Hi everyone! My name is Amelia Riehl (she/her); I am 20 years old, and I am the author behind âBelow Averageâ in EDCI 335, 337, 338, and 339 at the University of Victoria (aka. UVic). I chose the title âBelow Averageâ because I always thought the labelling of a student in school as âbelow average’ was wrong. It is a diminishing label that can ruin the self-esteem and self-worth of a student. Everyone learns differently, and that is normal.
I am majoring in Psychology at UVic, where I will follow the mental health and well-being stream. I am in this class because I have finally decided I want to get a minor in Education. After I finish my first degree, I plan on returning to school to get an after-degree in Education or to attend graduate school to get a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology.
Victoria is a lovely city if you put aside the awful drivers⊠A stop sign says âSTOPâ for a reason, and Victorians do not seem to understand that. However, I was born and raised in northern Manitoba, where we completely disregard any sort of traffic direction! I moved to Victoria in August 2020 after graduating high school in June 2020, and I have been here ever since! I travel home to Manitoba in the fall when it never stops raining in Victoria and for Christmas so I can visit my parents, my two little brothers, my two lovely pups, and my two not-so-lovely cats.
I look forward to learning alongside you all.
Amelia đ
If you don’t feel like reading, feel free to watch this introduction video! (May, 2022)
Group C: Amelia Riehl, Jing Shen, Adam Li, Xayla Westgate, and Celia Han
There is no doubt that university students experience mass amounts of stress. Over 60% of university students report experiencing above-average to tremendous levels of stress (Naz Böke & Heath, 2020). Based on our own experiences as university students and literature, the four main types of stress university students handle daily are moving away from home, meeting new people, the pressure to succeed, and financial stress (Learning Centre, 2022).
We have created a lengthier version of our project, which can be accessed on the website below.
Stress is when an organism experiences psychological and biological strain due to various demands (Salleh, 2008). Stress is something everyone must cope with and understand. In this module, students will gain an understanding of stress and learn to define it.
We all experience stress at different intensities, display various symptoms, and cope differently. For young adults, the most common signs of stress include: feeling worried, increased heart rate, fear, sadness, and headaches (APA, 2019). Other people may notice physical signs of stress, including sweating, chills, increased heart rate, hunger, crying, bad temper, face blushing, skin rash, vomiting, stomachaches, and muscle stiffness (APA, 2019). However, cognitive signs of stress are not as apparent to other people. Cognitive signs of stress include fear, worry, sadness, embarrassment, anger, agitation, inability to think clearly, and thoughts about death (APA, 2019).
The Stress of Moving Away From Home
Many people experience anxiety when moving away from home. Many factors contribute to this stress, including leaving our loved ones, finding a new job, or general confusion about the future. The anxiety becomes much stronger if we move to another city or country. Not only do we have to face new challenges, but we also need to cope with cultural and perhaps language differences. However, all these factors can be summed up into one core concept: leaving our comfort zone.
The majority of our stress and anxiety come from the fear zone. To combat the fear zone, the number one technique for easing our anxiety is not to have too much hope and give up control; the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. All in all, we need to step out of our comfort zones to help cope with the stress of moving away from home.
The Stress of Meeting New People
Meeting new people may also cause stress for most college students. Reasons for student reluctance or avoidance of meeting new people vary, but all these reasons cause students to become unconfident or uncomfortable around their peers. One reason that may cause student unconfidence is being unable to accept the new environment that is a university (DâSouza et al., 2016). Another possible reason cause students may not be willing to meet new people is potential childhood trauma, such as bullying, discrimination, and loss.
All factors that may cause unconfidence require specific solutions to improve student confidence. Some solutions include stepping out of our comfort zones to meet new people, joining clubs, participating in class, and creating opportunities for socializing.
The Pressure to Succeed
Beginning university is demanding, and students are burdened by the time and effort required to reach academic objectives (Graduate Coach, 2021). There is a ton of pressure to know what you want to do with your life, and watching other people move on and achieve their goals can be challenging. In addition, parents, friends, teachers, and oneself often impose pressure to do well in their classes (Davis, 2014). Pressures to perform well can contribute to stress, anxiety, sadness, and a lack of confidence (Graduate Coach, 2021).
To cope with the pressure to succeed, it is essential to remember that grades do not define you. To alleviate some of the pressure, talk to trustworthy friends. Students can also form study groups or find a tutor to help them achieve their academic goals healthily. Being alone and keeping up with the demand for higher grades is stressful. Finding a partner or friend to study with guarantees you are not alone.
