EDCI 337 Elizabeth Lewis

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Category: Assignment 1 – Blog Posts

Learning with sketchnoting and storyline games

One multimedia learning principle that the Bad News game follows is the personalization principle. This is because the storyline follows a conversational style. The game also follows the Modality principle, since both images and narration are provided. I believe there could be improvement by considering the pre-training principle. It may not be clear to some users that the intention of the game is to gain insight into what to look for when thinking critically about the news that we see. If the player is first provided with information on what fake news is, perhaps they could learn more about the tactics used.The following is a screenshot of my score after completing the game.

For my sketch note I chose to use a different article titled “How to Stop Worrying” by Kevin Ngo. Here is a scan of my notes:

One multimedia principle that sketchnoting follows is the self-explanation principle since sketching your own notes is essentially generating your own explanations that make sense to you.

For me, I would find it difficult to practice sketchnoting during my university classes. I already find it difficult listen and type quickly so I would not have enough time to understand and jot down the concepts and doodle. However, with online courses I can see how this would be helpful when learning since some classes provide videos that can be paused. It would add some more fun and creativity to learning.

The following list are some examples of using active learning methods in EDCI 337:

  • Group projects
  • Blog posts
  • Reviewing classmates blog posts
  • Creating Twine stories
  • Annotating
  • Creating interactive videos
  • Analyzing presentations

Interactive story

Here is the link to the Twine story that I created this week: https://elizabethtlewis.github.io/index.html

The first multimedia principle that my Twine story follows is the Contiguity Principle, since the photos I have added are presented near the corresponding words. For example, directly below the text “You have found your house.”, there is a relevant photo of a house.

Another principle followed by the Twine story that I created is the learner control principle. This says that people may learn better when they are controlling the pace which information is presented. Since the user following my story can take as much time as they would like before moving on to the next step.

There are several ways that this format of storytelling could be useful for educational purposes. For example, after providing an explanation, the teacher could have one option as “I understand the content”, and the other could be “I need more explanation”. If the learner chooses the second option, perhaps more in depth instructions could be provided. Furthermore, this would be beneficial since it would not hinder learners who move at a faster pace or who have prior experience in the subject.

Another way that Twine stories could be used is by providing information, and then using it as a situational test. For example, if the learner makes a wrong decision in the provided situation, they can receive feedback and see what could go wrong if they make that decision in real life. Then, they can always return to the previous page and choose the correct answer.

Evaluating Multimedia

The following is a link to my Google Earth tour: Google Earth

I am choosing to evaluate the H5P interactive video that is shown on my blog post from the previous week using the SECTIONS framework. I decided on this model since it will show me if this plugin was the right choice for teaching in this situation.

Beginning with the students section, since I actually do not know what audience will be looking at my video, perhaps it was not the best format. Also, the questions I provided were quite simple which shows that it may not align with the prior knowledge principle of multimedia learning. However, I believe that H5P works well for the ease of use section since it has a fairly intuitive functionality. Next are the costs. These are also satisfactory since it will require no maintenance on the video, and it is a free plugin. As I mentioned in my last post, there is functionality that this plugin is missing, such as allowing learners to input text that is not limited to multiple choice.  It would also be interesting if the teacher could receive data on how questions are answered. This being said, H5P does have some beneficial teaching functions which are straightforward. Next is interaction, which I believe that the plugin thrives on due to it’s requirement for input from the learner. There were no organizational issues since it can be easily used on WordPress and was assigned for the course. I do not believe that H5P fits with the networking segment since there is no way to communicate with outside experts. After looking at the H5P documentation here , I can see that it is safe for teachers and students to use, therefore complying with the security portion of the SECTIONS framework.

 

Multimedia Lesson Plans & Interactive Video

When using multimedia to teach, it is essential to begin with creating a lesson plan, as opposed to beginning with creating your content. Some people may use a trial and error approach where they create the content, show the content to students, and then improve the lesson based on their feedback, all without creating a lesson plan. Of course this is not beneficial to learners since some of them will not be getting the best experience. A lesson plan may include the objectives of the teaching, the content required, a timeline, brainstorming ideas, and an assessment of learners. These factors will ensure that when information is going out to learners it will be in it’s best form.

