Blog Post #4

From this week’s materials, I learned that in order to effectively and inclusively integrate technology in the face-to-face classroom, we first need to ensure that the technology tools are aligned with the learning objectives to support the intended learning outcomes. Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to provide content in multiple formats, such as text, audio, and video, to meet the needs of diverse students. Enhance interaction through digital tools such as discussion forums and collaboration platforms. Utilize technology for formative assessment and immediate feedback to track learning progress. Finally, provide comprehensive training and support for teachers and students to ensure they are proficient in the use of these tools.

For the blog prompt, I chose the video “The psychology of self-motivation” by Scott Geller on YouTube. This videoexplores the psychology behind self-motivation. He discusses the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering intrinsic motivation. Geller emphasizes the role of self-motivation in achieving personal and professional success and provides practical strategies to enhance self-motivation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sxpKhIbr0E

What kind of interaction would the video require from your students? Does it force them to respond in some way (inherent)?

This video inherently encourages students to reflect on their own levels of self-motivation. It requires them to consider how autonomy, competence, and relatedness play roles in their personal and academic lives, it does not force immediate interaction.

In what way are they likely to respond to the video on their own, e.g., make notes, do an activity, or think about the topic (learner-generated)?

Students may take detailed notes on key points such as the concepts of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.They might jot down practical strategies mentioned by Scott Geller for enhancing self-motivation.In addition , they could write reflective journal entries on their personal experiences with motivation, identifying times when they felt highly motivated and analyzing why.

How could the video have been designed to generate more or better activity from viewers or students?

This video could become more engaging and provide a richer, more interactive learning experience for students like provide downloadable resources, like reflection worksheets or self-assessment checklists, to accompany the video.Include links to further reading or related articles to deepen understanding.In addition, it can create an online discussion forum where viewers can share their thoughts, experiences, and strategies for self-motivation.

How will you address any potential barriers for your learners in the use of this video to ensure an inclusive design?

Addressing potential barriers is crucial for ensuring that all learners benefit from the video while maintaining an inclusive design. We should ensure that the video has accurate subtitles and provide a transcript. This helps learners who are deaf or hard of hearing, and those who prefer reading or have difficulty understanding spoken English. We can use audio descriptions for learners with visual impairments, so they can understand visual elements of the video. In addition, offer additional context or background information for learners who may not be familiar with the concepts discussed in the video. This can include a brief overview of key theories or related concepts.

Comment link

Blog Post #3

In order to ensure that the needs of all learners are met, I believe that there should be a variety of ways of presenting and communicating to accommodate different learners. For example, presenting to learners through videos, infographics, or providing written content in a variety of formats and languages. Secondly, interactivity, such as game elements or quizzes and discussion boards, can be used to enhance learner engagement. We can also relate the learning content to real-life scenarios to increase relevance. To accommodate different learners, allow them to demonstrate learning outcomes through different formats such as projects, presentations or essays. In case of unforeseen events, we should provide online platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc. for virtual workshops to continue the learning. We can use video conferencing tools for discussions and record lectures for asynchronous access. Using tools such as Google Docs, Trello and Slack for group projects and communication is also important. In addition to besides curb cuts, another classic example of universal design is automatic doors. Originally designed to assist people with mobility issues, automatic doors are extremely convenient for everyone. Automatic doors allow everyone to enter and exit with ease and require no additional maneuvering. This can be compared to the seamless access of an online learning platform. Learning resources should be designed to be easily accessible without cumbersome log-in or download steps so that all students can get to learning quickly. Automatic doors benefit everyone, not just people with mobility issues, but people with luggage, people holding objects, and people pushing strollers. Similarly, providing multiple learning modalities (e.g., video, audio, text, interactive activities) and multiple assessment modalities (e.g., projects, quizzes, discussions) in learning design can benefit students with different learning styles and needs. We can create a more inclusive and efficient learning environment where all students can successfully access and fully utilize learning resources.

Blog Post #2

Inquiry-based learning is a student-centered approach to education that encourages students to build knowledge by asking questions, investigating, and making discoveries. Inquiry-based learning emphasizes active learning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, making learning more efficient. It has key features such as students guiding the learning process by asking questions, conducting investigations and exploring. In addition, learning often begins with an open-ended question or challenge to stimulate students’ curiosity and desire to explore, and they often work in groups, sharing information and resources, and solving problems together. The process of inquiry is more important than the results, and students build knowledge through data collection, experimentation, discussion and reflection. In real life, teachers can play the role of guides and supporters, helping students ask meaningful questions and providing resources and guidance. For example, the teacher asked an open question: “How can we protect the local ecosystem?” Students discussed in groups and raised specific questions that they were interested in, such as “How does pollution affect the local river ecosystem?” Students can then make plans and conduct field trips to observe flora and fauna, etc., and then analyze the data. Finally, a summary report is provided. In this way, students not only gain an in-depth understanding of ecosystems and environmental protection, but also develop their scientific inquiry, collaboration and critical thinking skills. However, this way of learning also faces some challenges, such as requires more resources and time: Inquiry-based learning usually requires more time and resources, including teacher guidance, experimental materials, and technical support. In short, inquiry-based learning can significantly improve their learning effects and ability development by allowing students to actively participate and explore. However, there are multiple challenges that need to be overcome in practical implementation to ensure the success of inquiry-based learning.

