Category: Blog Posts

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

The video relies on viewers listening, making it a passive resource. While it does not require active participation, it will most likely prompt viewers to reflect on the topic of movement in classrooms, as it did for me. 

2. 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)?

Viewers are likely to respond to the video by thinking about the role of physical activity in classrooms. They may also think further about how this applies to their own classrooms. In addition to thinking about the topic, viewers may also choose to make notes, especially if it is a new topic for them.

3. What activity could you suggest that they do after they have watched the video (designed)? What type of knowledge or skill would that activity help develop? What medium or technology would students use to do the activity?

I would definitely suggest that learners do some sort of activity following this video, as the pandemic led us to learn that technology alone cannot make learning engaging (Burns, 2020). It needs to be backed up by some sort of interactive element. Furthermore, since our audience is teachers and this video serves as a glimpse into how a teacher integrates physical movement in their classroom, I thought it would prompt a lot of reflective thinking. Furthermore, I thought it would be appropriate to have learners do a reflection, in a shared space, such as WordPress, answering the following questions:

• What did you learn? 
• How do you currently incorporate physical activity in your classroom?
• Going forward, will you change anything to ensure you incorporate enough meaningful physical activity in your classroom?

This would help learners connect what they have learned to their own practices. As this reflection would be in a shared space, they would also get to read what their peers have written and learn more strategies to incorporate physical activity, as everyone has their own creative strategies. Lastly, as the teacher, I would go over everyone’s work. Effective course design involves selecting the right mix of interactions, and here I am utilizing multiple modes (Anderson, 2003).

4. How would students get feedback on the activity that you set? What medium or technology would they and/or you use for getting and giving feedback on their activity?

Feedback is an essential aspect of integration, which is why I believe learners should be receiving it from multiple sources (Bates, 2019). Firstly, learners will receive feedback from their peers in the shared space. Each learner will have to comment on 1-2 of their peer’s posts. I would then still assess learners’ reflections, using a rubric, which they would receive, to ensure they are answering the prompt questions with some level of depth. Additionally, students, specifically students studying online, tend to focus more on assessed activities (Bates, 2019). Therefore, if learners know they are being assessed, they will try harder.

5. How much work for you would that activity cause? Would the work be both manageable and worthwhile? Could the activity be scaled for larger numbers of students?

Having to read through several learners’ reflections will definitely take some time, but I believe it is worthwhile, as having learners do a reflection provides much deeper thinking than having them take a quiz, which would be easier to assess. As it may take a while to go over every learner’s reflection, especially if the activity was scaled for a larger number of students, I could give them a word limit to keep it more manageable.  

Resources

Anderson, T. (2003). Getting the mix right again: An updated and theoretical rationale for interaction. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 4(2), 1–14.

Bates, A.W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age – Second Edition. Vancouver, B.C.: Tony Bates Associates Ltd. Retrieved from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/

Burns, M. (2020, May 26). Getting Ready to Teach Next Year. Retrieved from Edutopia website: https://www.edutopia.org/article/getting-ready-teach-next-year

Edutopia. (2023). Using Movement to Teach Vocabulary. Retrieved from www.youtube.com website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38JeYKqOZ_g

EDCI 335 – Choose one (or more) of your planned learning activities from your Blueprint and identify any barriers to student success. How can you alter or adjust your current plan to reduce those barriers?

This week I learned about the importance of seeking out learning barriers to make learning environments more inclusive. For instance, in 2012 the Supreme Court of Canada acknolwdlegded the Moore case, a case reaffirming that educators must make their services accessible to persons with disabiltiies as per the human rights law (“Right to Education – Inclusive Education,” 2014). Therefore, being inclusive is not just the right thing to do, but an actual law. When a barrier is identified, accommodations must be provided to overcome that barrier (“Right to Education – Inclusive Education,” 2014).  

Reflecting on my group’s learning blueprint, I was able to identify some potential barriers within some of our planned learning activities. It is so easy to overlook these barriers, which the “Selective Attention Test”, instructing viewers to count how many times the players wearing white pass the basketball, shows (Simons, 2010). I did not even see the gorilla walk by in the background. Furthermore, I was not actively looking for barriers within our learning activities, I did not see any, but now that I am, I have found a few. These barriers are important to remove in order to include all individuals, including those with disabilities. 

