Author: meredith2023

My first experience trying out H5P

Below is my H5P interactive video, in which I created a multiple choice question and a text box that is shown overtop in the video. I didn’t know until recently that it was possible to integrate interactive components such as H5P into a blog post, and I think it’s a great learning tool that can help solidify the person’s knowledge. The H5P tutorial was very clear for me because it had the instructions listed in bulleted points, which I find a lot easier to read compared to long sentences. The H5P tool is quite user friendly.

After finishing my interactive video, I was prompted to copy a short piece of code to show the video in my blog post. I was really surprised that such a small piece of code would generate a whole video! I was worried that the video did not get inserted properly, but I then realized that it presents itself when you publish the blog. Next time I make an interactive video like this, I will make sure to alter the YouTube settings to turn off the suggested videos that pop up in the lower panel, as this might be distracting for the viewer.

Drag and drop tool on H5P

After exploring the various different H5P tools, I decided that it would be fun to make drag and drop cards. The goal of this activity was for learners to match pictures of fish to their correct common names.

Which of the activities do you think you would make most use of in your teaching context and what would you use them to do?

If I were an elementary school teacher, I think that all the tools provided by H5P would be helpful. These tools can be a method of formative assessment, in which learners have the opportunity to practice the skills required to demonstrate their learning, and receive instant feedback.

In this context, I believe that the multiple choice activity is an excellent way for learners to test their knowledge on the content. These multiple choice quizzes can be included at different points of the lesson, and can act as checkpoints to determine how well the learners are understanding the concepts.

I also think the drag and drop activity would be useful to apply in an elementary setting because it can help them demonstrate their understanding by matching images with words, words with images, or terms with concepts (and vice versa). Such an activity can be assigned to learners after they watch a video about a certain topic to help them test their learning.

The question sets would be useful in a elementary setting because it allows the learners to solidify their knowledge in various ways such as filling in the blanks, dragging and dropping, performing multiple choice, and more, all within the question sets. For instance, I could include question sets that pose various questions in different formats ( e.g., multiple choice, fill in the blanks) about the characteristics and the feeding habits of a bird.

Which ones do you think require the most resources to create?

From the three examples that I mentioned, I think that the drag and drop would take the most resources to make. I found that making a drag and drop for this blog was a little bit of work, as it required me to download pictures from various sources, and to tweak various settings. Using this tool requires the most resources because you have to create correspondences between pictures and words, sentences and words, or in another combination. I also think this tool uses the most effort, as I found that I was constantly tweaking certain settings so that when someone drags a picture, they are not given the answer straight away. Going forward, I think this tool performs very well and it was fun to see the outcome of what I made! After playing around with the settings, I feel more confident using these tools.

The SECTIONS Model

I applied the SECTIONS acronym to the Amoeba Sisters Website, which includes the Amoeba Sisters YouTube video channel. I really liked watching their videos in high school because they served as as a great teaching tool when I was learning biology.

• Students
  • Geared towards high school biology students
  • Internet is required to access their media, which is found on YouTube and their website
  • One barrier might be that most of the media is hosted on YouTube, and sometimes it can be blocked in schools/districts. Conversations can be made with the IT department of the school to discuss the filtering options provided by Google (who owns YouTube). For instance, clicking here shows how a school network can share specific videos or entire channels while blocking all other content.
• Ease of Use
  • Very user-friendly, does not require any skills or training
• Cost
  • All of the media is found on YouTube and on their website which is free to access
  • Does not require registration or personal information
• Teaching
  • Provides science videos containing topics that are organized in sequence
  • Also contains evaluations such as quizzes, fill in the blanks, and short answer questions for students to test their knowledge based on the corresponding Amoeba Sisters videos
• Interaction
  • The user has the ability to choose how they want to use the media, whether that is by watching a certain video, or completing an evaluation worksheet on their website
• Organization
  • Access to the Amoeba Sisters website and their YouTube channel is free for anyone who has internet connection. YouTube and their website can be freely accessed through school and library computers that have access to the internet.
• Networking
  • By including this medium, more people can be included in the course
  • This medium allows learners to collaborate on the quizzes (or individually), and to discuss their knowledge with peers after learning a certain concept from an Amoeba Sisters YouTube video.
• Security
  • This medium is secure. The platform only collects information such as a name or email address if someone chooses to email them. Thus the medium does not collect personal information if users simply watch their YouTube videos or use their quizzes. Here is the privacy policy from the Amoeba Sisters website.