Ohio State University reported that 70% of college students worry about financial issues. University students must pay tuition fees, rent, textbooks, and other living expenses. Increasing rent, tuition fees, and other costs leave students anxious, confused, and frustrated. Financial pressures make many things seem difficult to accomplish and require a high level of risk-taking when making decisions. Zwart (n.d.) states that financial stress can lead to mental health problems, academic challenges, increased dropout rates, and overwork among university students.
To combat and cope with financial stress, there are ways in which we can manage expenses to prioritize what we need and want, such as budgeting and other money management skills. Further, in university, job experience is vital for employment purposes. Students can also apply for casual or part-time jobs outside of school to help make extra money. It is also helpful to start a savings account. Recognizing what you can control rather than what is out of your hands is essential.
What is your definition of stress? How do you judge your stress levels? What signs and symptoms do you experience when you are stressed? What signs and symptoms do you notice in other people when stressed?
Name three things that worried you most when you moved away from your home. Did the techniques mentioned in this lesson help you solve these stresses? Why or why not?
Do you find your life more enriched after stepping out of your comfort zone?
How do you feel seeing someone else achieve their academic goals? Does this cause stress or pressure on you to also reach a particular goal? Did you notice any similar situations revolving around pressures to succeed within the course content that can be found in your own life?
List the challenges preventing you from meeting new people. How might you face them?
What advice or suggestions would you give to people who are not confident while meeting new people?
What are your current financial stresses? What approach will you take to address your financial stress? Can you control your spending to stay within your budget?
How does stress, in general, affect your life? How does each type of stress mentioned in the content affect your life, and how do you manage/resolve that stress?
To-do List
Review everything in the Read/Watch materials and in each module.
Record the things you attempt to step out of your comfort zone. Record the difference before and after you used the techniques and whether they helped ease stress. Post your observations in the comments of Module 2.
For Module 3, create and post your praise challenge screencast on Discordand comment on other partnersâ screencasts.
Sign up for a group and participate in the Think-Pair-Share activity on Discord for Module 4.
Sign up for a group and review your groupâs assigned case study and prepare two possible solutions for Module 5. Post your two solutions in the Case Study Discussion on Discord.
Set up your WordPress OpenEd blog site if you have not already.Â
Complete a blog post (350 words maximum) in response to one or more reflection questions. Post this to your blog site and submit the link on the Blog Posts Discord channel.Â
Post one comment on another studentâs blog post (ask questions and add to the discussion). Submit the link on the Blog Posts Discord channel.
Learning Theories and Multimedia Principles
We decided to base our project on the constructivism learning theory due to the nature of our activities. The constructivist learning theory adopts a subjective view where learners draw on their own experiences to create knowledge; constructivists contend that humans do not acquire meaning but rather create sense from experience (Ertmer et al., 2013). As a result, students can form connections between the course material and their personal experiences.
In addition, we have employed a variety of principles, such as Merrillâs Engagement Principle. For example, it is best to use smaller, more informal assessment forms to ensure student learning and understanding. The activities we have chosen will help increase student engagement and interaction, thus promoting active learning and adhering to Merrillâs principle of Engagement (Mathers, 2017; Merrill, 2002). We have also used various of Mayerâs principles, such as the Signalling and Coherence principles. According to the Signalling and Coherence principles, we have arranged all fonts and colours to be visible (Mayer, 2014).
Further, according to the planning decisions at the core of instructional design, students must know the learning outcomes or objectives to attend to the critical information throughout the lesson (Kurt, 2015). Therefore, our multimedia project included an introduction, big ideas, and learning outcomes aligned with the assessment activities throughout the overall design.
DâSouza, C., Singaraju, S., Halimi, T., & Sillivan Mort, G. (2016). Examination of cultural shock, inter-cultural sensitivity and willingness to adapt. Education & Training (London), 58(9), 906â925. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-09-2015-0087
Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.
Jungles, A., & Patel, C. (2019, June 24). What is universal design for learning?YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdmoBl3Z75I
Kushwaha, Ayushi. (2020, December 20). Want to Socialize? Here are 5 Tips for International Students. CEOWORLD magazine. https://ceoworld.biz/2020/12/18/want-to-socialize-here-are-5-tips-for-international-students/
Learning Centre. (2022, July 25). College stress. Learning Center. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/managing-college-stress/
Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). Principles for Reducing Extraneous Processing in Multimedia Learning, from The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp 279 â 315
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First Principles of Instruction. ETR&D, 50, 3. pp. 43-59.
