Alison's 335 Blog

Peer Review for Pod 7

November 20, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Explainer: what is peer review?
Photo from The Conversation

General Comments

Hi Ian, Bai, Wang and Li,

Thank you very much for sharing your Interactive Learning Resource on Chinese food with my learning pod. Overall, I was very impressed with the organization of your topics, and your well thought out resource that included various examples of interactive activities and engaging material. Below, you will find more specific comments for each of the topics of your learning resource.

Click here to view Pod 7’s Interactive Learning Resource

Learning Context

Your learning context is very inclusive as you ensure that all adults from all cultures and backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to take this course. I might have missed it but I wonder if access to kitchen appliances is a requirement for the students? This could be disclosed in this section. 

I like how you inspire learners to set a goal before the course has begun. This motivates the learners, helps keep their attention, and makes them feel personally attached to what they want to get out of the course. 

You mention: “We can also expect them to have different goals as they approach the resource materials and assessments.” I wonder if including a non-graded diagnostic assessment in this section would be meaningful for you so you can see each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals (Ronan, 2015). Then, you have the ability to cater to each student accordingly. Students can also refer back to the diagnostic assessment in the middle and end of the course to compare their thoughts and growth. If you would like, you can read more about diagnostic assessments here! 🙂

Resource Overview and Rationale

I agree that a holistic and hands-on approach to understanding Chinese food is the best and most effective learning resource. Learners are getting involved in the course by actually preparing dishes themselves. Learning by doing is key as students tend to be more interested and passionate about learning when they can get involved with the material. 

I also like that you are teaching learners the history and philosophy of Chinese food and traditions. This gives learners context, the purpose of this course, and meaningful insight towards Chinese cuisine in general. 

You have implemented the constructivism learning theory flawlessly. It is clear to me that you aim to engage learners by first guiding them to individually think about their own experiences and prior-knowledge about Chinese food, so they can personally connect with the course material and successfully complete the final cooking assessment.

Learning Outcomes and Activities

Your learning outcomes are clear and states exactly what the student should expect to learn and actively engage in. With that being said, you have successfully attached assessments to each outcome. Well done. Additionally, getting students to individually choose their own ingredients, and the cheapest ones possible, is a useful life skill that students can take even outside of this course. 

Lastly, the use of YouTube videos are an excellent addition to this section and is inclusive towards visual learners. I especially appreciate that the videos are short and concise, keeping the attention of learners who have short attention spans.

Assessment Plan

You have done a great job explaining your assessment plan and how you will provide students with recipes, articles, and videos to help them with their interactive activities. I also like how you give the students multiple testing opportunities through writing, making a video, and a personal reflection. Perhaps you might consider adding a grade scale and the percentage each interactive activity will be worth towards the student’s final grade so students can see how they will be marked. 

I appreciate that you mentioned that for Activity 2, “the teacher will decide if the ingredients and the number of ingredients can make the dish the students choose based on the recipe.” To make this teacher-student feedback even more constructive, I wonder if providing feedback for students after Activity 2 would be helpful so students are reassured if they are on the right track or if they could expand their thoughts and comprehension of the subject before they begin their final cooking video essay. With this guidance, students can go into the final activity with confidence that they understand what is being taught.

Inclusion for Diverse Learners

You have done an excellent job at catering to students who use reading/writing, visual, kinesthetic techniques as a way of learning. You have done this by utilizing books, recipes as articles, grey literature, video media, and technological resources including WordPress, Etherpad and Moodle. These resources implement various learning opportunities including class discussions and individual engagement which creates a positive and inclusive learning environment. 

Furthermore, you have effectively explained how you will be inclusive towards learners with no access to a full computer set up at home and students with loss of hearing. I appreciate that you will allow the class to be recorded and have real-time captions and transcripts because this is helpful for students even without a loss of hearing.

In Conclusion

Your resource is easy to follow along with, answers all the basic questions, and does not feel overwhelming to complete. Previously, I didn’t know much about this subject but I am thankful I got to learn about Chinese Food in such an engaging and encouraging way. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding my feedback. You have done excellent work and I wish you all the best in the remaining weeks of this class!

