Image Sharing Example

Biology Images

Here is a personal example. I was a biology major and was also prepared to teach biology at the secondary level. Consider the following reflections on my experiences (now some 30 years removed). Many biology courses emphasize visual information. Required skills may involve the use of information derived from the dissection of specimens, the preparation and interpretation of cultures, field identification of plants and animals of all sizes, examination of cells and simple organisms using a microscope, and so on.

Consider this question - how does one "study" the type of information/experiences I describe above? Labs in introductory courses presented a challenge you might not anticipate. I remember going to lab and perhaps completing a dissection or viewing a phenomenon (e.g., stages of mitosis) by looking at a series of cell preparations under several microscopes. A month or so later I would have to complete a lab practical examination related to these experiences. The exam might require that I name the structures marked with pins or the stage of mitosis appearing under a microscope. The practical exam might require that I key out (identify) a tree from the buds appearing on a section of branch. What resources were available to me in the time period between my original experience with the specimens and the examination? In introductory courses, my study materials consisted of the notes and sketches I could make or perhaps the images that might be available in my text book.

More advanced courses were a little different - we had our own lab space and specimens (e.g., the cat I was dissecting, slides i had prepared) that we could view whenever the lab was open. Here the challenge was a little different - the examination materials always looked a little different because the test materials were not the exact materials I had "studied". I remember that my cat was a male, there were certain limitations I might encounter when the examination animal was female. In this situation, we learned that it was helpful to study together so we could acquire some additional experiences. Finally, there were the field trips. We might be bused to a wetlands area for a one-day experience. We would walk about with the instructor who would point out lots of interesting things and we would take notes as best we could. One instructor I remember showed slides (the old fashioned kind you use to project an image on a screen) and asked questions.

Now - just as a mental exercise how might things be different given today's technologies? Consider what the lab assistant in an introductory biology lab might accomplish with a digital camera. The assistant might take pictures of the lab setups and specimens as they were made ready for the labs. The camera might again be used as the instructor circulated about during the labs. The images would be uploaded to a photo sharing site for student "study". Tags and descriptions would also be helpful.

The camera included in many cell phones could also be put to good use. What a handy thing to carry on a field trip. I cannot say I believe this kind of use is common, but I wonder what kind of a reaction a student would get if he/she took out a cell phone and took a view pictures during a frog dissection.

Biology happens to be the content area with which I have had the most experience, but imagine the possibilities in other disciplines. Geology would be a natural. Images are an important resource in history. Think long enough and it is possible to come up with applications for nearly any area.