Explaining and communicatingscience using student-created

blended mediaBy Garry Hoban, Wendy Nielsen and Alyce Shepherd

Students engage with science content when they are asked to explain and communicatetheir knowiedge to others, in particuiar, encouraging students to create various digitai mediaforms such as videos, podcasts, vodcasts, screencasts, digital stories and animations to expiainscience is usuaiiy engaging, especiaiiy if they have ownership of fhe process and use fheir owndevices such as smartphones, digitai cameras and computers. Whilst each digitai media formhas parficular affordances, they can also be integrated or 'biended' fo provide a new way forsfudenfs fo explain science using a combinafion of digifai media forms. These can be sharedwidely fo communicafe wifh ofhers by upioading fo infernef sifes.

Finding new teaching and learning approaches isneeded to help school and university students improvetheir scientific literacies and ways ot communicatingscience concepts (Rice, Thomas & O'Toole, 2009;Tytler, 2008). One way is to encourage them to createtheir own representations ot science concepts usingdifferent modalities (Jewitt, 2009). When studentssketch or write about their science ideas, they createmono-modal representations, because each literacytorm or mode is an expression ot their ideas as a wayof making meaning (Lemke, 1990; Prain, 2006). Thesemodes can also be combined in representations suchas drawing sketches with labels or adding text toexplain them (Ainsworth, Prain & Tytler, 2011 ). Ditterentways of engaging with content are also promotedwhen students re-represent content trom one form intoanother (Yore & Hand, 2010). For example, studentscould summarise and write facts about phases ofthe moon, which could then be re-represented assketches and re-represented again in a table or in 3-Dmodels. Creating multiple representations of the sameconcept enables students to revisit and reflect uponcontent as well as allowing tor different possibilities ofrepresentation (Hoban & Nielsen, 2011; Hubber, Prain &Haslam, 2010).

The rapidly increasing use ot digital technologiesis ottering students new opportunities to representcontent in ditferenf ways. Technologies, includingsoftware programs in mobile devices, support studentsin integrating ditterent modes such as text, sound, stilland moving images (Jones & Issott, 2007). Additionalcommunication and presentation skills can be gained itstudents are encouraged to share and justify fhe designand meaning of their student-created representationswith peers. The attordances of Web 2.0 technologiesalso enablie students to disseminate their ideas widelyand seek teedback by uploading their digital media tosocial media sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

FORMS OF STUDENT-CREATED DIGITAL MEDIAThe ever expanding accessibility to personal digitaltechnologies over the last ten years offers a timelyopportunity in science teaching and learning toprovide new ways to engage students by creating their

own digital representations. Making a video as a classor as a group project was unheard ot twenty years ago,but with readily available technology such as digitalcameras, smartphones, tlip cameras, video cameras,webcams and iPads as well as laptops with Web 2.0connectivity, it is now much easier. As technologybecomes increasingly easier to use, it extendsopportunities tor students to make decisions about howto combine or integrate various modes such as text,sound, still and moving images to produce multi-modaldigital representations (Traxler, 2010).

Inviting students to design and create digital mediato explain science concepts to peers is a powerfulway to learn as, "the people who learn the most trominstructional materials are the designers.. . .we haveall stated at one time or another that the quickestway to learn about subject matter is to have to teach(design) it" (Jonassen, Myers & McKillop, 1996, p. 95).Perhaps the task ot creating a digital representation tobe shared with peers could become a part ot a classresource system to which new digital resources areadded with each cohort. There are a number ot tormsof student-created digital media that can be used asassignments or tasks in universities and high schools,each with particular affordances that are teatures orqualities unique to that torm. For the purposes ot thispaper, an 'affordance' is fhe qualify or feature ot atechnology that allows it to pertorm a particular actionor purpose (Gibson, 1977).