Vinney, C. (2021, August 5). Universal vs. Inclusive Design: Whatâs the difference? Career Foundry. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/universal-vs-inclusive-design/
Naz Böke, B., & Heath, N. (2020). Surprising findings on student stress and coping. https://www.mcgill.ca/savc/files/savc/advising_day_2018_naz_boke_and_nancy_heath-1.pdf. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
Regehr, C., Glancy, D., & Pitts, A. (2013). Interventions to reduce stress in university students: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 148(1), 1-11.
Salleh, M. R. (2008). Life event, stress and illness. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS, 15(4), 9â18.
Scholarship America. (2019). Financial stress prevents college students from graduating. What can we do? Retrieved https://scholarshipamerica.org/blog/financial-stress-prevents-college-students-from-graduating-what-can-we-do/
Hi there everyone! Welcome to my last learning portfolio blog post of the year! For this module, we discussed educational metaphors, and I wanted to share my favourite one and my visual representation of it with you all.
Schooling is a vaccine for ignorance.
Unknown
One of humanityâs most significant challenges is ignoranceâthe lack of reliable information about and knowledge of our natural world (Trevors and Saier, 2011). Especially over the last few years, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ignorance of people has become more prominent and noticeable. Ignorance is when one lacks knowledge or education and does not have a complete set of skills to think critically, be mindful of others’ beliefs, values, and emotions, or respect others for their differences.
Essentially, this metaphor suggests that the cure for ignorance is education. In other words, to avoid ignorance, one must be educated and have prior experience and knowledge to think critically, be mindful of others, and respect others for their differences. Attending school and being educated is proven to help people develop social awareness (Trevors and Saier, 2011). In education settings, we have been taught the educational curriculum, such as English and math, but also the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum is what we are indirectly taught in schoolâwe do not notice we are being taught this curriculum. The hidden curriculum is unwritten rules of the world, unspoken expectations, unofficial norms, desired behaviours, values, and social and cultural messages.Â
In many societies, education is used to decrease violence and discrimination in a society (Drew, 2022). For example, in some cultures, children are sent to school in order to deter them from joining gangs or committing crimes. Essentially, school is offered as an âalternativeâ to criminal life. Further, here in Canada, we are taught about various ethnic and cultural groups. Being taught about various ethnic and cultural groups and their beliefs and values teaches students to be respectful of others and that one person matters just as much as the next.Â
When people attend school and receive a quality, unbiased education, they learn about values, ethics and compassion. This hidden curriculum influences students to be critical thinkers, good decision-makers, and empathetic toward others.
To illustrate this metaphor, I have created this visualization that shows someone about to get picked by a needle full of the hidden curriculum that is taught in schools.Â
My visualization of “Schooling is a vaccine of ignorance.”
Despite this metaphor seeming quite powerful and simple, it is extremely flawed. Students can learn ignorance, just as they can learn how not to be ignorant. School is just one part of a student’s life; there is also home life. At home, parents might teach their children different values, behaviours, and social and cultural messages that conflict with what’s being taught in school. Also, peers have a huge impact on the development of beliefs. Some students may learn something at home, which they will then bring to school and share with their other peers. Thus, many develop beliefs that are very harmful and hurtful to others. Schooling and receiving an education is just one small part of the cure for ignorance alongside home life and peer influence.
Reflecting on this metaphor, I believe it is important that we always consider and keep in mind the hidden curriculum we might be teaching in schools or that we might be learning in school. Further, teaching curriculum, such as why it is not acceptable to be racist, is essential. In order for students to get the most out of their education, teachers need to be willing to tackle big issues, such as racism and discrimination. Thus, I believe the metaphor that school is the vaccine for ignorance Should be considered when administrators are developing policies and when school boards and education ministers are revising curriculum. It is essential that students are offered the chance to learn more than just English and science. Students should have the chance to be able to learn how the world works.
I chose this learning portfolio activity prompt because I thought the idea of making a visualization was very interesting. I love having the chance to be creative and interpret the various meanings of metaphors. Further, visualizations can be very impactful, and I can use this visualization in other parts of my life as well in order to make an impact on society and education.
Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed it.
Hi everyone! My multimedia project is an interactive learning resource I created for EDCI 335 in the summertime. This interactive learning resource is about stress, and the goal of this resource is to teach children ages 11-14 (middle school-aged) about stress and how to manage it. Essentially, these resources strive to educate middle school-aged students about stress and coping techniques to help increase their overall emotional intelligence and well-being. Throughout the remainder of the blog post, I will list the issues of my original learning resource and how I corrected them in my improved learning resource based on the concepts we have learned throughout this course.
To begin, I used the SECTIONS model to identify the issues in my multimedia learning object. The SECTIONS tool is an analytical approach that involves asking questions about who your students are, the accessibility of the multimedia tool, the costs of creating the tool, whether your tool is a good way to teach your chosen material, whether the tool promotes interaction, the organization to the resource, the networking opportunities within the resources and overall security for the users (Bates, 2019). Using this strategy, I could see my resource from a different perspective, allowing me to see the weaknesses of my resource, such as colour contrast, font, learning outcomes, making full use of the program of choice, and activities.
You will first notice that the colours do not contract well; therefore, it is very hard to see the content on these slides. According to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, based on Cognitive Load Theory, it is essential to ensure there is enough contrast between the text colour and the background to ensure that those can easily view and access the information (CAST, 2018; Hendricks, 2016). Using colours high in contrast and that are not red and green ensures that the resource is accessible to those with colour blindness. Further, according to Cognitive Load Theory, using colours high in contrast will help learners focus on the key information without overloading their senses (Hendricks, 2016). In my updated learning resource, I have chosen high-contrast colours that are not susceptible to colour blindness; thus, the slides are easy for everyone to read and focus on.
Also, various fonts, such as all capital fonts on slides 4 to 6, make it hard to focus on the critical information on the slide. According to the Signalling and Coherence principles, it is essential to ensure that the most important thing on our slide is the most prominent and to use contrast to move the audience around the information on the slide (Mayer, 2014). Therefore, in the improved version of my learning resource, I have changed the fonts and rearranged the spacing between some of the elements on various slides, mainly slides 4 to 6.
Diving into the slideshowâs content, the presenter jumps straight into the topic without any welcome, introduction, or setting out the learning expectations. According to the planning decisions at the core of instructional design, It is important that students know the learning outcomes or objectives so that they can attend to the key information throughout the lesson (Kurt, 2015). In the updated version of my multimedia learning object, I have included an introduction of the topic and the learning outcomes, which are aligned with the assessment activities throughout the overall design. Overall, this adheres to instructional design principles and Mayerâs Coherence principle (all information fits together like pieces of a puzzle; Kurt, 2015; Mayer, 2014).
This slideshow is for the teacher to use to present to the students; however, there are no speaker notes. Speaker notes are helpful tools for the presenter to leave ideas and key points they must bring up in addition to the slides and essential questions that need to be asked. According to the Redundancy principle, it is important that instructors do not read text directly off the slide; instead, the audience should read it (Mayer, 2014). Speaker notes can be utilized to include what you want to say in a different way than what is already on the slide. Therefore, in the improved version of my learning resource, there are speaker notes included on all the slides, where necessary.
There are various activities in this slideshow; however, some of these activities, such as the class discussion, the essay, or the think, pair, share activity, may not be accessible to all learners.
The class discussion asked students to share their experiences of stress; however, this may be traumatic or triggering for some students. Mental health is always a complex topic to address in the classroom, as not everyone is always kind. Therefore, in the updated version of my learning resource, I included speaker notes and visual reminders for students to be kind and respectful.
The activity for module three, to write an essay about eustress and distress, is very prolonged and excessive. It’s best to use smaller, more informal assessment forms to ensure student learning and understanding. In the updated version, you will see I have completely changed this activity to a compare and contrast chart on the differences between eustress and distress. This activity will help increase student engagement and interaction, thus promoting active learning and adhering to Merrillâs principle of Engagement (Mathers, 2017; Merrill, 2002).
Notes should also be included on how the teacher can work to modify the activity if it is not going as planned. For example, the think, pair, share activity may be challenging to complete this activity. Therefore, in the updated version of my slides, I have included speaker notes on how the teacher could modify the activity.
In addition, in the original resource, there are no other sources of media for students to learn from. According to Mayerâs Multimedia principle, it is essential that students have multiple forms of information to ensure they understand the material (Mayer, 2014). Therefore, I have included multiple brief videos relating to each topic to help enhance student understanding.
