Using Animation as Demonstration Tool
by Ron Kurtus (revised 11 July 2005)
We've all experienced it. You go on a website and all you see are banner ads blinking, scrolling and screaming for you to "click here". This week I've chose to write about an article I read about using animations on web pages as a demonstration tool. The article was rather short but I chose it because it really got my attention on why certain web sites use this type of technology. The article talks about four main reasons for using animations on your web page. These include draw attention, demonstrate something, entertain and assist in navigation. The article goes in detail about each of these and talks about how each has it's positives and negatives. It also gives some suggestions on how to use this technology to its highest potential and get the desired result out of it.
The use of animation on websites is a very valuable tool in designing material for students. First of all the use of an animation such as a pop up or blinking ad can grab a students attention and draw them into a particular part of the web page that the teacher feels like is important. It is very important though, as the article states, to not over due this. This could cause a student to lose focus on the main page. This technology also allows you to demonstate things. Software like Powerpoint can be used as a slide show to present material. There is also the use of entertainment. It can be important to entertain a student with a game or activity to mix it up in presenting material on a page, especially with the younger crowds. Lastly, using animation to assist in navigation is good to provide a student with info on a particular area of interest. This can be achieved by using the mouse over effect or hyperlink to another page.
I believe that the use of animation on web pages used for learning is key and can be done as creatively as the teacher wants it. This article really helped me gain some knowledge and future ideas about how I will use this in my classroom one day. One thing that I am going to use this info for in my creation of my VFT as well as any Virtual experience I create in my career. I personally like the use of the entertainment factor to use a game as a way to make learning fun and exciting. I think that you have to be very careful in the objectives of the game and not make it too distracting for a younger audience. All in all I think that the use of this technology is vital and this article has really helped me gain some creative ideas in my future classroom.
I think that it would be interesting to see just what age group responds best to certain types of the four areas this article discussed. Would younger kids be too distracted by flashing ads? Would older kids use hyperlinks to go too far into cyberspace? All of these would be useful in knowing how to create an effective web page.
This article was very informative and might be a good tool to use in the creation of your VFT. Here's where you can find it: http://www.school-for-champions.com/web/animation.htm
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8 comments:
I definitly agree with you Ryan. Animations can be effective in teaching. It allows the teachers to be creative and in turn keep the attention of students. Learners in this day and age are stimulated by visuals. This is from our age of the good old televsion. It takes a lot to keep the attention of young people these days. That is why it is so important to keep the lessons refreshing and visual. I like what you had to say in this article. You were very clear and to the point with your statements. I really learned a lot from your blog.
I think this was a great article to review and all the application examples you gave were great. I agree it is a great way to grab students attention and make it fun and different at the same time. I liked the Powerpoint example because Powerpoint seems to now be a staple in every classroom in America. I think its a fun way to get studetns interested in a topic that might be diffcult or unfamiliar. Plus, its a good way to keep their attention if you can entertain them in some way. I too would like to know the age group this most appeals to. I also think its important to see how well kids pay attention to the material presented and not just the animations. Great review!
I agree with you Ryan. Definatly it is a great way for students to learn. I think animation in the classroom would be fun too. It would grab the attention of students and keep them interested. good job on your artical and I really learned alot from your blog
I agree that using animations would definately catch the attention of a student's eye. I think that is important for those students especially that have photographic memory, it will help them remember what the web page was teaching. I also agree to not overdue all the fancy things you can put on a web page, just enought to make it fun to learn.
I liked reading this article, it helped me as well to have ideas for my VFT web page. I too would like to see what age group this helps the most.
Animations to me are very effective in teaching because it grasp the students attention and it would be very helpful with those who have ADD or ADHD. By being taught animations etc will surely help them in their future careers
Yup I have to say that animations surely can be effective in the classroom. I can make things interesting and more creative instead of just a boring lecture, students will most likely get more out of it. That was one of my biggest problems in school, it never seemed that I had enough visual aids. If I had utilized more tools like this back in the day when I was a kid I bet I've could've done better in school. I'm kind of getting off topic, I just wanted to say that you did an excellent job with your blog, I learned a thing or two from it. Great job.
I think your article provides some good guidelines on how and when to use animation. Attention-getting is certainly useful but can also be so attention-getting that it distracts from the material. In the education setting, especially, teachers need to really consider their own use of animation and how students may react to it. Whenever using the internet in the classroom, I think it is very important that students be monitored closely so they don't end up pages away from where they should be.
I could not agree more with you after reading you article and what you wrote. Animations can be highly effective and it allows creativity in the classroom which sadly some times there is lack of. I think that animations would be enough to grab the attention span of any student of any student just long enough to get the message through and for them to learn without even knowing it. I always love to read what you write and the articles that you pick.
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