Install the plugin from PicLens:
Then go to any site and click on the blue play button it installed on the top right of the browser window. It will look for pictures within that site and display them in a gorgeous “3D” wall. You can also search for images and get a feel for the vastness of the internet 🙂
Thesis presentation v. 1
So I think I am feeling better about my thesis project idea.
I narrowed it down to the question:
“Is the iPhone a viable platform for casual learning?”
I scaled the idea down from the generalist approach I had to an experiment or rehearsal in mobile learning. Here’s the presentation – not the best design (this is Power Point’s standard output)
iPhone for mLearning?
Is the iPhone the first platform that allows for “true” m-learning? Mobile phones have become ubiquitous and indispensable but seldom used as a tool in education mainly because of small screens, slow connection speeds, incompatibilities and complicated interfaces. The iPhone elegantly created a paradigm shift in the way we interact with applications. I want to experiment with this interface as an educational platform.
As an example I will be creating a series of photography exercises to be completed by the users and then reviewed by other users of this same application. These exercises are geared towards demonstrating techniques to take better pictures. After the user submits his picture for a particular exercise he has to evaluate at one or more pictures taken by other users to be able to continue. With this, the user will be guaranteed to also receive a review of the picture he submitted.
The user’s motivation would be something like this:
- Read the assignment
- Complete the assignment
- Submit their work
- Critique/review another person’s work
- Receive the following assignment
Other assignments might even have software analyze the picture automatically and make suggestions for improvements (over/under exposure for example)
Keywords
teaching, mobile, application, software, photography, web 2.0
External Project Link
http://lucaslongo.blogspot.com/search/label/thesis
Personal Statement
I have worked for a long time with mobile applications and believe that they still have not been explored to the maximum of its potential as a tool to facilitate new forms of interaction.
At the Learning Technologies conference in London UK the former Vodafone Director of Global Learning Management Gordon Bull was talking of the prospects of m-learning but conceded that it was perhaps 2-3 years away because of issues with infrastructure (lack of super Internet Speeds) and devices (compatibility and not being able to access webpages properly), towards the end of his lecture he added that if anything that came close to the m-learning reality at this moment in time would be [for students] to be equipped with the iPhone.
Background
Photo sharing applications – some of them have tips for taking better pictures but none have an interactive tutorial
Online photo tutorials – reviewed many tutorials – only one or two of them allows users to upload their own pictures.
Photo analysis tools
Audience
People interested in learning the basics of photography in a simple, fun, and interactive way.
User Scenario
Sign up – user gives us basic information about the camera they are using.
Assign to groups – user is informed that a group of 10 other people will be his “classmates” – they will critique each other’s work. Grouping people into smaller groups facilitates the task of “grading” the assignments and commenting on composition, quality and content.
Receive assignments – the assignments are sent out to the user’s cellphone or emails. Each assignment has a specific goal it is trying to achieve. The pictures will be evaluated according to these goals.
Complete assignment – the user takes several pictures and then selects up to 3 pictures to submit for review.
Review – the application will evaluate the incoming pictures and make suggestions on how to improve the image according to what the content of the assignment was. In some cases the final part of the assignment is to comment and analyze the photos of your group according to the goals of the assignment.The reviews will be either using multiple-choice questions or voice recordings with comments.
Web – on the web you can go over your assignments, read comments and “grades” given to your pictures and check your progress within the course.
Implementation
Conclusion
References
How People Learn – Donovan Bransford Pellgrino
Wireless Generation
OLPC – Squeakland.org
Bob Tinker – Concord Consortium
Terc
Exploratorium (C.I.L.T)
Low Residency Programs
Digital Imaging Reset Week 2
This week week looked further into White Balance of digital cameras. Turns out that the camera does a pretty good job at reading the light but when you actually calibrate the White Balance manually – the results are astonishingly better.
General Update
After much consideration I decided to drop this class to be able to focus on my thesis and some other parallel projects I am working on.