Firstly, I noticed that all three of our learning activities: 3-3-1 summaries, adapting and assessing existing in-active lesson plans to be more physically active, and written reflections into which activities best fit their context, are all written based. Though we did not directly talk about it, I kind of assumed they would all be written, as written assignments are so common in educational environments, but providing learners with other ways to express themselves may help reduce some potential barriers. Not all students are able to write, or some may find that they better express themselves in other ways. Giving learners options to choose from, such as writing, audio recordings, video reflections, or visual representations, for these assignments would help cater to various learning preferences and abilities. For example, nerurodivergent people often struggle to initiate or hold a conversation (Bruisie, 2017). Therefore they may turn towards doing a reflection that does not require dialogue. 

Similarly to the different options to do a reflection. Learners should also have different options to do their learning. Some students may learn best by seeing, others hearing, and other by engaging in hands-on activities. Though this could be due to a personal preference, it could also be due to a disability such as a sense impairement. Some ways to overcome this barrier are to make sure videos have accessible transcripts, captions, and audio description, and to provide learners with a range of resources from reading articles, to audio books, to watching explanatory videos of hands-on activities.

Lastly, as our learning resource is all online, it may feel disengaging for learners, especially as we have not included any interactive elements. Having a sharing component within our learning activities will help to engage our learners. For example, we could get learners to discuss questions before or after they have created their reflections. Before, would help learners develop new ideas, but after would also work, as learners will still see diverse perspectives, enriching their own understanding. 

I will make sure to bring these potential learning barriers up with my group, in order to make oure learning resource more inclusive.

References

Chaunie Brusie, RN, BSN. (2017, June 28). All About Recognizing a Neurotypical. Retrieved from Healthline website: https://www.healthline.com/health/neurotypical#characteristics

Right to Education – Inclusive Education. (2014). Retrieved from Inclusiveeducation.ca website: https://inclusiveeducation.ca/learn/right-to-education/

Simons, D. (2010). selective attention test [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

Learning Environments EDCI 335

Cooperative Learning

Overview

Cooperative learning can be traced back to as early as the 1970s, where multiple studies documented the benefits of working cooperatively with others, and since then, its popularity has greatly grown (Gillies et al., 2023). Today, cooperative learning can be seen in use in many learning environments, such as classrooms. Teachers are moving away from the old paradigm which, according to Pederson & Digby (2013) involves “lecturing while requiring students to be passive, silent, isolated, and in competition with each other,” towards cooperative learning, supported by positive research findings (p. 8). According to Pederson & Digby (2013), cooperative learning outcomes include increased “high-level reasoning,” “retention,” “intrinsic motivation,” “social support,” “valuing differences,” and “self-esteem” (p. 4). Not only do these outcomes enhance academic performance, but they also promote emotional growth and help create an inclusive and positive classroom environment. In this setting, students play an active role in constructing their own knowledge, aligning with the constructivist learning theory, which is ideal for tasks demanding high levels of processing, such as many school projects (Ertmer & Newby, 2013).

Examples

Cooperative learning methods have vastly evolved since 1970 when they primarily consisted of group work (Gillies et al. 2023). Although group work is still often used today, we have new and improved approaches as well. For example, the jigsaw, where students are first put into temporary groups to research a specific topic and then mixed up so that each member of every new group is an expert in a different topic, and thus can teach one another (Gillies et al., 2023). Another example is the pass-a-problem approach, where students write down a problem for another student to answer, enabling them to again teach one another (Gillies et al. 2023).

Discussion

Reflecting on my current and past courses, cooperative learning is not something new to me. As an elementary education student, basically, all my assignments are group projects, and in class, we have a lot of discussions and activities that are similar to the pass-a-problem and jigsaw approach, like this assignment for example. Further reflecting, this approach to learning has definitely benefited me. Firstly, I have gained a lot of confidence as this approach pushed me out of my comfort zone by working with new people. Additionally, I learned how to be patient and work with a wide variety of people, which is definitely needed for the career path I chose.

