MATCh: Project Progression of ELTE team II period
MATCh project Schedule of ELTE TeaM (1998-1999 January)
Indirect Evaluation (ie):
ie1 Developing Evaluation Methods
We have been engaged in researching and developing evaluation methods for educational multimedia products
in the past period in order to come forth with proper procedures to use at the evaluation phase of MATCh
tools and applications. We have been testing the method in our course "Evaluation of educational
programs" for informatics teachers through one semester (February-June 1998) and have reassured ourselves
about the validity of the procedure, which we have configured to suit each software investigated. We have produced
a methodology and schedule for evaluation of MATCh tools[1] and have performed a multilevel evaluation on MATCh
tools and applications[2].
ie2 Comparison of Similar Products
Some of the products under investigation in the course mentioned above were chosen to be valid as comparison
to MATCh tools: "KIDPIX", "Kid Works II", "Storybook
Weaver", ... etc., which are similar products designed for the same age group (8-12), giving
similar tools as those aimed in MATCh. An extensive comparison of these products available gave us an
insight to the market value, needs and demands, available tools, their virtues and flaws, providing
clues to the chances, needs and flaws of the MATCh product [2 See Appendix F].
ie3 Investigating the communicative power of story authoring
In order to investigate the possibilities, modes and forms of communication between children with
different mother tongues, we have launched a Web project hoping to come up with findings that would
be very useful in developing proper Web pages for MATCh networking. Since the MATCh environment was
still under development, we have relied on the human side of networking possibilities via Comenius Logo
[3],
which is the core of MATCh tools. A series of easy to use programs have been developed that facilitate
the creation of static and dynamic presentations by children using them with their own version of Comenius Logo,
which are sort of emulations of simplified beginner MATCh tools
(See Comenius Logo Web pages).
ie4 Evaluation of Possible Educational Use
We intended to investigate: what possible activities could be aided by the development of MATCh tools
and the type of applications that would best serve these purposes. For this reason we have held intensive
activities with children in Kincskereso school, involving visual arts teachers. We attempted to investigate
several activities using traditional tools at this stage, that would be later facilitated by MATCh
tools[2 See Appendix A].
Direct Evaluations (de):
de1 Formative Evaluation
We have conducted 5-6 Formative evaluations, depending on the timing of a new release of the tools available.
Since the target age group is very young, and the tools were not that stable for use, we have decided to conduct
the formative phase with several trials on student teachers, and at each major change a formative evaluation with
a few children coming to our university for shorter trial periods. Each of these trials ended with a report on
problematic points that were immediately sent to partners for evaluation and modification
[2 See Appendix B].
de2 Summative Evaluation
Since the target age is very young, and the tools were not so stable for use, we have decided to conduct the
first phase of summative evaluation with informatics student teachers taking part in our course "Designing
Multimedia Environments". We have also conducted classes using MATCh tools at Kis János Altabornagy
School. We planned the longitudinal evaluation on the educational context of MATCh usage and application development
concentrating on our Story Steering application "Lino Liner" [2 See Appendix C].
de3 Contextual Evaluation with respect to educational values
The analysis of the above indirect and direct evaluations resulted in the synthesis of educational values
related to the examined editors, "Lino Liner" application, and the resulted works of children
[2 See Appendix D and E].
Application development (ad):
ad1 Developing "Story Steering" application
Our proposal was to develop a "Story steering" application, an educationally acceptable
application for visual education. The application is a story microworld that is developed in a way to
motivate children’s’ involvement in changing the story and developing further constructions. During the
process of plan and development, we made extensive research on visual education, and in-depth investigation on
how to approach developing animations by children. We produced a complete script for our Story in English
[4]
and in Hungarian as well and developed animations with the help of a professional animator graphical artist.
We scanned through the Hungarian National Curriculum to find possible spots where MATCh tools together with our
devised activities could be integrated [5].
ad2 Designing MATCh Web pages
One of the main issues of the MATCh project is to facilitate communication between children of European countries
via the help of multimedia tools in the process of creating ideas, views, games and other information for transmission.
We planned to design a series of Web pages that would allow children to deliver their messages to peers both locally
and internationally, during which they can learn about the other country’s culture and develop means of communication
both verbal and non verbal, with multimedia tools. The design issues and considerations have been evaluated
[6, 3]
and a plan presented to partners[4]. Since the consortium has not yet decided as how to proceed with Web issues,
we did not continue with the realisation of our plans. But in a later stage we have constructed some Web pages as
illustrations of our project.
ad3 Developing educationally meaningful examples
A group of example applications, activities for children and by children have been prepared as a starting material
for a future workbook [4]. Some works have been complied as Web pages
(See Working with Children).
Conferences and exhibitions:
- IFIP’98 - Teleteaching International Conference: Presented paper on our Web project (See ie3 ad2)
[3]
- Békéscsaba - local conference for IT teachers: Presented paper on Web project, Evaluation, and
MATCh Tools [7,8,9].
- BETT’99 - International Exhibition of Educational Tools: Since the MATCh product would be launched at such
a prestigious event, it was very useful to see the competing products and to meet with potential client teachers
(hopefully future MATCh users).
- COMNed’99: Will present paper on educational content issues of MATCh tools [5].
References
[1]
ed. Turcsányi-Szabó, M., Evaluation of MATCh tools and Applications. Progress report of
INCO Copernicus MATCh project, 1998 July.
[2]
Turcsányi-Szabó, M., ed., Evaluation of MATCh Tools and Applications. Final Report of
MATCh 960106 project, 1999.
[3]
Abonyi-Tóth A., Ambruszter G., Pluhár Zs., Firle R., Turcsányi-Szabó, M.,Productive
ties via Comenius Logo, in Procedings of XV IFIP World Computer Congress, Teleteaching’98, Distance Learning,
Training and Education., pp. 47-54., IFIP Publication, Vienna-Budapest, 1998.
[4]
ed. Turcsányi-Szabó, M., Developing Applications. Internal report of INCO Copernicus MATCh
project, 1998.
[5]
Turcsányi-Szabó, M., IMAGINE a Tool to Learn, Express and Explore Stories, Paper submitted
and accepted to be presented at COMNed’99 IFIP 3.5 and 3.6 Conference, Aulko, Finland, June 1999.
[6]
R. Firle, "Designing motivating Web pages for exchange and activities", Masters dissertation
ELTE, 1998.
[7]
Abonyi-Tóth A., IMAGINE: Multimédia szerzôi rendszer gyerekeknek
(IMAGINE: multimedia authoring tool for children)
[8]
Ambruszter G., Oktato szerzoi rendszerek osszehasonlitasa (Comparison of
of educational authoring tools)
[9]
Turcsányi-Szabó, M, Comenius Logó háló
(Comenius Logo Net)
MATCh