In Rich McCue’s example of storytelling, what senses does he appeal to in his story? Which of the guidelines does he follow? Are there any that he doesn’t follow?

After watching McCue’s storytelling example in the video format, I noticed that he described some things in vivid visual terms. For instance, in the video, I believe that the phrase “as a tear started to run down her cheek” triggers the area of our brains that processes visual input. In addition, he describes Jen’s emotions as she enters his office, having “a distressed look on her face”. These detailed narrations might help the learner visualize what is being described. Thus, McCue appeals to the learner’s visual senses. In addition, this storytelling example activates our motor complex because McCue describes Jen’s motions when she notices that her house is on fire, outlining that “she immediately grabbed her phone, her jacket, and threw on her shoes before running out to the sidewalk in front of her house”.

McCue followed the first guideline for the educational video because he kept the video short. According to Mayer’s Segmenting Principle, there is a high probability that the content in a video will be retained if it is less than 5 minutes in length (Mayer and Pilegard, 2014). Since his video was less than 5 minutes long, this principle was followed. He also added visual elements in the form of images and diagrams, and his narration was directly related to the visual elements of the video. The addition of these visual elements to the video highlighted important points in the video, which aligns with Mayer’s Signaling Principle.

McCue also follows the guideline of Active Learning, where the video asks questions to the learner and prompts the learner to answer problems or to contemplate potential alternatives. This can be seen at the beginning of the video, where McCue asked the learner to recall the last time they bought and unboxed a personal laptop.

My storytelling outline

I chose to make a storytelling outline explaining the importance of wearing helmets when riding a bike. It was my first time using DALL-E, and I used it to generate digital images for my storytelling outline. I found that some of the generated images of humans were quite warped and strange. For instance, I searched “girl riding on bike” and it generated an image of a girl with a third eye on her forehead. Thus, I only included non-warped digital images of humans in my storytelling outline to not distract the learner. Overall, it was fun to explore DALL-E, and I enjoyed generating interesting images.

Image sources from storytelling outline:

Image 1: DALL-E

Image 2: https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/take-a-bike-or-leave-a-bike-at-kids-bike-exchange-june-15-1504340

Image 3: Group of Teenage Girls Laughing and Talking Together at School Stock Image – Image of isolated, diversity: 163254083 (dreamstime.com)

Image 4: DALL-E

Image 5: DALL-E

Image 6: DALL-E

Image 7: woman with injured wrist after bicycle accident Stock Photo | Adobe Stock

Image 8: Young Soccer Player Head Injury Receives Stock Footage Video (100% Royalty-free) 22796545 | Shutterstock

Image 9: Smiling Athletic Brunette Putting On Helmet Stock Photo 310685657 | Shutterstock

References

Mayer, R. E., & Pilegard, C. (2014). Principles for Managing Essential Processing in Multimedia Learning: Segmenting, Pre-training, and Modality Principles. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed., pp. 316–344). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369.016

The purpose of my Screencast tutorial was to simply explain how to use the software OneNote for the goal of writing and reviewing class notes. From this tutorial, I hope people learn that this software is very useful for organizing and reviewing notes all in one place. The main takeaway from my tutorial is that using OneNote can help learners effectively manage and organize their class notes.

Below is the Screencast tutorial that I made earlier outlining how a learner can use OneNote to create and review class notes.

A review of my previous Screencast tutorial

Upon further reflection, I determined that my Screencast tutorial follows Mayer’s Segmenting Principle. Viewers can pause or re-watch the video tutorial as needed, which helps manage their intrinsic load because they can directly control the pace of the tutorial.