Podcasfs

One ot the simplest digital media forms for studentsto create is a podcast, which is usually a 1-3 minuteaudio recording, offen with no images, where studentsexplain an allocated science concept. A simpletask for students could be to summarise a sectionof a science book or internet site as a way of re-representing the content to their peers. Examples otone-minute podcasts are available on the ScientificAmerican website at http://www.scientiticamerican.com/podcast/podcasts.ctm?type=60-second-science.A more challenging and imaginative form of podcastis to get students to explain their science knowledgeas an analogy. This involves summarising content and

teachingscience Volume 59 \ Number I | March 2013

Hands Or)re-representing it in a script tor audio production. Forexomple, o chemical reaction could be exploined asa 'tug ot war' between the reoctants and productsor oxidation and reduction could be explained usingthe analogy of o boxing mafch (Bartie, Longnecker &Pegrum, 2011 ). The New Media for Science website thatcan be seen at httpiZ/newmediatorscience-reseorch.wikispaces.com/Science+podcasts includes otherexamples ot podcasts using analogies for learningscience in universities (Rivkin, Longnecker, Leach,Davis & Lutze-Mann, 2012).

Digital Story

A digitol story is o narrated slide show usually with staticimages that each stay on a screen tor 10-20 seconds(Lambert, 2003). The key to a good digital stor/ iswriting the narration first to present o compellingexplanotion, which is then accompanied by findingstatic digital images to fit the narrotion. The process ofdeveloping a digifal story typically requires studentsto; (i) brainstorm ideas to produce a storyboard; (ii)write o short 250-word script; (ii) toke or find 10-12 stillimages that illustrote the narration that extends tor2-3 minutes; (iv) record the script; (v) produce theexplanotion using o video editing program to makesure that the narration matches the slides; and (vi)share the final product. In o science context, a digitalstory is suited to explaining science discoveries such asFaraday's work with electricity or Alexander Fleming'sdiscover/ of penicillin. Supporf and guidelines canbe found at http;//uow.libguides.com/content.php?pid=82573&sid=612645.

Animation

Many expert-generated representations such asanimations, simulations or other visualizations areavailable, and have proven valuable for learningscience concepts, particularly to show changes atmacroscopic or microscopic levels (Linn & Eyion, 2011).But learners have been limited in creoting their ownanimations because the protessionol sottware available,such as Flash Animation, is usually too time consumingfor sfudents to learn and use. There is, however, asimplified way for school and universify students to makeanimations, called Siowmation (abbreviated from SlowAnimation), which ore narrated stop-motion animationsthot are played slowly at two trames/second to

Volume 59 | Number I | March 2013

facilitate a narration explaining the slow-moving images(Hobon, 2005; Hoban, Loughran & Nielsen, 2011; Hoban& Nielsen, 2012). Students engage with science contentin multiple ways as they write a narration, construct astor/board, make or use existing models, take digitalstills of manual movements and import them into treevideo software to edit with narration ond/or music.Free instructions and resources are available at theproject web sitewww.slowmotion.com. Figure 1 showsexamples of preservice teachers creoting a siowmation.

Video

Students con plan and create a brief demonstrationvideo with images playing at 25-30 tromes/second toexplain an allocated science concept or demonstratehow to do on experiment. In a secondar/ sciencecontext, some examples include Newton's Laws,states of matter, forces and projectile motion.Encouraging students to enter their videos in a popularinternotional competition called 'óO-Second-Science'(www.60secondscience.net/) can also be an engagingand motivating intluence where student-generatedvideos compete for cash prizes fo provide the bestscience explanations.

STUDENT-CREATED BLENDED MEDIA FORDIGITAL SCIENCE EXPLANATIONSWhilst each digital medio form has its own particularaffordances, ospecfs of these forms can also beintegrated or 'blended' enabling students to mix ondmatch media tor porticular purposes (Hoban, in press).When planning tor a blended digital explanation ot ascience concept, students need to be aware ot theattordances of each digitol form and then select themost oppropriate to suit the purpose ot the explonotion.For example, the four moin features or components ofa written explonation con be aligned to ditferent digitalmedia forms fo generafe a succinct digital explanation:(i) on explanation begins by naming a topic ondidentitying key elements or parts and this can berepresented digitally by narroted static images similarto a digital stor/; (ii) the next part ot an explanotionshows how the elements or parts dynamically relate toeach other and this can be represented digitally by asimple onimation or 'slowmotion'; (iii) an example ota concept can be demonstroted with o short videoit fhe elemenfs move by fhemselves or if not, thenrepresented by a slowmotion; and (iv) the conclusionot on explanotion summarises the moin points ond canbe represented digitally using a stotic image. What iscommon across the four media forms is the narrationexplaining the science.