Blog Post #1

This course outlines a robust curriculum that integrates theoretical foundations with practical applications in learning design for technology-mediated environments. By focusing on learning theories, diverse learner needs, assessment strategies, and the impact of digital technologies, the course prepares us to design engaging, effective, and inclusive learning experiences. The emphasis on developing interactive learning resources ensures that we gain practical skills aligned with current educational trends and research. It mentions identifying components of assessment, including reliability, validity, assessment types, and taxonomies. This indicates a focus on understanding the fundamental aspects of assessment design. We are tasked with developing an interactive learning resource supported by current research. This likely involves creating a tangible educational tool or environment that integrates various learning components. This aligns with learning theory, which emphasizes learning through networks and connections, often facilitated by technology. The development of interactive resources encourages learners to explore, collaborate, and connect knowledge in meaningful ways. It appears to integrate a strong emphasis on learning theories with practical application in the development of interactive learning resources. This is similar to some educational technology courses I’ve taken where theoretical foundations are coupled with hands-on projects. Other courses might explicitly include formative and summative assessments, providing a more comprehensive approach to assessment strategies aligned with behaviorist principles. They might also incorporate authentic assessments to a greater extent, emphasizing application and real-world relevance. We will identify and understand prominent learning theories: behaviourism, constructivism, and connectivism. This foundational knowledge will help in designing learning experiences that align with these theories, catering to different learning styles and preferences. This knowledge is crucial for designing fair and effective assessments that measure our learning outcomes accurately.

Welcome and Introduction

Before proceeding with this first blog post, we expect you to consider your privacy preferences carefully and that you have considered the following options:

  1. Do you want to be online vs. offline?
  2. Do you want to use your name (or part thereof) vs. a pseudonym (e.g., West Coast Teacher)?
  3. Do you want to have your blog public vs. private? (Note, you can set individual blog posts private or password protected or have an entire blog set to private)
  4. Have you considered whether you are posting within or outside of Canada? This blog on opened.ca is hosted within Canada. That said, any public blog posts can have its content aggregated/curated onto social networks outside of Canada.

First tasks you might explore with your new blog:

  • Go into its admin panel found by adding /wp-admin at the end of your blog’s URL
  • Add new category or tags to organize your blog posts – found under “Posts” (but do not remove the pre-existing “edci335” category).
  • See if your blog posts are appearing on the course website (you must have the the edci335 category assigned to a post first and have provided your instructor with your blog URL)
  • Add pages, if you like.
  • Include hyperlinks in your posts (select text and click on the link icon in the post toolbar)
  • Embed images or set featured images and embed video in blog posts and pages (can be your own media or that found on the internet, but consider free or creative commons licensed works). To embed a YouTube video, simply paste the URL on its own line.
  • Under Dashboard/Appearance,
    • Select your preferred website theme and customize to your preferences (New title, new header image, etc.)
    • Customize menus & navigation
    • Use widgets to customize blog content and features
  • Delete this starter post (or switch it to draft status if you want to keep it for reference)

Do consider creating categories for each course that you take should you wish to document your learning (or from professional learning activities outside of formal courses). Keep note, however, that you may wish to rename the label of the course category in menus (e.g., as we did where it shows “Learning Design” as the label for the “edci335” category menu.  This will enable readers not familiar with university course numbers to understand what to expect in the contents.

Lastly, as always, be aware of the FIPPA as it relates to privacy and share only those names/images that you have consent to use or are otherwise public figures. When in doubt, ask us.

Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:

Test Learning Design Post

This post  will appear in a few places:

  1. in the blog feed on the front of your website
  2. in the Learning Design menu on your website. This is because we have applied the “edci335” category to this post and the menu item “Learning Design” has been created from the category “edci335.” For every post you make for this course, please assign the “edci335” category to it. You are welcome to use this blog for your personal hobbies or for other courses, in which case, you could create additional menu items and categories for them.
  3. if you give permission, your posts categorized “edci335” will be aggregated onto the Blog Feed on the EDCI 335 Course Website.

Feel free to delete this post once you understand this. If you have any questions, please reach out to your instructor.

© 2024 Fascinating

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