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Yampatika: Wildflowers of Northwestern Colorado – Artifact Report
Problem
Statement
Yampatika wants to use technology to help support their mission to
providing an understanding of the natural and cultural resources of Northwestern
Colorado
Yampatika would like to expand their web presence to include an online
education component.
Analysis
Yampatika is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing an understanding
of the natural and cultural resources of Northwest Colorado. Yampatika
provides environmental education and interpretive programs as well as
sponsoring a variety of special events and projects.
Yampatika needs to continually address the cultural and natural resource educational requirements of the community and of the many visitors to the Yampa Valley. As a way to address the needs of locals and visitors, Yampatika would like to add an online element to their educational mission as a non-profit organization.
Rationale
for approach
Currently, the Yampatika web site is for information only and does not
include any educational segments. By creating a more interactive, educational
piece more people will learn about Yampatika, the Yampa Valley, and native
flora.
Our module included many photos and diagrams of flowers in the area. The site is driven by a database filled with data provided by Karen Vale, our team’s subject matter expert. Since Karen worked closely with us, our site accurately reflects the environment of the Yampa Valley.
Results
Our team outlined the following outcomes that learners will be able to:
- Identify various wildflowers native to Northwestern Colorado
- Understand typical parts of a flower
- Identify various leaf shapes
- Be familiar when different varieties of flowers are in season
- Be familiar with terrain and habitat where various flowers are found
- Be aware of different hiking and viewing opportunities
- available at different times of the growing season
- Recognize invasive plants
- Be familiar with Yampatika
The site has been incorporated into the yampatika.org website. One team member, Sandy Kent, is continuing to work with Karen to make improvements and additions and to maintain the site.
Evidence
of Value
Because the site has only recently gone online, we have not collected
summative evidence of value. However, based on the responses that Karen
gave our project plan and final site, we feel that people will be able
to experience the Yampa valley and Yampatika in a more dynamic manner.
Reflections
This project provided me with an exciting opportunity to work on an authentic
project that brings value to the client. Many projects I have been involved
with in the ILT program have either been academic exercises or the delivered
project was never implemented. I believe that I will be able to go to
Yampatika’s website next year and see our project up and accessible
through the web and know that any number of people have benefited from
it.
Responsibilities
met
Responsibility 1: Continued improvement of professional practice that
requires critical inquiry, professional development, and reflective practice
This project challenged me to develop interactive content presentation using Macromedia Flash. The design of the virtual walk is deeply rooted in principles learned in Design I. I also had to expand my knowledge of Flash programming to make the interactivity work properly.
Responsibility 2: Designs instruction or human performance strategy to meet the needs of learners
Our site was designed to be accessed by a variety of learners. We strove to make the content user friendly and easy to navigate. The interface has been built not only to compliment the existing yamnpatika.org site, it was also made to be “transparent” – users easily grasp how to navigate the site to easily get to the content.
Responsibility 3: Uses a variety of media to deliver instruction to students and to engage students in learning
Our site uses text, graphics, and multimedia interactivity to present content. A user can see pictures of wildflowers, take a virtual tour of Colorado habitats, and read large amounts of content.
Responsibility 4: Understands how to capitalize on the capacities and abilities of each learner
The wildflower site contains many levels of information, accessible through a database. Content is broken down by a number of attributes and is easily accessible. Users can choose to view the virtual walk, or look up a particular color of flower. This site allows all learners to add to their knowledge about wildflower.
Responsibility 5: Manages complex projects and resources in support of learning
Initially, this project seemed overwhelming considering the scope and scale. We were able to break down tasks so that each team member could focus on areas suitable to his or her strengths. We were able to take the individual components and create a product whose whole was greater than the sum of its parts. My main focus was on desing and creating the Macromedia Flash-based virtual wildflower walk. Each team member also took responsibility for collecting information and producing various reports for the class.
Responsibility 6: Uses incisive and relevant assessment and evaluation techniques
The information on the field guide and flower of the week will allow site users to expand their knowledge flowers in the Yampa valley. As the viewer navigates the site, they can self-assess their knowledge by reviewing content in the site’s database..