The key to creating ettective explanations usingblended media is for students to write the norrotionfirst to explain the science and then make decisionsabout which digital medio torm best suits the purposeof whaf is being explained. Table 1 shows the feafuresof a wriffen explanotion and how these can berepresented digitally using the offordances of differentdigifal media forms. For example, in making a blendedmedio to explain o complex topic such os 'phases ofthe moon', a student could start by reseorching thescience of how the moon phases chonge. Qnce thetopic is understood, then resources could be gatheredin terms of how to moke the digital media form thatbest suits a particular part ot the explanation. Forexample, the first part ot the digital explanation couldbe naming each phase of the moon with narratedstatic images; the next port could demonstróte thedynomic relationship between the sun, moon and

teachingscience

TEXT TYPE/PURPOSE

An explanation articulates howor why something happens.eg What causes phases ot themoon?

FEATURES OFEXPLANATIONS

1. Starts by naming the topicand identifies elements relatedto the topic in the right order.eg. Names each phase ot themoon in turn.

DIGITAL CONSTRUCTIONPROCESS

1. Narrated static imageswith 10-15 seconds per tramesimilar to a digital story.

2. Explains how the elements 2. Narrated slow moving

AFFORDANCES

j 1. Static images stay on thescreen as long as necessaryallowing learners to tocuson each image whilst thenarration introduces the topicand elements ot the topic.

2. Slow moving images allowrelate to each other and to animation with images moving ' a learner to see how thethe topic.eg. Shows a slowmation otthe moon and earth movingaround the sun

3. Provides an example.eg. shows a video ot thephases ot the moon

4. Finishes with a concluding orsummary statement.eg. an image with all thephases ot the moon showingthe progression.

at 2 frames/sec similar to "slowanimation". This could beinterspersed with static imagesot tables, tlowcharts, graphs ordiagrams to illustrate particularevidence tor the phenomena.

elements move slowly inrelation to each other.

3. Use video with tast movingimages at 25 trames/secondby itself or static image toshow an actual or real liteexample.

4. Narrated static imagepresented in a still photo toprovide a conclusion.

3. Fast moving images like avideo allow a learner to seehow something moves by itseltin real lite.

4. A static image allows alearner to tocus on the stillimage as a summary ot theconclusion.

earth that results in ditterent mqan phases as theyappear an earth v ith a slawmatian. This cauld betollav^ed by a videa showing changing phases andthen a conclusion with one static image ot the all theditterent moon phases os the norration revisits theprogressian ond o tinol summary. The design process increoting such o blended tarm encourages students tothink obaut the concept and how best to represent itin multiple and connected woys.

A usetui teature ot student-created blendedmedio is thot combining ditterent media tarms isrelatively simple. As long os students have plannedtheir narration, which determines the quolity ot theexplanatian and whot digital media torms suit particularparts, students con take oil the images (still and video)with their mobile phone/iPad. Alternatively, they coulddownlood copyright tree moterial tram the internet,and integrate them using tree mavie making sottwareon either an Apple (using iMovie) or a PC computer(using Windows Movie Moker). Free images can alsabe obtained trom Google Images as long as they orecopyright tree. Each medio tqrm can also be createdseparately and then integrated or blended os o wholein the movie moking sottware.

Students con produce their own blended digitalexplanations at home using their own technologies,with perhaps some class time devated tademonstrating examples and techniques. Digitalmedia explanations could then be uploaded ta alearning management system or q public site such asYauTube ar Facebook to communicate students' ideostar teedbock. Students theretore not only learn tromcreating their awn digital representotion to explaina science concept, but they can alsa learn tram theather digital explanations created by peers. Uploadingtheir digital explanations to web sites enables o levelot 'quality control' tor these student products toseek teedback on the accurocy and quality ot theexplanatian.

CONCLUSIONIt is clear that the opportunities tor students to use theirawn personol digital technologies to improve theirdigital literacies in science will only keep increasingduring the 21st Century. Science educators shouldseize this opportunity to encouroge their students totake more ownership tor creating science content.Understanding the teatures at a quality explanationand the attardances ot ditterent media torms willassist students in making decisions about what andhow to blend ditterent media torms to explain andcommunicate their ideas to peers and teachers. Youcan see examples ot student-created blended mediaat the slawmation website: www.slowmotion.com

REFERENCESAinsworth, S. Prain, y., & Tytler, R. (2011). Drawing to Learn inScience, Science, 335, 1096-1097.