A video which includes embedded multiple choice questions or informational pop ups can relate to the following multimedia principles:

  1. Multimedia principle
    • A text pop up over a video will have both words and pictures
  2. Signalling principle
    • Important information can be highlighted with both techniques
  3. Segmenting principle
    • Pausing  and breaking up the video for a question or info will make it feel more learner-paced
  4. Pre-training Principle
    • A pop up could be used at the beginning of a video for pre-training, however, I did not do this with my demonstration
  5. Feedback principle
    • Multiple choice can be enhanced so that feedback is given depending on which answer is selected

One principle that the pop up and multiple choice techniques do not leave room for is the self-explanation principle, since the learners do not have a way to generate  their own explanations. It may be beneficial to have a H5P function where the learner enters what they believe the answer could be with an explanation, and then this explanation is submitted to the teacher. However, this would not allow for instant or automated feedback.

Multimedia Learning Principles

Dr. Ray Pastore used several multimedia learning (MML) principles throughout his video. For example, since he uses words along with images he follows the multimedia principle.When aiming to include these principles in the creation of a multimedia learning object, it may not be possible to include the entire list. One principle that may be difficult to follow is the prior knowledge principle. It states that some principles that aim to help novices may interfere with multimedia learning for people who are more advanced on the subject being taught. Even for experts, it may be confusing to interpret the level of understanding that learners have, and to cater to everyones different needs on the subject.

Also, there are some principles which have aspects that contradict one another. For example, the modality principle which describes that people learn better from graphics and narration rather than from graphics and printed text. I believe that this suggests that there does not need to be text presented. This may be confusing when trying to also trying to follow the Spatial Contiguity Principle and the Temporal Contiguity Principle. These both explain the placement of words, therefore there must be text being presented to follow them.

I have used the embodiment principle in the past when I was presenting a prototype on Zoom, since I did not turn on my camera. However, when reflecting on this principle, I think that I actually do learn better when I can see the speaker’s image on the screen, which is opposing this principle.

The following is my edited screencast video.

Blogging assignment week 2

During week two of EDCI 337, we covered the theory of Dual Coding. This theory states that we are more likely to store information in long term memory when we process it both visually and verbally (Mahon, 2013). Knowing this, when making a PowerPoint presentation, I will consider adding more auditory elements along with the visuals.

The concept of Flow is another theory discussed this week.  It describes being able to tune out surroundings when focused on one thing. This is important for Multimedia learning since being engaged when learning is very important and will make it more effective. For example, if a student is learning using a platform which is challenging, engaging, and rewarding, they may experience a state of flow.

One experience that I can reflect on for the concept of flow is when reading a book. This is a learning process where I quite easily become lost in the moment – this could be due to an engaging storyline, or interesting facts. Reading can also be rewarding. For example, with a fictional story, one may be rewarded with relaxation and an escape from reality.

Photo by Robin Moore on Unsplash

The Hypothes.is tool provides us with a way to annotate information on the web collaboratively. This is beneficial because it can improve students critical analysis and engagement skills. Furthermore, it is good practice for expressing our own voices and opinions. The Google Chrome extension seems rather intuitive and easy to learn.

References

Mahon, C. (2013). Dual Coding Theory & Multimedia Learning [Video]. Retrieved 21 January 2021, from https://vimeo.com/57440483.

Blogging assignment week 1

Throughout this class I hope to learn about how a platform can be designed so that clients can get the most out of multimedia and interactive learning, and what tools can be used for interactivity.

One example of interactive learning that I experienced was when using Codeacademy. I used this website to gain knowledge of Ruby on Rails which I needed to work a job as a programmer. This had a positive impact on me since it used a balance between teaching a concept, and then having me demonstrate the knowledge that I acquired through coding, filling in the blanks, and quizzes. This technique ensured that I was not only reading the material given, but also understanding it, since you cannot move to the next subject without completing the tasks.

I experienced another example of interactive learning which does not involve digital technology. In class, I was tasked with taking an interactive soundwalk where I had to practice active listening, and take note of the things that I heard throughout the walk. This was an impactful experience because listening interactively to nature sounds is not something that I do often, since it is usually passive or the noise is drowned out by the music in my headphones.

In previous classes, to make presentations more impactful, I have done things such as including pictures to show a visual representation of what is being discussed. I believe that leaving room for questions and discussion is also very important for presentations.