It also follows Dual Coding Theory, which outlines that our memory stores verbal and visual stimuli in two independent channels. Although they are independent channels, they interact, and our memories associate words with images, which improves our retention. Thus, in my tutorial, the learner receives both verbal and visual stimuli simultaneously, which helps them improve their working memory capacity and lowers their cognitive load.

My new Screencast tutorial

Below I have outlined some modifications that I made to the previous tutorial using YouTube Studio. It was my first time using YouTube Studio, and it was fun to explore all the design and editing options available.

• Captioning
  • For the first time, I added automated closed captions to this video, which generated text that almost perfectly matched what I said. I added closed captions to make the tutorial more accessible for those who are hard of hearing or deaf. In the tutorial, I noticed that I used the word “so” quite frequently to begin my sentences. It appeared that the automatically generated closed captions were not able to detect the ends and beginnings of most of my sentences, so the generated text had very long sentences. After identifying this, I edited the closed captions to clearly outline the sentences. I also corrected some small grammatical errors that the auto captioning made. Additionally, I added quotation marks to certain words and prompts to help better guide the learner in the video, and to make certain key words stand out more than others. Incorporating distinct sentences and adding quotation marks to certain words in the closed captions helps form a clear connection between the video and the closed captions. This makes it easier for learners who are using the closed captions to follow the tutorial. I incorporated the Temporal Contiguity Principle, in which there is simultaneous presentation of corresponding narration (e.g. the closed captions) and animation (e.g. the visuals in the video ) (Mayer, 2014).

• Description of the video
  • I added a video description (found directly below the YouTube video), which outlines the content that is covered in the video. In the description, I added a list of timestamps, or chapters, which outlines what is being taught at a particular time in the video. I made sure to give each chapter a descriptive name so that the learner can easily understand the different parts of the video. The chapter function is easy to use in that learners can simply click on a timestamp in the video description, which will automatically direct them to the video chapter that they have selected. Adding a video description follows the Signaling Principle because the overview and the chapters represent cues that outline the organization of the tutorial video. Using this principle in the tutorial means that people can determine key information and find important material without using cognitive resources, allowing them to learn more deeply (Mayer, 2014). Having a list of the key information in the form of chapters in the video description is a good example of signaling, and this reduces extraneous load. The presence of these chapters also incorporates the segmenting principle, which argues that people learn best when multimedia is offered in learner-paced sections compared to a continuous unit (Mayer and Pilegard, 2014). My tutorial followed this principle because the video chapters allow the learner to break up the tutorial into manageable learner-controlled segments. The video description also prompts the viewers to post in the comment section if they have any questions about the material. I also added the link to my WordPress blog for those interested in learning about what multimedia principles I integrated into this video.

What was not changed/added to the tutorial video and why

• The video itself
  • Although the beginning of my Screencast video outlined what will be covered in the tutorial, I realized afterwards that I did not include a conclusion that summarized the main points that were taught. A conclusion at the end of the tutorial would have been very helpful because it describes the significance of the learned material. Next time that I create a Screencast video tutorial, I will make sure to include a conclusion because it reinforces the main takeaways of the material.
• Music
  • I decided to not add music in order to follow the coherence principle, which outlines that people learn more deeply from multimedia when tangential or irrelevant material is excluded (Mayer, 2014). Music in the screencast could be distracting to the viewer, and thus could take away from their learning.
• Narration of the video
  • I contemplated re-recording my narration for the video because I had used the word “so” quite a lot which is not very formal. However, I decided not to re-record because it allows the tutorial to exhibit personalization. According to Mayer’s Personalization Principle, people experience deeper learning from multimedia presentations when conversational language rather than formal language is used (Mayer, 2009).

• Text additions to the video
  • I did not manually add any text such as headers or important words to the tutorial video in order to follow the Redundancy Principle. This principle argues that people learn most optimally from narration and graphics, compared to narration, graphics, and on-screen text. Excluding these text additions ensures that the viewers are not overwhelmed or distracted.