Bartle, E., Longnecker, N., & Pegrum, M. (2011). Callaboratian,Contextualization and Communication using New Media:Introducing Podcasting inta an Undergraduate Chemistry Class.International Journal of Innovation in Science and MathematicsEducation, 19(1), 16-28.

Gibsan, J. J. (1977). The theory ot aftordances. In R. Shaw andJ. Bransford (Eds.) Perceiving, action and knowing: Towards anecological psychology. Hillsdale NJ: Laurence Eribaum.

Hoban, G. (2005). From claymation to slawmation: A teachingprocedure ta develop students' science understandings. TeachingScience, 51(2), 26-30.

Haban, G. (in press). Engaging with content and language usingstudent-created blended media. Keynote presentation. FirstInternational Conference on Education and Language, BandarLampung, Indonesia, January 2013.

Hoban, C , Laughran, J., & Nielsen, W. (2011). Slowmation:Preservice primary teachers representing science knowledgethraugh creating multimodal digital animations. Journal otResearch in Science Teaching. 48(9), 985-1009.

Haban, G., & Nielsen, W. (2012). Using "Slowmatian" toEnable Preservice Primary Teachers to Create Multimadal

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Har)ds OnRepresenfations of Science Concepfs. Research in ScienceEducation, 42(6), 1101-1119.

Hobon, G., & Nielsen, W. (2011). The five Rs: A new feachingopprooch fo encouroge siowmofions (sfudenf-generofedonimofions) of science concepfs. Teaching Science, 56 (3), 33-38.

Hubber, P., Prain, V., & Haslam, F. (2010). Teaching and Leorningobout Force with a Represenfafional Focus: Pedagogy andTeacher Change, Research in Science Education 40, 5-28.

Jewiff, C. (Ed). (2009). The handbook of multimodal learning,Roufledge, London.

Jonassen, D., Myers, J., & McKillop, M. (1996) From consfrucfivism toconstructionism: Learning with hypermedia/multimedia rafher fhanfrom it. In B.G. Wilson (Ed.), Constructivist learning environments(pp. 95). Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Educafional TechnologyPublicafions.

Jones, A., & Issroff, K. (2007). Motivation and mobile devices.Research in Learning Technologies, 15(3), 247-258.

Lambert, J. (2003). Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, CreatingCommunity. Berkley, CA: Digitai Diner Express.

Linn, M., & Eyion, B. (2011 ). Science Learning and Instruction: TakingAdvantage of Technology fo Promofe Knov/ledge Integration.New York ond London: Routledge.

Lemke, J. (1990). Talking science: Language, learning and values.Ablex. Norwood, NJ.

New Media for Science http://newmediaforscience-research.wikispaces.com/Science+podcasfs

Prain, V. (2006). Learning from writing in secondory science: Sometheoreficol and pracfical implicafions. Infernai/onal Journal ofScience Education, 28, 179-201.

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Rivkin, W., Longnecker, N., Leach, J., Davis, L., & Lufze-Mann, L. (2012). New medio fo develop graduate attributes.Australian Learning and Teaching Council Final Reporf.http://newmediaforscience-research.wikispaces.com/Project+informafion.

Scienfific American. htfp://www.scienfif]camerican.com/podcasf/podcasts.cfm?type=60-second-science

Traxler, J. (2010). Students and mobile devices. Reseorch inLearning Technologies, iS(2), 149-160.

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Yore, L., & Hand, B. (2010). Epilogue: Ploffing a research agendafor mulfiple represenfafions, mulfiple modalify, and mulfimodalrepresenfafional competency. Research in Science Education, 40,93-101. H

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Gorry Hobon is on Associote Protessor of ScienceEducation and Teocher Education in the Faculty otEducotion at the University ot Wollongong, Austrolia.

Wendy Nielsen is a senior lecturer in ScienceEducotion in the Foculty of Educotion at theUniversity of Wollongong, Australio.

Alyce Shepherd is a PhD student in the Foculty otEducation at the University of Wollongong, Austrolio.

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