Syd Vicious Blog

Learning Pod Being Reviewed: # 2

Peers’ Names: Caitlin, Sujean, Sarah, Alyssa, and Amelie

Interactive Learning Resource Topic: Growth Mindse

Learning outcomes

I loved the learning outcomes your group has developed. All five lessons have their own purpose which is reflected through the learning outcome and the assessment that follows. One thing I would note, however, is the learning outcome for lesson 5, which alludes to the learners’ “understanding that abilities can be developed and worked on through effort”. How exactly can students demonstrate that they have understood this concept? I would suggest changing the verb “understanding” to a measurable verb, like you’ve already done with lessons one to four (e.g., compare, identify, determine, etc.). This way the learners will be able to know exactly what it is they should be walking away with from that lesson and be sure they know how to present the learning outcome in a way that is predefined.  Much like how you will be providing the rubric for your final summative assessment, adding a measurable verb in each learning outcome allows each learner to excel through having a good grasp on what is expected of them.

Alignment

I found the alignment of your interactive learning resource, including your lessons, learning outcomes, and assessments to be quite fluid, comprehensive, and a great example of universal design, as it is both accessible and easy to use.

Learning Context

I think you’ve selected a great audience for this interactive learning resource. However, I am hesitant to agree with the age group. Perhaps you could include some additional rational outlining how 10- and 11-year-olds can easily grasp the abstract concept of a growth mindset. If they are not yet at the age to fully appreciate abstract concepts, then perhaps they may require an additional lesson that eases them into the concept of a mindset, before defining the difference between a growth versus fixed mindset, as outlined in lesson one. More so, something that is important to consider when working with young children is how you deliver information. The words you would use to describe a growth mindset to a 20-year-old will be vastly different than the words you use to describe it to a 10-year-old, as chronological ages often reflect emotional ages. Perhaps it would benefit your learning resource to reflect on how you will deliver the content.

Interactivity

The interactivity of this learning resource is quite exciting. I especially love the use of the whiteboard in Zoom. One consideration, however, is how could this learning resource be adapted to foster an asynchronous design. Asynchronicity allows for student-teacher and student-student relationships to defy the bounds of space and time through taking advantage of an online learning environment. This would consequently improve the learning resource’s universal design through making it more easily accessible to all learners. Some food for thought!

Inclusivity

In relation to your efforts to include ELL students, I think your group’s idea of encouraging learners to share their unique cultural experiences is a great example of constructivist learning, because it takes a true piece of who they are and what they already know and applies it to their learning to propel them into forming conceptual connections beyond the content provided. This really emulates the beauty of universal design as well, because through creating a learning resource that is easily accessible for ELL students, it fosters an enriched learning environment for all learners! Well done.

Rational for Technology

All five technology resources seem to compliment your learning resource nicely. More so, your carefully outlined rational for their application tells me you’ve put much thought into their purpose and place in your learning resource. One thing you may consider, is to add some rational that speaks to where you hope to employ each technology and specifically why it is more beneficial for some areas of the learning resource than other areas.

Presentation

I would have liked to see some sort of rational for how you envision the learners will be guided through the learning resource. Such as, the layout and navigation of the website. Will it be as comprehensive as possible with ample amount of direction each step of the way to accommodate for the age group of the audience, or perhaps it will be more open to interpretation to foster the experiential approach.

Feedback

Feedback is an integral part of any great learning resource. It acts as a checkpoint for learners to reflect on what they’ve learnt so far and readjust or revisit concepts as needed. It also propels learning through providing learns with new ways of viewing the information they’ve acquired. Your group has done a good job at implementing both formative activities and one final summative activity strategically throughout the learning resource, but the feedback aspect could be improved. I would encourage you to reflect on each activity you’ve created and ask yourselves how feedback could be provided. Then, ask yourselves if the feedback offers the learner a solid and applicable assessment of their ability to demonstrate what is being outline in the learning outcome, if the feedback is offered through a universal design approach (just as the content needs to be offered easily and accessibly to the learners, so does the feedback), and if the feedback gives more than criticism or appraisal (feedback can act as a tool to reassess, but also to propel learning through offering additional resources for areas that require closer attention).

More on feedback, your learning resource’s final summative assessment includes the use of a rubric. You may consider providing some more rational for how the summative assessment’s rubric will look, and how learners will know they have successfully completed the learning resource, i.e., do they need a certain grade to pass?

Additional considerations

Something to consider is the application of more learner-generated interactions between the learner and the material, which implicitly encourages reflection or analysis of the content to foster a constructivist approach to learning.

One idea is to provide some additional technologies that are optional, such as articles, videos, TV shows, etc., that are already engrained with opportunities for learner-generated interactions.

