others to the picture.

CC Interview with Teacher

CC: You think they enjoy this class more than anything else?
T3: Yeah! I think so, because all day long all I hear is people that have already taken it asking you why they didn't get to go outside.. to go to the lake and ... I'm having a field biology class next year and I have quite a few in it.

MS-2, Teacher T6

Teacher journal

February-...The students were enthusiastic about the project...

Video, Visit 2 (Last Visit for this Group), DM Asking Questions

D: When you studied these amphibians, did you actually go out and find any of them?
Ss: [mumble, saying lots of stuff, but can't hear]
T6: How many species, not animals, but species?
B: 4 or 5
T6: [names the ones they found - as she does, the kids gradually roll back into circles looking at each other rather than at T6 or DM or computer - appear to be losing interest] that's right, bullfrog...[something..eventually they name 5 of them]
B: That's 5...
T6: Right, 5 of the 9
D: Do you think that if you ran into one of these in your yard you'd know what it was?
Ss: Yeah, yeah [lots of talk among one group of boys, while the other male group keeps ignoring what's going on, and the other female group sits in the back looking really bored]
...
D: Did you take a lot of field trips?
Ss: Mumble
D: Did everybody like field trips?
Ss: Yeah [more enthusiasm than about anything else so far]
D: When you get to high school are you going to take any science?
Ss: [lots of yeses]
T6: How many of you enrolled in earth science?
[lots of hands go up, enthusiastic talking]
D: Now here's a dangerous question. Mrs. T, you look the other way. Now quietly, raise your hands - how many of you really like science?
[lots of hands go up!]

DM Interview with Teacher after Visit 2 (Final Visit)

D: If...it's old hat, then what do they think about when they do this project. They must be thinking more about the science, and the technology doesn't get in the way.
T6: You see you were getting a lot of response about the class itself and not about the project... This was just one small little aspect of the whole class and the whole focus was on the live animals and the importance of these animals within the environment, and you know, our connection with them and them to us...

ES-1, Teachers T9 & T10

3rd grade journals

B1. 12/7-I researched BAdgers. I think they are neat...I think badgers are neat because of their houses are so big.

12/16-Today I worked on my information about coyote. It is neat to hear about all the things that they symbolize.

B3. 12/2-I did not find enething in books. I no one thing. bird are cool.

B4. 11/7-Wetlands are planes that are allways wet. I think what lives there is water plants and fish. They are important because they provide water.

11/14-A wetland is a place where marshes are and ponds. They are places where lots of birds live and lay their eggs. Whooping cranes lay two eggs and only one survives.
they have many birds there many people have never seen.

12/2-I researched water and fish. I had trouble researching fish because I couldn't find it. I was looking for Pike, bluebull, Stickiback, and minnows.

12/16-I worked on Pike and Bluebill It was fun because I knew lots about Pike and Bluebill. It did not take long. I talked to my dad to find it out.

4/10 What I Learned abaot Wetlands.

A beaver has webbed feet. It makes a dome-shaped home that is made of cattaits and other marsh plants. Fish normlly travel in groups. Birds fly in a trangle shape. The reason they do that is because the first one when it flaps its wings the second one gets a lift off and so on. When a bird from the triangle is ill or has been shot, two other birds will come down with it and protect it till it is dead or well again.

4/19-[added on to the previous summary] Whooping cranes are an endangered species. There are 146 Whooping cranes in the world.

4th grade journals

G7. Then we went on a field trip to Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira Wildlife. When we were there we got a tour of the wetlands. While she was telling about Whooping Cranes she said that people from all over the world come to see the Whooping Cranes.

Teacher T10 journal

Dec. 18 ...Each student chose a bird, and animal and a plant from the wetland. They then proceded to research their topic. They utilized encyclopedias, books and the CD Rom encyclopedia. They were really fascinated with some of their findings.

April 18 ...Overall the class loved the project. They were very interested in the subject and were excited with being on the computers.

