MATCh: Learning by Doing
IMAGINE can be categorised within the mass of computer mediated teaching and learning materials as Expressive Medium. This means that it is a tool with which children can express themselves via computer media. It was designed to be a powerful, user-friendly, unified, transparent and open-ended environment capable of providing authoring, multimedia, networking and collaboration facilities to the student, the teacher and the developer. With this hands-on design experience, the relationship children can have with information is changed. Information becomes something to learn and use for a reason, rather than a test. It becomes immediate, intimate, and involving. At the same time, the computer becomes a tool or an Expressive Medium for children to explore ideas and subject matter through paths that they choose.
When authoring hypermedia a new way of writing is involved. Since hypermedia is non-linear, it encourages students to write in chunks, on a card-by-card basis, and make them plan the structure of linking these cards together. Students create drafts of their work, consult with peers and their teachers, revise, and continue through several versions of their work in a recursive process like in case of traditional writing. In case of hypermedia authoring, however, students and their teachers learn new skills in visual literacy to enhance their ability to communicate clearly in this new medium. Hypermedia authoring involves not only content, style and grammar, but also elements of visual design.
While authoring, students learn how to create original visuals using graphic tools, digital or video cameras as well as how to search for visual information on the Web and in print resources. Students learn how to display the elements information, with simplicity, clarity, balance, shape and form, and the use of colour. Since hypermedia is dynamic environment, student authors also need to consider the structure of cards, their organisation and to embed interactivity for users to navigate in a meaningful way. Hypermedia authoring facilitates engaged learning, peer collaboration, and promote and validate students’ self-esteem.
MATCh tools were designed to be learner centred. They do not simply providing the user with functionality but reduces the user’s cognitive load, is easy to learn, reduce time-on-task, and so forth. The interface, besides supporting doing tasks, it also supports learning while doing tasks. Students learn best when they engage in authentic, motivating tasks, and where the tasks, activities, and tools are appropriately scaffolded – enable the learner to start doing the task with his or her current understanding, but then challenge and channel the learner to develop the next level of understanding and performance.