http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Tue, 21 May 2013 08:35:55 PDT Tue, 21 May 2013 08:35:55 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=79757 This site is not intended to provide research and testing on learning styles. Originally constructed as a Reusable Learning Object, it is rather an animation of the characteristics of left brain and right brain learning traits adapted from the work of Malcolm Knowles in his book, "The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (1990, p 243-248)." It also includes sites of learning style inventories for self reflection. Some of these secondary links may change over time and we will make an effort to keep up with those changes in a timely manner.Click on the ? button in the upper right hand corner to get the directions on the most effective use of the tool.The site has been used initially as part of a leadership development course to assess how leaders learn and to help leaders determine how their subordinates learn. With the concept of "inside out leadership" I believe that leaders (no matter what age or position) have to be able to assess their own learning style. Subsequently knowing how others learn (and this may be different from how leaders learn) will affect how a leader gives direction, makes assignments, delegates work, etc. This RLO has been used in both an on-line graduate leadership development course and an on-ground freshmen orientation course but can be widely adopted for use in other areas such as study skills, psychology, management, and education. The learning goals/objectives, a sample learning assignment and the ways I have used the brain dominance material are located at http://www.towson.edu/~mcmahon/lead/moduletheory.html .There is a security system in place for the module (but not the RLO) because of tuition collected in an online course. It changes every semester but is available to those requesting it by contacting the author. The brain dominance RLO is only one part of the collective information required in the Personal Profile proof of learning for this content module on Leadership Theory (see right column of the module). The proofs of learning are considered homework and are collected online and recorded.Students who have viewed this RLO find it helpful in examining how they think. They can then compare their style to how others think and learn. It adds an interesting visualization to the popular "left-brain, right brain" literature. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=325717 "From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever." http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=392039 Voki is a tool used to create avatar animations that are embeddable into your Learning Management System. Use it to read a piece of content to students. Have students introduce themselves with an avatar. Develop product lines and introductions with the tool. The possibilities are only as endless as your imagination. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=81885 Animations of astronomical phenomena, such as tides, phases of the moon,seasons, gravity, distance. These are bare-bones animations, leaving the explanation of the material up to the teacher or text book. This approach makes the animations usable in college as well as high school and middle school. I will continue to add animations to this site. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=273282 An interactive website featuring animated movies on various topics, including the electromagnetic spectrum, the diversity of life, and others. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=87014 Interactive site to build a graph of what a projectile does, once the specifics of weight, speed and angle of trajectory are filled in. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=82448 Interactive animations about weather and catastrophic events. Appropriate for middle school students. Includes: tornadoes, snow, lightening, and a baseball simulation about angle speed and motion. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=705975 Edheads provides an online resource for kids. Its various games and activities engage students. Students can develop their critical thinking skills in fun way. Information from the website is noted below:Edheads is an online educational resource that provides free science and math games and activities that promote critical thinking. Choose from Simple Machines, Virtual Knee Surgery or Stem Cell Heart Repair, among others. All activities meet state and national standards.We partner with corporations, universities, and school systems throughout the United States, which help us research, design, and test our activities every step of the way. Not only do teachers and students appreciate our free activities, Edheads has been recognized by almost every major award on the Web for our excellent educational content. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=76647 Depth Spinner is a shockwave applet that exemplifies how the eye detects and handles inward and outward motion. This program lets the user to move the spiral image backward or forwards. A slider bar allows for speed changes. Depth Spinner is a fun example of how an optical illusion can teach one about the mechanics of our magnificent eyes. www.exploratorium.edu does a fine job of teaching students about science related topics by using interactive teaching tools. The web page is well done with easy navigation, and understandable experiments. Novices should be able to browse the site, and precipitate in experiments, as long as certain features are installed on their browser, such as shockwave. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=84730 This site offers students the opportunity to take a tour where they can explore subjects involving Archeology, Space, Insects, the Human Body, Dinosaurs, and more. There is also a link for parents and teachers which includes valuable and fun science activities.