Designing for Success with Interaction

October 27, 2021 / / 4 Comments
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash


An effective and educational learning environment consists of techniques that promote interaction, engagement and the attention of your audience. We do not want to bore and overload the brains of our learners.

After watching and examining this 4 minute YouTube video on the social, economic and environmental impacts on health inequities, I think that it will be a great resource for my group’s Interactive Learning Resource Project on “sociology’s perspective of health inequity and how it resulted in social murder.” Online interaction can be more difficult to navigate than face-to-face communication but it is not impossible to execute.

Youtube Video on Health Inequities

The techniques that made this YouTube video successful include:

  • The speaker talked in a casual and informal voice, like she was having a friendly conversation with the audience. It didn’t sound like the speaker was going on and on which made learning more engaging and manageable.
  • There was one topic per slide which made the powerpoint easy to follow along and read.
  • The entire video was narrated and had captions available. 
  • The speaker paused shortly after every idea.
  • The speaker only included simple visual text and images on each slide that directly related to the main topic being presented. Slides weren’t too detailed or crammed with too many images.
  • When the slide is a picture, spoken words are used to enhance learning.

From experience with interactivity in previous classes, I’ve noticed many good and bad approaches to how the class was presented. 

A bad learning experience: 

  • Death by powerpoint: the professor provided a powerpoint lecture that just included visual text and would proceed to read word for word off the slides. This professor didn’t interact with the students or deliver us fresh information. 
  • Because of this lack of interaction, my interest in this course decreased and I dropped out of the class. 
  • I didn’t learn anything, I was bored each class I went to, and felt like it was a waste of time. 

A good learning experience: 

  • The professor engages and interacts with students by having a discussion with the class and uses their powerpoint lecture as a visual aid and not the sole resource of the class. 
  • The professor would give the class a break in the middle of class to refresh our brains, and talk with the people around us. 
  • Receiving feedback! Getting just a letter grade back doesn’t reassure or let the learner know where they may have gone wrong and what they could work on or think about in the future. 
  • Interaction with learning materials: a mix of readings, powerpoint slides, videos, and games like Kahoot. 
  • Student-teacher interaction: one on one and in groups such as online discussion forums, blog posts, discord groups, etc. 
  • Student-student interaction: class discussions, group projects such as our interactive learning resource project and community contributions in our blog posts.

Community Contributions

This week I read blog posts by Zhefu and James.

Blog#4 Interaction
Post #4 – Making of Good Interactions

References

Bates, T. (2019, October 10). Chapter 9: Choosing and using media in education: the SECTIONS model. Teaching in a Digital Age Second Edition. Retrieved October 27, 2021, from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/pedagogical-roles-for-text-audio-and-video/.

Let’s Talk About Inclusion

October 20, 2021 / / 2 Comments
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

When thinking about inclusion in education, I think of a classroom that provides various learning and assessment opportunities, and a variety of points of view and voices. Having these factors in a classroom improves inclusion and encourages every learner that their learning ability and voice is significant and necessary for a successful learning environment. 

According to Moore and Schnellert (2017), “teaching to diversity and inclusion is where we value the characteristics that are diverse, and not try and homogenize them” (p. 9). We can value these diverse thinkers by being polite and acknowledging the contributions of each student. The key to inclusion is showing common respect for everyone. This may seem like common sense, but can be a pitfall. It is important to acknowledge students and their opinions. My group will do this in our Interactive Learning Resource Project by providing helpful feedback on assignments and a reassuring voice and a listening ear for the students whenever they need it along the way. Additionally, learners are also more content on participating and sharing their thoughts when the environment is welcoming, kind and inclusive. 

Students and teachers in a classroom should also keep the spirit of collaboration as a driving force. My group’s Interactive Learning Resource Project for example is not a 1 person show and is all about working together. Collaboration creates a common ground and allows students to bounce ideas off of each other in an authentic and inclusive work space. 

