Haiku Deck presentation for the Cruzen-Murray Library at The College of Idaho
Follow the link below to view the Haiku Deck:
This week in EDTECH 513 we explored Haiku Deck. For those unfamiliar, Haiku Deck is a browser-based presentation tool similar to PowerPoint or Google Slides. The upside to Haiku Deck is that the amount of text that can be placed on a slide is limited. “Madness!” you say, “I want to be overwhelmed by volumes of text and placed in a PowerPoint coma!” Yes, I understand. Some might consider this a downside, but there is a definite positive effect inherent in this method. The power of visual communication is allowed to exercise its strength. This is the multimedia principle in very lean form. The images are allowed to communicate the core message. Text is given a space on the side bar. Words are still present, but they are not granted the prime real estate normally reserved them on the printed page.
It was a real pleasure to work on this particular class activity. I was provided with an opportunity to share information about an absolutely incredible new building on the campus of The College of Idaho: The Cruzen-Murray Library. (My new work home!) After a year of construction, the library just opened a few weeks ago at the beginning of February. The Haiku Deck platform provided a perfect digital platform to showcase both the library itself and the ideas behind its form and function. The alignment of class application and need for an expressive outlet could not have come together more seamlessly for me.
The project provided more evidence to me, as an educator and communicator, of the power of multimedia to deliver a message. Images, in collaboration with appropriately placed text, are incredibly powerful communication devices. I am excited to continue to learn more ways of applying the multimedia principle in all of the materials I develop – from handouts to presentations.
The creation of this artifact meets AECT standards 1.2 – Message Design, 1.3 – Instructional Strategies, and 2.3 – Computer-based Technologies. First, this artifact meets AECT Standard 1.2. As with the static multimedia tutorial I created using the (almost) defunct Clarify-it I followed a systematic method in the creation of this presentation. The images were carefully curated from personal and stock images in order to tell the story of the Cruzen-Murray Library and deliver a well-designed message that is aligned with the research-based multimedia design principle. Second, regarding Standard 1.3, I utilized the instructional multimedia design principles of the contiguity principle and the chunking principle. Images were placed in positions of primary focus and words which conveyed core ideas were superimposed on the images in legible fonts in a contrasting color. Supporting text was placed in the appropriate section for speaker notes. Text on slides was kept to a minimum. Third, in support of Standard 2.3, I used HaikuDeck, a web-based software application to create the presentation and distributed it by embedding it on my WordPress blog. The presentation is ready for sharing with others in a formal presentation or at the viewers leisure via the Internet.
Thanks for reading!
-Lance
Lance McGrath: EDTECH Learning Log 