Attitude Toward Doing Multimedia Projects

*Sorry Audio files for this portion not available

HS-1, Teacher T1

KW Interview with Students at Conference, 2G, 1B

K: Did you like doing science this way as opposed to any other way?
G1: Oh yeah, yeah, yes!
G2& B: nod assent
K: Would you like to tell me about it?
G2: It was interesting, it was
G1: Yes, it was, it was amazing what we learned about this I mean because if we hadn't done this, I would think it was just a bunch of trees on top of a hill and I wouldn't think anything of it, but now I'm know so much about it now, I mean it's really interesting
G2: You know a lot more about it than is really on the site, you know the history of actually B__ you know and the first settlers and the Indians that were there. It was different stuff than you would normally know about the world and B__ [B__ stands for name of town]
B: I liked it a lot. You learned so much more.
...
B: And I think that really made me interested in it. You know because it was a project you got to go on a lot of field trips and you did researches, a lot of computer stuff and really neat stuff, you know...
B: I liked it a lot. It was fun. I learned a lot.
K: You think you learned a lot, moreso than you ordinarily would...
B: [nods] ...just studying out of a book.
G1: I think it really gets you more familiar with the computer.
...
G2: It was fun. [G1: It was great]. It was really neat to get away from the book. You know, lot of times it's like, oh biology, you know, hit the books, do questions and tests and with this it was just so neat just to get away from the book and actually work on a project that was not with the book like so many other classes are.

KW Interview with Students at Conference, 3B

K: OK. Which way do you like doing science better - that way or the new way? the way where you use the multimedia or the way where you use the text book?
B: I think for me it's easier to learn using the new way
K: using which?
B: the new (B2 nods too)
K: the new way? It's easier to learn? What do you think about it makes it easier to learn?
B1: different, more exciting [...inaudible]
B2: you're on to more detail
K: I heard a couple of things I wanted to follow up on. It's more exciting because...
B2: You're not in a classroom really, you're doing things, not just sitting there reading
B1: not just listening to a lecture
K: OK, so you're doing instead of just reading...And then you said something about going into more detail
B2: It seems like you study it a lot more
K: If you found something that interested you, you could then pursue that?
B1: spend more time...

HS-2, Teacher T2

DM Interview with Students at Conference, 2G

D: Do you think that you like to do science the way you did this project?
G2: Definitely
G1: nods
G2: I'm not much of a science student, I never really got into it, but this was one science class I really liked
G1: I've always liked science. I've always been involved in it so..[inaudible]...structure...[inaudible]...on your own
D: It doesn't seem like a different kind of science?
G2: It doesn't seem like science, it seems like something else

HS-3, Teacher T3

KW Interview with Students at Conference, 2G

K: How would you compare doing science this way...was this your first science class or have you had others?
this is our second one
K: How would you compare this one with the other one? Was the other one more traditional kinds of stuff? B: This was more fun.
G: This was a lot more fun.
G: You learned a lot more because it was hands on, whereas the other one it was just all book and you kind of forgot it. This one you gotta go out and actually do stuff.
K: So you're saying that you think you learned more and it was more fun because you were actually doing and not just getting it out of a book. Do all of you agree on that?
[general murmurs of assent]

CC Interview with Teacher

T3:... I think the process is probably the most important thing.
CC: Ok..
T3: ... and I think with a project like this they don't worry too much about the process, because they want to see the computer part, they do the process part without worrying so much about doing it.
CC: So to them is doesn't feel like regular school work to them.. it looks like fun?
T3: Yeah.

MS-3, Teachers T7 & T8

Teacher Journal (T7)

May - The feedback in all situations were very positive. Students wanted to know if there would be a chance to do a project like it next school year. The last day of school we have a year book signing time and several of the eight grade students wrote in my book that they hope other students would have a chance to do a HyperCard project next year. I think these are examples of the how the students really feel about the project. Overall I feel this project was a success

Student Journal, 8th Grade

B9. Field trip - very interesting, and learning water plant was the best. learning how the water got clean.

Video, Visit 3, DM Talking with Entire Class

D: Do you like this way of doing science?
Ss: Yeah, it's cool.
D: Do you like the field trip better or putting it together?
Ss: [Mixed opinion.]
D: Which do you like better, this or doing a research paper?
Ss: This!