In this class specifically, I am able to collaborate with other students who have similar interests as me thus, improving my attention and interest in the course. According to Chandler (2014), an approach called ‘interactive engagement pedagogy’ helps students interact frequently in small groups to grapple with concepts and questions. This is exactly what we do in EDCI as we have learning pods and the ability to reply to other students’ blog posts with common topics and ideas.

Photo from blendspace

It is also important to keep in mind that there are many different types of learners such as verbal, auditory, kinesthetic, reading/writing, visual and many more. My group will keep this in mind when creating our Interactive learning resource project and also make sure that we are inclusive to: 

  • Colour blindness
  • English language learner (ELL)
  • Loss of hearing
  • Single parent who is working full-time and has 2 kids in elementary school
  • A person who does not have access to a computer at home, but has a mobile phone with a data plan

Our project is still in the process of being completed but we plan on implementing videos, powerpoint slides, articles, group work, etc so we can create a positive and inclusive learning environment.

Community Contributions

This week I read blog posts written by Kyla and James.

Blog 3- Interactive Learning Resource Barriers
Post #3 – Removing Learning Barriers

References

L. Chandler, D. (2014). Study: Online classes really do work. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from https://news.mit.edu/2014/study-shows-online-courses-efective-0924.

Moore, S., & Schnellert, L. (2017). Introduction. In One without the other: Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion (Vol. 1, Ser. Reimagining Inclusion: The ONE Series, pp. 6–10). essay, Portage & Main Press.

Learning Design: Experiential Learning

October 16, 2021 / / 1 Comment
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. We become builders by building.”

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

What is Experiential Learning?

Students become more interested and passionate about learning when they can get involved with the material. Therefore, learning by doing is key when grasping a learning outcome (MTa Learning, 2018). We have all learned how to ride a bike, not entirely by being shown or told how, but by physically practising our technique on a bike. Students, teachers, and all learners implement experiential learning in all sorts of situations. Thinking back on some of my best learning experiences, they often involved hands-on action. For example, I learned how to play soccer by physically practicing. Though I had my soccer coaches, teammates and family verbally teach and help me understand how to play, it was only when I kicked the ball on my own I developed a true understanding of the game. Encountering learning tasks with either past or current hands-on education helps you be able to effectively retain and reflect on information.

Experience plus reflection equals learning. 

John Dewey

Experiential learning does in fact align with my group’s chosen topic, “sociology’s perspective of health inequity and how it resulted in social murder” because:

  • According to our assessment plan, we plan on using peer quizzes as a formative assessment and a unit test, group or individual project, and final exam as a summative assessment.
  • Since we learn by doing, taking a test and interacting with other students through peer quizzes will help the learners grasp our topic and think about different perspectives to health inequity they may not have thought of on their own.
  • Additionally, we will provide feedback for our students after each assessment so they are reassured when they are successful and can understand where they may have gone.
  • Feedback is helpful because we learn from our experiences and with this guidance, we are making sure our students don’t make the same mistakes and can expand their comprehension of our topic.

Learning Pod Blog Links

Kyla’s blog:

Blog 2- Learning Design: Inquiry-Based Learning

Jialong’s blog:

Open Pedagogies

Yixuan’s blog:

Cooperative Learning

Community Contributions

This week I read and commented on blog posts written by Kate and Zhiwen.

Blog Post #2: Teaching and Learning Approaches
Post#2: Experiential learning theory

References

Marmot, M., Friel, S., Bell, R., Houweling, T. A., Taylor, S., & Commission on Social Determinants of Health. (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. The lancet, 372(9650), 1661-1669.

MTa Learning. 2018. “What Is Experiential Learning?” Experiential Learning. Retrieved October 16, 2021 (https://www.experientiallearning.org/about-mta/what-is-experiential-learning/#a-definition).

All About Motivation

September 27, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

Share a story about how you overcame a learning challenge:

I remember attending a sociology class that focused on classical theorization (not my cup of tea). Because I wasn’t interested in 1960’s theory, it was challenging to motivate myself to complete readings, study and even go to class. However, I quickly realized that I would have to do something to change my sour attitude towards the class. 