Overall, I believe the changes I made to my multimedia learning object would effectively increase knowledge transfer in prospective students based on multimedia learning principles and related learning theories we have learned throughout this course.
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org
Hendricks, D., (2016, April 17). Cognitive load theory, how do I apply it? YouTube. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stJ-MkTgRFs
Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). Principles for Reducing Extraneous Processing in Multimedia Learning, from The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp 279 â 315 Merrill, M. D. (2002). First Principles of Instruction. ETR&D, 50, 3. pp. 43-59.
When I first heard the term open pedagogy, I freaked out because it sounded super complicated. However, open pedagogy is the use of open educational practises (OEP) and resources (OER) to support learning and share material and content (Hegarty, 2015). Examples of open pedagogy include Websites or textbooks in which many people can contribute and free online education platforms, otherwise known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
To fully experience a MOOC, I signed up for a beginner digital photography course through Alison. I love taking photos, so it would be good to have some educational experience to back up my portfolio. I enjoyed this first class so much that I signed up for two more: intermediate and advanced digital photography. Each course is organized with various units, such as working your camera, photographic techniques, and how to use multiple editing platforms. Further, each unit has subtopics. For example, the unit on how to work your camera includes sub-topics, such as how to clean your camera and set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.Â
If you are interested in a MOOC, here is a link to Alison! They offer many different courses, and they are a well-established MOOC.
Throughout my experience with this course, there were few options for interacting with other students or an instructor; however, if I needed help navigating the website or had any questions about the material, I could contact someone via the chat box.
Upon completion of each unit, there were quizzes to complete. To move on to the next unit, I needed to achieve a specific grade; otherwise, I would have to try the quiz again. Further, to sum up, for each course, there was a large quiz at the end, in which I needed to achieve a particular grade to earn the certificate.
Compared to my more traditional courses, this learning experience proved to be a legitimate, autonomous, practical learning experience. My digital photography courses through Allison were legitimate as they were created based on a combination of various facts and research from camera manufacturers and world-renowned photographers. Further, my experience was autonomous as I could complete my course independently and on my own timeline. Also, for me, this was a practical learning experience as digital photography is one of my interests, and it’s something that I would like to know more about so that I can take better photos. Buy more traditional courses are legitimate; however, they are not so much autonomous as I usually have to follow a strict schedule curated by professors. Sometimes my learning experiences in my traditional courses are not so practical as I often have to take courses that I am not interested in, such as computer science.
This MOOC should be considered an xMOOC. An xMOOC is a âspace where students are introduced to core skills and concepts and can lightly apply the skills and concepts,â whereas a cMOOC is a âmassive space for students, and anyone can share and critique each other’s projects, building a community around doingâ (Caulfield, 2013).
Click here for more on the differences between an xMOOC and a cMOOC.
Based on my experience, the MOOC I completed is open. This MOOC is open as all I needed to do to enrol in my course was to create an account, which anyone can do with an email. The format was straightforward to follow, some videos accompanied the text, and the quizzes were relatively easy to complete if you followed along with the material in each unit. However, to get the certificate of completion from Alison at the end of a course, you need to pay a small fee to prove that you completed the course. For many, this fee might make Alisonâs courses not open to all. Many people use MOOCs for free education from reputable resources to gain employment. Therefore, the price to get the certificate of completion may be difficult for some to accomplish.
I chose to do this learning activity because I am learning not only about open pedagogy but also about photography. Essentially, this was a two-for-one experience that I enjoyed. I learn best through completing an assignment hands-on, so being able to research open pedagogy through experience, helped me fully understand what open pedagogy is. From my experience, I learned that there are many platforms in which MOOCs are offered, so it’s essential to do some research and choose a platform with a good reputation. Suppose you take a MOOC to use the certificate on a resume. In that case, it’s essential to consider the importance of the platform you use to ensure your certificate is as credible as possible.
I hope you enjoyed đ
Amelia
References
Caulfield, M. (2013). XMOOC communities should learn from cmoocs. EDUCAUSE. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2013/7/xmooc-communities-should-learn-from-cmoocs
This week we learned about active and passive learning. To set the stage, active learning is when students actively engage with the course material, whereas passive learning is when the student is responsible for absorbing all the material themselves (Mathers, 2017).