ES-1, Teachers T9 & T10

3rd Grade Journals

B1. 11/22-I am glad to be a part of this project. I like to use the computer to do work! I like it better because the computer is fun.

G1. 11/22-feel ok. I like useing computers in science. I like computers because it is fun.

B2. 11/28-Im working on cat tail and Grasses. It is going to be hard work. But it is fun. We have to mak two hyperCard.

11/29-We made pictures Grass It is fun. It is hard. It is net.

B3. 11/22-I like the project a lot because it is fun. I like a computer cause it is fun.
...
4/19-Hypercard is fun to do

B4. 11/22-I feel good to be a part of this project. I like computers because you don't have to do reports.

4th Grade Journals

G10. date unknown-After about two weeks we went on a field trip to Cheyenne Bottoms and Quiviria National Wildlife Refuge. We collected a vide [video] from Quiviria and Cheyenne Bottoms.
At Cheyenne Bottoms we took a tour. On the tour we saw Whooping Cranes. Whooping Cranes are endagered. Well, any away were gathering information for the HyperCard stacks. Were still doing that now and soon I'm sure we'll have it done and it will probably be very neat.

B5. 11-30-We went to quirva park and saw animals like birds for computer class. It was very fun. There was blue harrons and many more. We saw a ostrich to. And we saw 1 eagle to. it was very fun with all those animals and birds. There was whooping cranes to. And we don key boarding and looked at hypercard stacks to. We learned a lot to.

Teacher (T9) Journal

{note: written from T9's memory on 3/17 - lost journal on hard drive crash)
May 18 ...Overall I feel like they learning about the wetlands and enjoyed most of the process. ...Putting together the field trip experience with book research and a multi-media project made it interesting and fun for the kids, not to mention memorable and educational.

Teacher (T10) Journal

April 18 ...Overall the class loved the project. They were very interested in the subject and were excited with being on the computers.

Change in Attitude Toward Science

HS-1, Teacher T1

KW Interview with Students at Conference, 3B

K: Did doing this project, do you think, make you feel any different about doing science than, let's say you went all the way through high school reading this textbook stuff, writing down answers, and now you know that science can be done a little different, does it make you feel any better about the possibilities of doing more science, or does it not change your mind at all?
Bs: silence
K: some influence? no influence at all?
B2: there's a little
K: tips you which way?
B2: the way you can do it...
B1: mumbles
K: What? It tips you in the direction of maybe being interested in doing a little more science?
[inaudible, but no great enthusiasm]

KW Interview with Students at Conference, 2G, 1B

K: Did I ask you whether doing this project made you feel any different about doing science? Do you think it did? Do you feel like you are any more or any less interested in science as a result of what you did on this project?
All: More
K: You are more interested?
All: mm-hmm.
K: Can you explain more?
B: I think I'm more interested in working close to home too. I mean when you study a book... with N__ it's there and you learn about what's close to you, it's more interesting that way.
K: Anybody else?
[agreement]
K: ...the fact that it was real science and it was really something you could get...
B: Right
G1: Yeah, and somebody was right there
G2: Yeah, and it was at our fingertips ...it was right outside our school.
...
B: And I think that really made me interested in it. You know because it was a project you got to go on a lot of field trips and you did researches, a lot of computer stuff and really neat stuff, you know...
...
K: You're at the end of your science [inaudible]?
G2: Yeah
K: So, doing this project didn't really get you that much more interested?
G2: No, it really did, it's just, um, well to tell you the truth it's because T1 left. I really liked her. And she really helped me out a lot. And I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to work with HyperCard again. I don't know if we'll do that.

HS-3, Teacher T3

KW Interview with Students at Conference, 2G

K: OK. Do you think that just doing this project made you feel any different about science?
[murmurs, hesitation, it was fun, it wasn't the same boring science class]
K: Do you think that you would elect to take more science based on what you experienced in your HyperCard class...if you thought it all could be hands on?
G: Yeah [not with enthusiasm. Murmurs... not a clear answer, really hardly any answer]

MS-1, Teachers T4 & T5

DM Interview with Students at Conference, B&G

D: did it make science more fun for you?
G: nods...yeah
D: Would you do it again?
G: imperceptible nod
D: How about you?
B: [inaudible]

ES-1, Teachers T9 & T10

Additional Questions to T9

9-1. interest in science: about same

   Teacher and student reflections on learning, understanding. Students at the high school and elementary levels felt they had learned a lot from this project, and they could tell you what they learned. Students at the middle school level seemed to have more trouble either remembering their field trips or making connections among the various parts of the project (research, multimedia, field trips). The project had its ups and downs, lasting as long as it did. Teachers at all levels at varying points in the project expressed both frustration (with students' level of work or understanding) and pride (in students' creativity, interest, and hard work).