Regarding your references, I would encourage you to add a reference for all externally sourced concepts, such as universal design (in the design for inclusion of diverse learners section).

Overall Opinion

Overall, I was really impressed with your group’s interactive learning resource. It seemed very engaging and well thought through. I think that with the additional considerations I have outlined in the comments above, it holds the potential to be a very useful tool for many audiences. Well done.

Questions / Comments

Learning Pod 2, if any of you have questions or comments on my feedback on your interactive learning resource, please send me a message through brightspace and we can discuss!

Ruth’s Post on Direct Instruction

Ruth, I found your outline of Direct Instruction to be thoughtfully curated and presented. More so, the ease at which you described the concept makes me feel like I could just as easily repeat it to my neighbour (I think Einstein would be proud, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”). Also, I especially appreciated your example of the computer science professor, as it took me back to CSC 109. One thing I would love to hear more of is your own attitude toward this learning design – what draws you to it, if anything?

Thank you, Ruth!

Thomas’ Post on Cooperative Learning

Thomas, I found your outline of Cooperative Learning to be quite informative. I really appreciated the holistic view that you provided through describing multiple different examples of this learning design. Contrary to your statement however, I think there may be some room for Cooperative Learning in our Learning Design Project. For example, with the ‘Peer instruction’ method, the theoretical learners could reply to a prompted question that is related to the material, and then read the comments of former learners, to which they could then reply to their own previously posted comment with an updated comment that reflects the new perspectives they’ve received.

Thank you, Thomas!

Four Lobes, an audio clip written and produced by Ryan Stotland, has some lyrics that you won’t soon forget – no matter how hard you try to shake them (Stotland, 2021).

The song takes you through the four lobes of the brain as it outlines their basic functions, all of which is sandwiched intermittently between the song’s catchy chorus.

Although not an inherent activity, as it does not require any structured reactions, nor is it a designed activity, as there are no suggestions that follow, it still proves to be a beneficial tool for enhanced learning. This is because our brain remembers statements easier when they rhyme (Pedersen, 2022), which increases the chances that the learner will think about this song and its contents long after viewing. Employing a constructivist approach, this example of learner-generated interactivity relies on the catchiness of the song to inexplicitly encourage the learner to rehearse the song outside of the learning environment, i.e., humming the lyrics on the way to their next class.

Like many learning materials, this video can easily be paired with a suggested activity to create structured interactivity. For example, the learner could be asked to create a slideshow, using PowerPoint or Canva, that provides visuals to go along with the lyrics (whether that be drawings, digital images, abstract representations, etc.). This activity would allow the learner to expand on their conceptualization of the material through asking them to interpret the information in a visual format, ultimately leading to a more holistic understanding.

Since feedback is one of the most crucial aspects of learning, learners could also be asked to post their slideshow on the class’s chosen medium, to which the instructor and peers could asynchronously toggle through while listening to the music video in the background. Once they’ve digested the visuals and music together, the teacher and peers could then post reflective comments. What’s more, because the requirements for facilitating the feedback are so basic, i.e., posting and commenting, the class could select any medium. Some examples, however, may include a private Facebook group, a Google document, or even a shared Instagram page.

Following the feedback from peers and teacher, the students could be offered the opportunity to refine thier project and re-post it on the chosen medium. This would allow the learners to reflect on the feedback and consider ways they could further ellicit implicite learner-generated interactions for thier viewers.

Not only would this interactive activity be fun, but it would also be extremely time efficient for the instructor, whom would only be required to provide the project’s expectations and some advice on how to use either PowerPoint or Canva, as well as curate their own comments on each learner’s post. Furthermore, if the class held a substantial number of learners, the instructor could request that the activity be completed in groups rather than individually. This would add an extra layer of interplay, as it facilitates learner-learner interaction.

Another reason to love this simple activity is for its subtle use of the Keller’s Arcs Model for motivation. The activity keeps the learners engaged, through tapping into their artistic side; motivated, through making the task personally relevant; confident, through fostering autonomy; and satisfied, through seeing a project through to completion (What Are the ARCS Categories, n.d.). It is with this level of motivation, that the activity transforms from being tolerable to exciting, which fuels the fire of inquisitiveness that is at the heart of learning.

Why Not Give it a Go?

Listen to the music video (posted above) and comment on my blog post with any mental representations of the lyrics that spring to mind. You never know, you may learn a thing or two!

