The Studio: EDIT 6200 - Learning Environments Design | Fall 2007

"The concept of the studio is a physical location, similar to that found in schools of architecture and art, in which students spend considerable time first learning the "tools of the trade" followed by applying these tools in creative ways to design projects individually and in groups... The studio experience expects students and faculty to collaborate in the design and development of authentic and meaningful multimedia projects." The goal of EDIT 6200 is "apply the tools mastered thus far in the Studio by designing an individual project that leads to a motivational learning experience for an intended audience."

Rieber, L., Choi, I., Moore, J., Clinton, J., (2007). Handbook for the Studio Experience. Department of Educational Psychology & Instructional Technology, The University of Georgia, 4, 25.

Click here to view my project, The Right Thing For The Right Whales

My client, Alissa Huelsman-Bell, has a personal interest in whales and has future goals of starting a non-profit organization, which works to educate, advocate and fund research directed toward the protection of whales.  This project will focus on the Right Whale, which is an endangered species that calves off the coast of Georgia and north Florida during the winter months.  There are many external factors that contribute to the decline in population of the Right Whale and almost all of these factors can be controlled by humans in order to better protect these whales.

Throughout this term, I am proposing to create an interactive and informative web-based simulation.  In the simulation, the learner will take the perspective of a Right Whale, who will make various daily decisions based on instinct, and habitat that may be ultimately dangerous and life threatening to the whales.  Through this simulation, the user will see just how different types of human-environment interaction can aversely affect these animals.  I would like to add the option to participate in the simulation from the perspective of certain humans who would likely play major roles in affecting the habitat of the whales.  Examples of these humans are fishermen and boat captains.  This addition of additional ‘actors’ will be done when and if time allows.  The simulation will be created using Macromedia Flash.