Audience and Self Esteem

HS-1, Teacher T1

CC interview with Teacher

T1...the girl in the class who has the lowest grade and the least motivation discovered the other day how to do something with HyperCard which the rest of us didn't know how to do.. then so I immediately said next day since we had to scan something, so I told them that if you do it this way it will save you a lot of time...so I had her show them, and that you of course reinforced her self-esteem a little bit and it was nice to be able to do that since I don't get too many chances to do that with that child.

HS-2, Teacher T2

Student Journal

G6. This project challenged me to figure out things on my own...It was very rewarding when I did figure something out.
G13. I think I learned more by doing independent research and designing this project than I could've from worksheets and videos. I...liked the sence of accomplishment when the stack would wrok the way we wanted it to.

MS-3, Teachers T7 & T8

Student Journals

B1. I am teaching the science class on how to do hypercard. We all are enjoying doing this.
B2. I am teaching the rest of the class (other 6th graders not in project) how to do hypercard. this is the funnest month of hyper card so far.
B3. We are teaching the rest of the 6th grade how to do the baisics. It is kinda' aggravating when they mess up.
B4. In December we taught T8's science classes and I thought that was neat. My group did color in Dec. and I liked all the choices you could choose from.
G1. In December we had to teach the rest of the class they thought it was pretty cool. That made us fill special.

MJ interview with Teachers, After End of Project

T7: This is something that other science teachers are going to be seeing.. It is something that you would be proud to show the science teachers if you had to stand in front of it. Or would you be embarrassed to present it in front of other science teachers... So we kind of held it up as that to motivate them, since they didn't have great factor involved. It is more about...your name is beyond this and would you be proud to say that "I did it" ?
MJ: So are they really proud of themselves when they did it?
T7: I think they were. They seemed they were so excited when they showed it to other kids. They were nervous and they were anxious. But I think because it was something different ways it was done before..in this age group. But tends to be....
T8: And in just standing up in front of another group to talk anyway is nerve-wracking for them. And I think after it was done,...I think they made it into a bigger deal than we at first perceived it to be because we said " We are gonna to show it to the seventh graders on a certain day. And I could see a few of them "Oh....the seventh grade.....!"
MJ: [Laughing]
T8: For they were...most of them were sixth graders and they were a little bit apprehensive about that. And then, when we took it to the pod at the seventh grade area. And then they watched it . I could see their faces, and they were very nervous about watching every one, to see how they were reacting to, what they would see. And I think they kind of breathed a sign of relief because a few of them said "Oh, that's cool. How did you make the movie?" or you know, when they started asking some questions. Because the kids, in the audience knew zero about HyperCard or anything. They never had any experience for this at all. So I don't know if they would fully appreciated it how much work that the kids had gone to. So I think they liked watching it because the movie I think, were the most.
MJ: So maybe at least for some degree, most of the students who worked with the project, they might have been proud of themselves.
T7&T8: Oh, yeah. I think they were.
T8: Uh-huh. And I think they were relieved to find out when other kids talked about what they did. And like I said the seventh grade teacher, and I had talked about this she wanted to do something with the kids again this year, you know. And she told me, she said now "Is this something I can do? Even though I am not real experienced with it.". And I told her "Yes. Because the kids are." That's the thing, you know. She can control the teacher aspect of it. But as far as the HyperCard they will be able to do anything, you know. If you don't know how to do it, they probably do.