References

Anonymous. (n.d.). What Are the ARCS Categories. ARCSMODEL.COM. https://www.arcsmodel.com/arcs-categories

Pedersen, T. (March 30, 2022). Memory and mnemonic devices. PsychCentral. https://psychcentral.com/lib/memory-and-mnemonic-devices

[Video of Four Lobes]. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAt92zzFMoo

Chosen Prompts

1-5 (EDCI 335)

Automatic doors and automatic door openers are pivotal – pun intended – in the assurance of inclusivity and accessibility for any building. With a long history of revisions and improvements, the notion of a door that opens without having to manually pull or push was first envisioned by an ancient Greek mathematician, Heron of Alexandria, using a system that incorporated fire and hydraulics (The history of automatic doors, 2021), as demonstrated in the video below. It was not, however, until much later, try centuries later, that humans felt inspired to create a new and improved automatic door design that was more practical and accessible. This time it was two twentieth century Americans, Horace H. Raymond and Sheldon S. Roby, who designed an ingenious system that allowed a door to open upon triggering an optical sensor (The history of automatic doors, 2021).

Fast forward to today, we are now blessed with an array of ways to automatically open doors, from push buttons to motion detectors, and even digitally programmed timers. However, the design of automatic doors is not the only thing to have changed; so has its intentions. As Heron of Alexandria was a product of his time, his presumed intention with the automatic tempol doors was to impress incoming spectators (Heron of Alexandria, Automated Temple Doors, n.d.), a noble desire during the era of mystical inventions. Moving on, Horace H. Raymond and Sheldon S. Roby had a somewhat more practical intention for their design, which was to benefit waiting staff as they passed from the kitchen to the dinning room carrying plates of food. Whereas today, automatic doors are typically installed as an application of Universal Design to allow people of all abilities to entre into buildings and rooms without the hinderance of being unable to easily open a door. From wheelchair users, people on crutches, and those with disease related mobility challenges, to anyone carrying too many hot coffees, a mother trying to corral three children, and the poor condo resident who got caught in the rain, the automatic door caters to all.

Going beyond its literal employment, this invention can be conceptually employed as an exemplary model of Universal Design for learning (UD), as an automatic door serves to remove limitations of a door’s design, rather than trying to accommodate for the specific requirements of perople with varying abilities entering. The engineers have increased the door’s accessibility through allowing people from all walks of life to entre, while also increasing the door’s usability through making them easier for everyone, which mirrors the main objective of UD for learning. In brief, both share the same critical characteristic: easy accessibility and usability for everyone and anyone.

Next time you are considering designing a learning program, take a moment to think about Heron of Alexandria, Horace H. Raymond and Sheldon S. Roby, and the engineers after them, and reflect on whether your program is built to impress, to improve already established advantages, or to foster inclusivity through increasing the accessibility and usability for everyone.

References

Anonymous. (June 3, 2021). The history of automatic doors. JPF Systems Ltd. https://theautomaticdoorco.com/the-history-of-automatic-doors/#:~:text=Greek%20mathematician%20Heron%20of%20Alexandria,which%20activated%20the%20opening%20system

Anonymous. (n.d.) Heron of Alexandria, Automated Temple Doors. Artefacts. https://www.artefacts-berlin.de/portfolio-item/heron-of-alexandira-automated-temple-doors/

[Video of automated temple doors]. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.artefacts-berlin.de/portfolio-item/heron-of-alexandira-automated-temple-doors/

Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning is an approach that, as outline by Queen’s University, incorporates:

“…direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities”

(What is Experiential Learning, n.d.)

Although David A. Kolb is considered the father of Experiential Learning (Kolb, 1984), this concept of learning through doing can be followed back to the days of ancient Greece, where the distinguished philosopher, Aristotle wrote in his book, Nicomachean Ethics, “for the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them” (Aristotle, 350 B.C.E./1994).

Fast forward a few centuries and a few more influential figures, the commonly referenced framework for Experiential Learning is now the Kolb Learning Cycle (McLeod, 2017). This cycle combines the sequential acts of having a concrete experience, engaging in reflective observation of the experience to form abstract conceptualisations, and finally, active experimentation through applying the newly acquired skills and generalizations to other situations. Altogether, this framework fosters an immersive and interactive learning experience that cultivates an authentic, personal and transformative understanding of a given topic.

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience”

(Kolb, 1984, p.38)

Project-based Learning

An example of Experiential Learning is the application of Project-based Learning. Project-based Learning, as described in an article by PowerSchool (2021), is an instructional approach that allows learners to cultivate a deep appreciation of a given topic through completing projects cantered around real-world problems. The journey and real-world association of this pedagogical approach is what leads to enriched skills and knowledge. To explore the elements of Project-based learning and review some examples, visit one teacher’s insightful blog post (Abdo, 2020).

