Amusing and fun times with Voki avatars

This week I have had to design and set up my very own e-Portfolio within Mahara, and then design a Voki avatar through a website called SitePal. Playing around with the Voki was a great deal of fun and I can see how students would find them motivating and enjoyable to watch and listen to, and also to be able to create one of their very own. Avatars can be used in many different places for many different reasons. I was required to design a Voki and then embed it into this posting, which is what I have done. The character of a Voki can be manipulated in many ways, from the hair, clothing, facial features and even bling. I believe the best part to be the way in which I could record my own voice for up to sixty seconds and have it speak my personal message. Students would see Voki's as an amusing and stimulating way to complete a project. Students could make use of these Vokis within a blog, to state fascinating points or ideas about themselves, or a character they are writing about for a biography. It may possibly be incorporated into a presentation such as a film review. The initial consolidation of information could be placed on a reflective blog, where the Voki could introduce the film and what it is about. The blogs might be judged by peers, and the one with the highest votes, could be published in the local newspaper as a review for the book/film. Aldred, S. (2010) states "... project work and negotiated outcomes ... build student ownership which in turn makes the learning meaningful and engaging." Learning effectiveness and Learning retention as displayed by Dales Cone and the learning Pyramid, show how active learning experiences benefit students greatly. It is important when designing activities and lessons that the learning manager consults Smith and Lynch's model of learning design (8LMQS), thus resulting in the desired outcomes for all students involved, no matter what the diversity of the class. Designing activities involving the use of Vokis will be exciting and enable engagement for those who may not have previously been engaged.

Aldred, S. (2010). EDED20491 - ICTs for learning design: Study guide. Rockhampton, Qld: CQUniversity Australia.