Changes in Quality of Student Work

HS-1, Teacher T1

CC: Telephone Interview with Teacher, 04/30/94

CC: ok...what changes have you seen in the kids and what do you think caused those changes?
T1: changes in what way?
CC: motivation, organization skills and things like that.
T1: well..
CC: have you seen anything which jumped out at you?
T1: I think maybe organizational skills have improved a little bit, uh.. perhaps their researching skills have increased a little bit... and their attention to detail, they may not like to do it but at least they are aware of it's importance.
...
T1: and with our project you know we broke it down into nine stacks, they had to see the overall picture and they had to see their own individual sections too, and that's perhaps good.

HS-2, Teacher T2

Student Journals

G6. This project chellenged me to figure out things on my own. I got upset many times at T2 but in the end I realized wehat she was doing. Instead of her telling us how to do everything, we had to figure it out. It was very rewarding whan I did figure something out.
G7. I learned more ever teaching myself the program then I would have if T2 taught it to me
G13. I think I learned much more by dfoing independent research and designing this project than I could've from worksheets and videos.
B4. In this time I believe I have learned several important things. I've learned that you can not put things off and expect them to get done. And I've also learned that if your partner is counting on you can't let them down. Though these were not acedemic they are still very important.

HS-3, Teacher T3

CC: Teacher Interview

CC: Ok. See in HyperCard you write things in fields and its written in little chunks, you think that helps them organize their material and do a better job in presenting it rather than big whole paper?
T3: Yeah! I think so because, or I guess from what I've seen with high school papers, you know they are concerned with how long it has to be and so I think they end up sometimes rambling on and on without telling you anything, and this allows them to say exactly what they mean.
CC: So you think HyperCard forces you to be kind of minimalistic in your expression?
T3: Well, I think you know it allows you to say exactly what you are trying to say without worrying about how many pages it is or, and you could put constraints on that and tell them that it has to be so many cards long.
CC: So, one of the nice things is that there are not too many demands on you, I mean you don't say that you need 500 words on this subject.
T3: Right, yeah.. they could cover it however they would like by you know using more words or more pictures or something, but it doesn't necessarily have to be more words on a page.
...
CC: Do you think its the technology that is important or the process of using the technology to do this kind of project? do you think its the process which is more important or the end product?
T3: Mmm... probably the process because the technology is going to keep changing, but in order to work with it, I think the process is probably the most important thing.
CC: ok..
T3: ... and I think with a project like this they don't worry too much about the process, because they want to see the computer part, they do the process part without worrying so much about doing it.
CC: So to them is doesn't feel like regular school work to them.. it looks like fun?
T3: Yeah.
...
CC: So these skills are like looking up things in an encyclopedia... you had a whole load of books, I remember when I was there the kids were going through some reference books, and do they now have a hang of how to reference stuff and how to look for stuff?
T3: Yeah! they've gotten a lot better at using the field guide and how to find what tree it is and whatever by other methods than looking at every page to see which one it is. They've got better at reading and following directions I guess.
...
CC: Ok.... that's good. do you think that there writing skills have improved with this.. research skills and things like that?
T3: mm..
CC: Just informal observation..
T3: Yeah [tentative yeah], from what I've seen so far I think it has. Since the class is doing it in groups, you know it makes them feel better you know because it's not just them doing a paper and they have to worry about spelling and punctuation and things like that, somebody in the group knows how to do it so, they can get their thought down and then the can all look and see what needs to be changed or rearranged.

MS-3, Teachers T7 & T8

MJ: Interview with 2 Teachers after Project Ended

MJ: One thing I was interested in that students, they prefer to have QuickTime if they have some more chance.
T8: Uh huh.
MJ: The reason is that they don't want to research. Is that right?
T8: (laughing a little bit)
MJ: But when I videotaped, I saw some other girls and boys, they worked hard for their research, seemed like finding some books and tried to get some information......
T7: I would say that's probably their least favorite part of it, even though they do it. Ummm......I think that's just because it's closest to related to traditional .....
T8: But I think they found they need for it. Because we went through the day, the outdoor day, when they learned a lot of information. And then they would sit down to try to put it together. And they would realize that they still had some gaps, you know. You can't learn everything about this topic in six or seven hours. So they would take what they learned and then they would have to maybe define some terms and ....or find out something else about it. So at least they had a need to find it.

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