I think that cooperative learning aligns well with my group’s learning resource topic: physical activity and how integrating it into the classroom can enhance learning and well-being. In fact, cooperative learning can be used for anything. According to Pedersen & Digby (2013) cooperative learning “can be used . . . with any task,” however since we are designing our resources to be individually completed, I do not think this approach will work out best (p. 4). Otherwise, considering that our target audience are already teachers, I thought it would be beneficial to have a group discussion where everyone could teach the group a physical activity integration strategy. It could be their favourite, one they recently learned or even one they made themselves. This would foster a collaborative environment that not only enhances their knowledge but also encourages the adoption of diverse physical integration strategies.

Resources

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.

Gillies, R. M., Millis, B. J., & Davidson, N. (Eds.). (2023). Contemporary perspectives on cooperative learning : applications across educational contexts. Routledge

Pedersen, J. E., & Digby, A. D. (2013). Secondary schools and cooperative learning : theories, models, and strategies. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315047010

Assessment

From what you’ve seen of the course so far and in the course outline, which of the assessment strategies in your reading this week are being used in this course?

From what I have seen in the course so far and from the course outline, it is evident that multiple effective assessment strategies, outlined in the readings, are being utilized. Firstly, the course objectives are clearly stated at the beginning of the course outline. This provides learners with a clear understanding of what is expected of them and in other words what they will be assessed on. Conrad and Openo (2018) note that “learning outcomes serve as the roadmap to course content,” which directly ties into assessment (p. 63).

Additionally, the course outline shows that students are given multiple chances to submit drafts before handing in the final copy of their work. This aligns with Conrad and Openo’s belief that “assessment works best when it is ongoing” (2018, p. 56). Ongoing assessments allow students to practice applying feedback to refine their work, which is an essential life skill, better preparing them for the future.

Furthermore, Conrad and Openo (2018) state that “authentic assessments are based on real-world relevance” (p. 56). The course outline reflects this through projects that are transferable to the real world. For example, creating an interactive learning resource not only benefits others but also teaches students how to develop such resources—a skill applicable in future contexts. Learning to create and maintain a website is also very applicable to the real world. For example, I want to have a teacher blog when I become a teacher to post announcements and assignments on.

Lastly, peer assessment is encouraged, allowing students to engage with each other’s work. According to Conrad and Openo (2018), peer assessment “encourages students to play a more active role in the assessment of their own learning” (p. 57). Therefore through engaging in others’ blog reflections, writing peer reviews, and just working as a group all together, we actively participate in our own assessment, which is important and showcases self-awareness. 

Which are not being used? 

Looking at the course outline, the course seems to be heavily reliant on formative assessment, in other words, ongoing assessment, to improve learning, and not summative assessment, which evaluates quality at the end of the term (Conrad & Openo, 2018 ). 

While the course includes some assessments based on real-world relevance, like the interactive resource, there could be more. Conrad & Openo emphasize the importance of service learning, where “learners leave the classroom and engage in meaningful and authentic work in a community setting” (2018, p. 61). This type of learning is challenging to implement, especially in an online class, due to extensive planning.

Lastly, Conrad & Openo also suggest using multiple types of assessments, but this class focuses mainly on one product: the interactive learning resource (2018, p.28).

What learning theories (from Week 1) do these connect to? 

These assessment strategies primarily connect to the constructivist theory, which emphasizes “creating meaning from experience” (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 144). The course includes interactive activities, like designing an interactive resource, which enables learners to construct their knowledge. Reflective exercises and peer collaboration further support this approach by encouraging students to actively engage with the material and apply their understanding. Working collaboratively also connects to the cognitivist learning theory as complex cognitive tasks like “thinking” and “problem-solving” are required (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 138)

How does it compare to other courses you’ve taken in your studies? 

Comparing this course to others I’ve taken, there are several similarities. Firstly, all my courses have had clear learning outcomes, which has helped me understand what I’ll be assessed on. Collaboration has also been a common trait in my courses, especially as an education major, where group projects are common. As an education major, I have done a lot of real-world projects and even did some service learning where I spent the day in different classrooms. Lastly, I also often get to submit drafts and revise them before handing in a final product, supporting the same type of assessment: formative, that this course focuses on. I think the type of assessment, formative or summative, really depends on the course you are taking. For instance, the assessments for my engineering friends are mostly summative, as they get one or two big exams at the end of the term. I much prefer formative assessment as it lets students apply feedback and learn more meaningfully.

References

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

Conrad, D., & Openo, J. (2018a). Assessment strategies for online learning: engagement and authenticity. In Assessment strategies for online learning (1st ed.). Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771992329.01