The strategies I used: 

  1. Made a schedule and wrote down tasks I would complete each day whether it was completing a section of a reading or assignment. 
  • According to Seifert & Sutton (2018), goal setting is important in academic achievement. Therefore, I made it my goal to not only attend each class, but try and take something away from each class. If I found something in the content that I was interested in, I would be more motivated to complete each daily task.
  • Another strong instructional strategy is to know your target learners (Seifert & Sutton, 2018). Since I know my academic self quite well, I made sure to balance my schedule and not to make my daily tasks too heavy and overwhelming. In my brain, it is better to complete little tasks each day then nothing for a week and then trying to finish it all in one day. By catering to my own study habits, I increased my motivation and made myself feel more engaged with manageable goals and a perceived sense of competence. 

2. I rewarded myself whenever I completed my daily tasks by watching a movie, taking myself out for ice cream, or whatever I felt like doing.

  • According to this reading, Learning is hard because it takes focused work and effort. When you are learning, you are challenging and opening up your mind to something new. This is why rewards work so well for me because when I feel drained from completing a task, I keep myself engaged and feeling accomplished by doing something that I like. 
  • Additionally, learning is hard because fear leads to procrastination. The unknown makes you not want to start a scary new task and it turns into stalling. Spreading my tasks out into small chunks and telling myself that the reward is worth it helps with this phenomenon. 
  • Ultimately, the payoff is truly worth the headaches and hard work because not only did I receive a good grade, I learned so much and have a good understanding of the content of which I still use in my current sociology classes.

Share a story about your best learning experience:

I started playing soccer at a very young age and enjoyed every second of it. But when it came to penalty kicks, I always got nervous and second guessed myself which resulted in missed shots. However, I overcame this obstacle by following Keller’s Arcs Model:

  1. Attention: how will you engage and maintain the interest of your learners?
  • I was consistent with practicing my penalty kicks. I practiced my precision and where I wanted the ball to go every day after school in my backyard. 
  • I learned from my environment and associated my backyard with soccer and soccer with excitement and motivation to get better. 
  1. Relevance: how can you make the learning experience personally relevant and meaningful?
  • I was personally interested in getting better at doing penalty kicks so this motivated me.
  1. Confidence: how can you build in learner autonomy and a sense of self-efficacy in your design?
  • Of course there were days that I wouldn’t get the shots that I wanted but I took it day by day and aimed for little accomplishments each day. 

4. Satisfaction: how can you support your learners in achieving their goals and feeling accomplishment?

  • I would remind myself what I was working for: I wanted to be prepared for my next penalty shot and make sure I got the goal. 
  • This was my best learning experience because when I entered my next tournament, I made the panetly shot and helped my team win. I remember feeling accomplished and so proud of myself. I proved to my team, my coach, and myself that I could do it. I will never forget the rush. It was all worth it.
Photo by Chaos Soccer Gear on Unsplash

Community Contributions

This week I had the opportunity to read such insightful blog posts written by Kyla and Jialong in my learning pod.

EDCI 335 Blog 1- Learning Theory

Hi Kyla, 

I really enjoyed reading through your post. I have never driven standard and have recently been looking at purchasing a manual car and am so scared to learn! However, your encouragement and drive really helps me think that it’s not that bad and completely worth it. 

I also like how you mentioned how it takes time for our minds to unlearn and adjust to new tasks. Learning is all about changing your mind about something which is why it is so difficult and takes motivation and effort. It may be hard to initiate a new task but it is never impossible!

Post#1-Learning Theories

Hi Jialong, 

I found your take on learning theories interesting and well thought out. I like how you mentioned that everyone learns differently. This is very important to understand because when we figure out the ways we learn best, we are able to cater to and adjust our learning approaches accordingly. With this mindset, students will be able to point out their strengths and weaknesses and become successful.

References

Keller, J. M. (2010). Motivational design for learning and performance: The ARCS model approach. New York: Springer.

Seifert, K. & Sutton, R. (2018). Motivation Theories on Learning. In R. E. West, Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology: The Past, Present, and Future of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. EdTech Books. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/motivation_theories_on_learning

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