In the reading âTo Learn, Students Need to DO Somethingâ by Jennifer Gonzalez (2018), various issues about students actively learning in classrooms were presented. One overarching issue that was presented throughout this reading was that teachers forget to incorporate tasks for students to meaningfully process and apply the material (Gonzalez, 2018). However, there were various other issues that were causing this issue, such as the amount of documentation teachers are required to complete, the cycle of test taking, and the lack of time allotted for teachers to prepare a lesson (Gonzalez, 2018). To combat these issues, Gonzalez suggested activities to enhance the use of active learning. These suggestions included sorting, kinesthetic, work, discussion, graphic representations, writing to learn, mini projects, anticipation, guides, quality, note-taking, retrieval practice, and collaboration (Gonzalez, 2018). Many activities were suggested; therefore, I will only address a few that I found particularly interesting and would like to implement in a classroom someday.Â
This is a diagram comparing active and passive learning.
First, I find kinesthetic work to be an exciting activity to use with students. Kinesthetic work can range from doing short skits to creating visual representations of the material, such as models out of Play-Doh or popsicle sticks. An example of this work I have experienced throughout my education is building models of buildings or bridges. For example, when I was in middle school, we completed a unit on monumental buildings throughout the world, and as our final project, we were tasked to create a model representing this structure. My monumental building of choice was the twin towers in New York City; therefore, I created a large model of the twin towers and surrounding buildings. Creating this model, I had to research what each part of the twin towers was used for to label them. Overall, this activity increased my overall knowledge and understanding of the twin towers! It was a very fun and effective active learning experience.
Here is a fun video for more examples of kinesthetic work!
Second, group discussion is a very meaningful way to actively learn the material from one another. Group discussion is a way in which I find I learn best, and it’s very easy for teachers to implement in a classroom. For example, to use group discussion as an activity for active learning, teachers simply need to give students discussion prompts and tell them to discuss for a few minutes. It is a very quick and easy activity to implement in a classroom; however, it could be difficult to grade. To easily grade a discussion, the teacher could simply give completion or participation marks rather than grades on the content of the discussion. Another way to easily grade a discussion is to have the group write a summary of what was discussed. Overall, a discussion is a powerful and meaningful tool to enhance active learning.
Here is a useful infographic on the advantages and disadvantages of group discussion.
The last strategy Gonzalez (2018) presented in her article that I will discuss is retrieval practice. Retrieval practice is when students are asked to recall information to help them increase their understanding. Retrieval practice is relatively easy to implement in a classroom, as an instructor can do so by asking lots of questions. In a lesson plan, it’s really important to include the types of questions you will ask so that you won’t forget to ask them. Questions are an essential and important part of learning as it helps guide student learning, show students what they are expected to know, and help the teacher judge how well their students are learning the material. There are many ways retrieval practice can be built into a lesson, and questions it’s just one of them. Teachers can also plan activities, such as review activities to complete at the beginning of one class to review the material that was presented in the last class. In fact, this is a strategy that I have used in my past teaching experiences. I find that retrieval practice helps solidify student learning, so they feel confident with the material.
For more information on retrieval practice, click here!
Overall, active learning strategies are vital for meaningful and effective student education.
This week in EDCI 337, we learned some neat techniques to evaluate multimedia, such as SECTIONS and TPACK!
I applied some of these strategies to my own multimedia and had an exciting experience! I enjoy creating videos with my blog posts because itâs fun and makes my blog more personal and accessible. However, I sometimes wonder if my videos meet the needs of those who view my blog or if Iâm wasting my time and resources. Bates (2019) created the SECTIONS model, and here is what the acronym stands for:
Here is a poster I made summarizing the SECTIONS model.
In applying the SECTIONS concept to my blog, I determined that including videos in my blog is not a waste of my time or resources. Here is specifically what I found:
S – My viewers are university students who are often tired of reading, so my videos allow them an opportunity to complete their school work while giving their eyes a break.
E – My blog is easy to use. I am technology illiterate, and if I can navigate my blog, I believe a monkey could navigate my blog. I have purposefully designed my blog site to be clean, organized, and easy to navigate
C – Below Average is free for both me and users to use; however, creating these blog posts takes me a while to do well, but they do not take much time for viewers to read through my blogs.
T – Topics are based on education for the purpose of education, and therefore my blog has an appropriate teaching function
I – The comment tool on each blog post allows for interaction between myself and the reader. However, to leave a comment, one needs an OpenEd account.