Experiential Learning’s Applicability

Currently, I am participating in an educational course that is asking its students to create an interactive learning design resource, for which my group has chosen the topic of the lobes of the brain. Although I agree with Kolb’s approach, and its various interpretations, such as Project-based Learning, I don’t believe that it would be the most applicable learning style for our interactive resource. I feel as though to fully reap the benefits of Experiential Learning, students should have two things: an appropriate amount of time to move through each stage of Kolb’s cycle carefully and fluidly, and a higher level of synchronous interactivity between students to expand their perspectives and form more informed conclusions, both of which are characteristics that I am not confident our medium can afford due to time and technology constraints. Furthermore, I don’t believe that this learning style would be the most appropriate approach, because when learning about the brain, unless working in a laboratory, most experiments would be theoretical and abstract, which contradicts the notion of learning through doing.

All things considered, I find the work of Kolb, and those before and after him, to be quite marvelous, however, like every pedagogical approach, Experiential Learning has a proper place and time for when it should be applied.

References

Abdo, R. (2020, June 2). 10+ Project based learning examples for educators. Venngage. https://venngage.com/blog/project-based-learning-examples/

Anonymous. (June 14, 2021). Project-based learning: benefits, examples, and resources. PowerSchool. https://www.powerschool.com/blog/project-based-learning-benefits-examples-and-resources/

Aristotle. (1994). Nicomachean ethics (W. D. Ross, Trans.). (Original work published 350 B.C.E.)

[Diagram of Kolb Learning Cycle]. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

[Elements of Project Based Learning]. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://venngage.com/templates/education/elements-of-project-based-learning-teaching-aid-e770d1e1-9f34-4e7d-a3db-4280927e52bd

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experiences as the source of learning and development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

McLeod, S. (2017). Kolb’s learning styles and experiential learning cycle. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

Commenting on Ruth’s Post

Ruth, I thought your post was extremely insightful as it offered a new approach to understanding and appreciating the different learning theories. I especially enjoyed your use of images, to keep readers visually engaged, and references, to assure the credibility of your derived content. Additionally, I found your choice of topic, Climate Change, to be an interesting take, as I have not yet pondered the ways in which climate change could be taught. Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to reading more from you as the course continues!

Describe an example from your life of when you were taught using each method described in this article: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.

As my mother is a francophone from Ontario, I attended a French Immersion program from grade 1 through to high school graduation. Throughout this experience I encountered many different opportunities for learning the beautiful language, as presented by different teachers who employed different instructional designs. One of my earliest memories of learning French began with La Dictée, which was essentially a weekly French spelling quiz consisting of whichever nouns or verbs we had explored the previous week. My teacher’s method for having us learn the different words along with their meaning and spelling followed the behaviourist learning theory, in that she would provide us with practice sheets which presented different phrases (cues) that prompted the correct word and its proper spelling to follow. After doing our best to fill out the sheet, she would grade our work and provide feedback through pointing out all misspells and misuses of the words, which acted as a reinforcement tactic to perform better the next time. It was through this experience that provided me with a foundational understanding of which words go where.

My second most vivid memory of learning French came from my grade 4 teacher who had us play Scrabble; a board game that prompted each player to spell different words on a board that branched from words previously laid down. This was cognitivism at its core, as we applied our knowledge of the French language in using rules, concepts, and discriminations of French grammar and spelling. What’s more, if you laid down a word that was misspelled, one of your peers would point out how the word was misspelt, to which you would reattempt the word with the correct spelling. This was a supportive interaction that perfectly depicted constructive feedback that led to a better appreciation for the word through attaching it with a meaningful experience, as well as offered practical guidance for future performance. It was through this experience that I learned how to transfer the rules of French spelling.

Following La Dictée and Scrabble, if there were one memory of grade school that stuck out like a fly in milk, it would be the dreaded Concours d’Art Oratoire, a French public-speaking competition that was overly glorified by every French Immersion teacher. From grade five till grade 10, I would be asked by every teacher to prepare, practice, and present a 5-minute speech on a topic of my choice, which was intended to prepare us for our grade 11 year where the best speeches would be submitted to the Canadian Parents for French association that hosted the actual national competition. Although I was clearly not a fan of the public speaking aspect, I must admit that the constructivist learning theory that was employed in this exercise through having us use our knowledge of the French language in various unique topics of discussion, allowed me to navigate the complexities of utilizing French words in a context that demanded a marriage between scholarly speak and digestible anecdotes. It was through this experience that I obtained my highest level of French speaking abilities.

Putting it all together; La Dictée, Scrabble, and Concours d’Art Oratoire, each played an important role in establishing my bilingual abilities through practicing unique learning theories that appropriately aligned with the stage of knowledge being presented.

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.