My Life as an Elk
Kathy Turner, National Museum of Wildlife Art, USA
http://www.wildlifeart.org

Demonstration: Demonstrations - Session 1

In the 1980’s, Choose Your Own Adventure books were popular among young readers. In these books the reader was given an option at the end of each chapter. The choice would then determine how the story develops. My Life as an Elk is an online educational Program designed in this same spirit. Kathy Turner, web curriculum consultant at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and Educational Web Adventures created a multimedia, interactive program that educates the online visitors about the life cycles of elk in a self-determined story format.

The educational objectives for this project were derived from the constructivist theory in which learners seek out their own knowledge through contextual experiences. In My Life as an Elk, the learner immediately assumes the role as a new born elk calf and then is presented with a series of relevant encounters such as a predator threat or river crossing. Facts about the life cycle of elk is the context of the story. Visitors learn about such things as migration, habitat, and survival adaptations.

This project is interdisciplinary with science, art and reading as its subjects. The story is beautifully illustrated by artwork from the Museum’s permanent collection spanning three centuries. Full audio narration aides readers of all ages in word recognition.

The National Museum Staff is pleased to present My Life as an Elk at the Museum of the Web 2004 as an example of how to make learning on the web self-directing, dynamic, interdisciplinary and fun!