O – Each blog post contains various links to free resources on the internet. This includes links to news articles, pictures, scholarly articles, videos, and other websites.
N – My comments tool allow blog users to connect and check out one anotherâs blog sites.
S– My blog promotes privacy and security, as those who leave comments can choose to do so anonymously or with the username attached to the comment.
As I was applying the SECTIONS tools to my blog and learning what exactly it was, I found that it relates to Universal Design for Learning principles (UDL). A UDL âis a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learnâ (CAST, 2018). A UDL employs guidelines such as a UDL must offer multiple means of engagement or motivation, multiple means of representation of information, and multiple means of action and expression (allowing students more than one way to interact with the material (CAST, 2018). However, in order for students to be engaged, have multiple formats of information and have more than one way to interact with the material, the lesson needs to be inclusive. To be inclusive, a UDL must consider what students want to learn and how they want to learn, which pertains to “S” in SECTIONS. For a UDL to be accessible to learners, it must be easy to use and promote interaction, per the “E” and “I” of the SECTIONS tool. Essentially the SECTIONS tool and UDL utilize various strategies and evaluation techniques in order to optimize a learning environment to further promote learner success and inclusion.
Further, there are some more learning strategies ad theories embedded within the SECTIONS tool. For example, I find that the SECTIONS model is connected to other multimedia principles, such as the Engagement principle of Merrillâs Principles of Instruction (Merrill, 2002). The Engage principle states that âonline learners [are encouraged] to engage with the [multimedia] contentâ (Merrill, 2002). This engagement can be done in various ways, such as individual or group brainstorming, reflecting, and discussion. Therefore, as Merrillâs Principle of Engagement promotes connecting with others for learning, so do âIâ and âNâ of the SECTIONS tools.
This is a brief video on Merrillâs Principles of Instruction.
A constraint in using the SECTIONS tool is that it can be difficult to use for evaluation purposes. For example, I had a difficult time assessing my blog for organizational issues and privacy and security issues. These concepts and suggestions are rather broad and, therefore, can be difficult to apply, especially if you do not know what you are looking for. Another downfall of the SECTIONS model is that it does not take into account all factors that are necessary to consider when evaluating a multimedia tool. For example, SECTIONS does not consider your own specific circumstances, such as what resources are available to you to create a useful multimedia tool.Â
SECTIONS should be used as a tool in addition to other evaluative strategies, such as the TPACK framework, which âfocuses on the dynamic relationship between technological knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and content knowledge (CK) when integrating technology into a learning environmentâ (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Also, when using the SECTIONS tool, it is important to consider your own circumstances and what is available to you to use and provide to your learners.
Visit this website to earn more about the TPACK framework.
Hope you enjoyed đ
Amelia
References
Bates, T. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age â Models for media selection. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/9-1-models-for-media-selection/
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First Principles of Instruction. ETR&D, 50, 3. pp. 43-59.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for integrating technology in teachersâ knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108 (6), 1017â1054
This week we learned about storytelling with video for learning! This is a widespread technique used in education settings, and a technique that I have often used when teaching.Â
A meaningful learning experience that started with a story was when I was in middle school, and we had a speaker named Robb Nash that came in to speak to our school about mental health. When Nash was 17, he was in a near-fatal car crash where he almost died. He was found not breathing with no pulse, and a first responder resuscitated him, saving his life. This traumatic event sparked Nashâs long battle with depression. Nash’s story is extremely emotional and terrifying to imagine being in his shoes. Further, to enhance his message and goal, Nash uses music to reach out to students and teachers. What made Nashâs story so impactful for me was how he described the event, how he felt, the sheer terror he felt in that car accident, and the sadness and grief he felt after surviving a car accident.
Robb Nash is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. His story is truly inspiring and tugs on the heartstrings. Click here to learn more about Robb Nash and the Robb Nash Project.
Ultimately, Nash’s goal in this presentation was to ignite the discussion about mental health and work towards ending stigma, but to do so, he used a few storytelling techniques that we reviewed this week, such as using a conversational tone and making the presentation powerful and accessible. Nash’s conversational style was friendly and enthusiastic, creating an environment that viewers couldn’t take their eyes off; his story encapsulated everyone. This use of conversational tone is Mayerâs Personalization Principle (Mayer, 2005). Further, Nash went as far as to include a PowerPoint with captions displayed and had an ASL signer to ensure his presentation was accessible to everyone, thus following Universal Design for Learning guidelines (CAST, 2018).Â
I made this video to share a little bit more detail on the Robb Nash presentation and the strategies he used.