I am doing an internship at Sagatiba where I am implementing a mini CRM tool for them to organize their events, contacts, and promotional material.
I am also developing an application for a photo exhibit that will allow the visitors to call a number from their cell phones, select their language of preference, and then hear the description and comments of each photograph in the gallery. I will be using Asterisk – an open source platform that handles the incoming calls and voice recordings.
Finally, I set myself solid on the idea of an interactive and self paced series of photography
exercises aimed at improving your basic shooting techniques. These exercises are delivered to the user’s mobile phone. They can take the pictures with their camera phones or regular digital cameras. Each person is assigned to a small group of other users that are going through the exercises. A peer review mechanism is in place where you are able to give and get feedback on your results. My mission now is to be able to summarize this idea into a more cohesive and concise project…
Mobile Photography Tutorial Application
A mobile application with tutorials for taking better photographs with your mobile phone. A web site to process your images, manage them, and share with small groups of people in your group.
Description
An application on your mobile phone that gives you assignments to improve the quality of the pictures you take with your cell phone.
The application will analyze the “best” picture you took for that assignment and suggest improvements to it.
These suggestions or tips, depending on the assignment, will be automated or receive feedback from the members of your group.
Keywords
teaching, mobile, application, software, photography, web 2.0
External Project Link
http://lucaslongo.blogspot.com/search/label/thesis
Personal Statement
I have worked for a long time with mobile applications and believe that they still have not been explored to the maximum of its potential as a tool to facilitate new forms of interaction.
Background
Audience
People who own a camera-phone and is interested in taking better pictures with them.
User Scenario
Sign up – user gives us information about the cellphone or photo device they are using.
Assign to groups – user is informed that a group of 10 other people will be his “classmates” – they will critique each other’s work. Grouping people into smaller groups facilitates the task of “grading” the assignments and commenting on composition, quality and content.
Receive assignments – the assignments are sent out to the user’s cellphones. Each assignment has a specific goal it is trying to achieve. The pictures will be evaluated according to these goals.
Complete assignment – the user takes several pictures and then selects up to 3 pictures to submit for review.
Review – the application will evaluate the incoming pictures and make suggestions on how to improve the image according to what the content of the assignment was. In some cases the final part of the assignment is to comment and analyze the photos of your group according to the goals of the assignment.The reviews will be either using multiple-choice questions or voice recordings with comments.
Web – on the web you can go over your assignments, read comments made on your pictures and check your progress within the course.
Implementation
Mobile application – the interface the user will see on the phone. Have to figure out how to access the features of the camera in the phone.
Web – interface to sign up for the classes, show user’s work and interact with their classmates.
Curriculum – design what is going to be taught in each class.
Conclusion
References
How People Learn – Donovan Bransford Pellgrino
Wireless Generation
OLPC – Squeakland.org
Bob Tinker – Concord Consortium
Terc
Exploratorium (C.I.L.T)
Low Residency Programs
Brilliant Improvisation/Collective Performance
The full story.
The video:
Thesis – spin on initial idea
Mobile Class Management Platform
A web tool for teachers and students to collaborate inside and outside of class adding cell phones as a method to interact and update the system.
A mash up of blogs, wikis, forums, web albums, video blogs, and file sharing geared towards a classroom setting.
The tool that all ITP teachers would want to use.
The “basic” platform would be a web interface that allows teachers to manage the collaboration and sharing of students online. Sign up to mailing lists, forums, wikis and so on. Cellphones would be integrated to the platform’s functioning to allow for interactive exercises/activities/games for a class. A step-by-step interface allows the teacher to creates the rules, formats, and goals of the exercises.
Features:
– Publishing the syllabus
– Attendance
– Office hour sign up
– Lesson notes
– Homework assignments and posting
– Grading/comments
– Testing
– Polls
– Announcements
– Collaboration
– Content management tools