This module taught us about accessibility, diversity, privacy, and ethics in learning and learning environments. Throughout my blog post today, I would like to discuss how the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework applies to a topic I have previously taught to students.
In one of my past university courses, I created a presentation for an assignment, and my professor asked me to come to teach it in their middle yearâs classroom. I will discuss this presentation and the parts of it which reflect the UDL framework for learning.
I prepared a video walkthrough of my UDL PowerPoint incase you don’t feel like reading đ
The first thing that you will notice in this PowerPoint is that it is colourful and very blue. I have purposely chosen these colours as they are high in contrast, or not colours that are commonly associated with colour blindness, and are exciting to look at. Often times slideshow creators select colours that do not contrast with each other, are challenging to read, or do not consider colour blindness. Colour choice and contrast are essential in a UDL so that information is easy to access, read, and see (IDRC, n.d.).
Next, you will notice that information is offered in more than one format. Students can read the text on each slide while they listen to the instructor present the information. There are also visuals and graphics to help enhance understanding. Further, there are engaging videos throughout the slideshow. Another noteworthy mention is that for each activity, there is a description of it that students can refer to while completing the activity.
Overall, this slideshow supports a UDL as it presents the lessonâs goals, includes various teaching methods, incorporates various materials, and includes an assessment activity for each topic to ensure student understanding (CAST, 2018). Students must know the lessonâs goals to understand the important takeaways (CAST, 2018). Further, not every student learns the same, so presenting the information using various methods with various materials will help ensure every student can be included in the lesson and be successful (CAST, 2018). Lastly, assessment is essential, and students expect assessment (CAST, 2018). Each assessment activity is different and can be modified on the spot to be done individually, in groups, or as a class, depending on the needs of the students
I chose this learning portfolio prompt because I am passionate about inclusion in the learning environment, which is fostered when a teacher has prepared a UDL. Essentially, I learned that a UDL is when a lesson is optimized to ensure learning and success for all. Teachers can create a lesson that adheres to every individualâs needs in their classroom to avoid any challenges that can be faced when teaching the lesson and help everyone feel included and welcomed in a learning environment.
Hi everyone! This week we learned about Merrillâs first principles of instruction, instructional design, and lesson planning. I wanted to discuss Merrill’s principles and how I would use them.
There is a scenario that immediately comes to mind where I have used Merrillâs principles of instruction. I am currently a visiting student at Athabasca University taking education courses, and for one class, I had to create a lesson plan and teach the lesson plan. The lesson was on globalization and how we can track where our T-shirts have been before arriving at our doorstep.
Click here for more on Merrill’s Principles of Instruction and this infographic.
The learner and I engaged in solving this real-world problem about how globalization affects our everyday lives and how we wouldn’t have the things we do without globalization. The learnersâ knowledge about importation and exportation was activated and served as a foundation for new knowledge about globalization (Greenwood, 2019). The learner and I then explored an interactive documentary, âPlanet Money Makes a T-Shirt,â by National Public Radio (2013). The learner applied this knowledge to a quiz I had prepared for them (Greenwood, 2019). Throughout the documentary, I had the learner track every place the T-shirt visited before arriving at their doorstep by tracing lines between the locations on a map, thus integrating the new knowledge into the learnersâ world (Greenwood, 2019).
This is my instructional design example!
As Merrill (2002) suggested, more than only media and multimedia is needed to promote learning. It requires activation, demonstration, and application, which I used in the planned lesson.
Lesson planning is an essential part of effective teaching. It is vital to create a lesson plan by considering your planâs big ideas, learning outcomes, evidence of learning, assessment, and learning activities (Kurt, 2015). Considering these five items will help you create a lesson plan that is easy for you to follow and understand while teaching as it progresses. In addition, creating a plan will help ensure that your lesson includes the curriculum you intend to teach. Lesson planning also enables teachers to go back and review their lessons and consider what worked well, what didn’t work well, and what they would change for next time.
I hope you enjoyed the read đ
Amelia
References
Greenwood, J. (2019, December 19). Merrill’s first principles of instruction. James Greenwood. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.james-greenwood.com/instructional-design/toolkit/merrill/