References

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2009). Personalization, Voice, and Image Principles. In Multimedia Learning (2nd ed., pp. 242–262). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511811678.018

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). Principles for Reducing Extraneous Processing in Multimedia Learning, from The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp 279 – 315

Mayer, R. E., & Pilegard, C. (2014). Principles for Managing Essential Processing in Multimedia Learning: Segmenting, Pre-training, and Modality Principles. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed., pp. 316–344). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369.016

Using ChatGPT to generate a simple explanation for a complex topic

This week, we were told to explore different Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. This allowed me to explore ChatGPT for the first time. I searched up concepts that I already know to see if the application produced any false or erroneous information. For this, I inputted kelp forests, because I recently learned the biology of these organisms, and their importance to the ecosystem in class. In addition, this concept is a topic of concern due to climate change, and I wanted to see if this tool could provide up-to-date information. To my surprise, it explained the concept very well and showed broad aspects of the topic. It produced text that was very similar to what I was taught in class.

What guidelines do you think should be in place to guide their use in an educational institution?

I think that these AI applications are a great tool for generating ideas about a certain topic, checking grammar and spelling, producing content in multiple different languages, creating a list of counter arguments, and more. However I think there should be a strict policy on when and how students can use these tools as there are some limitations to this technology. For this question, I explain how these tools should be used if a student performs research. I believe that students should not solely use AI for research, but they should fact-check the information generated by AI with peer-reviewed information found from a reliable source (e.g., Google Scholar). For example, if a student was writing a paper on a certain topic, they can use AI to find citations to relevant scholarly journals that can back up their work. The student would then go to Google Scholar or Web of Science to ensure that the citation is legitimate and is relevant to the topic. I think this would be a good way for students to utilize the tool and to generate ideas, but to train them to also use reliable sources of information that can fact-check the AI generated information.

Lesson Planning Template

This week, I decided to create a lesson planning template of the frog metamorphic life cycle, which aligns with the BC grade 2 curriculum. For this lesson plan, I integrated Merrill’s five principles of instructional design.

Merrill’s First Principles in my lesson planning template

• Learners are engaged in solving real-world problems
  • For this grade 2 science lesson, the real-world problem is: what is the metamorphic life cycle of a frog
  • At the start of the lesson, include a brief overview of the concept and provide a table of contents for what will be covered
• Existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge
  • Students can come up with ideas of what they already know about frogs and the idea of life cycles to bring up prior knowledge of this topic. This can be done by learners writing down a list of what they know about frogs and life cycles
  • Learners will then watch The Life Cycle of a Frog | Frog Life Cycle | Video for Kids
• New knowledge is demonstrated to the learner
  • Teacher will provide leaners with a presentation on the frog life cycle, including details about the term that defines each life stage as well as the frog characteristics at each life stage. This presentation will include graphics of what the frog looks like at each stage, along with the corresponding term and description
  • Visiting the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature House will show learners what frogs look like in real life, and at different stages. In addition, the learners are asked to draw the frogs that they see at the nature house and to label the life stage that they are in. By visually observing the frogs, it can help the learner better understand the concepts of the frog life cycle.
• New knowledge is applied by the learner
  • In a game format, learners are to march cards with life cycle terms with visuals of frogs during different life stages.
  • Learners will be given a word bank of key terms and are asked to fill in the blanks on a life cycle diagram with illustrations.
  • Learners are split into small groups and will be given a term from the life cycle and modeling clay and are asked to shape the clay into the shape of the assigned life stage. Afterwards, each group can explain why they shaped the clay into the way they did in order to accurately represent a certain life stage. This promotes a fun, hands on learning activity with groups.
• New knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world
  • The learners should have the ability to apply the idea of a metamorphic life cycle to other organisms like the butterfly
  • Learners can apply the concept of a life cycle to their own lives by understanding that all living things have a life cycle

Where do you see constructive alignment and backward design used in this course or another course you are taking/have taken?

Constructive alignment is a theory that aligns learning outcomes, what and how information is taught, and what and how learners are assessed. When these three ideas are consistent and aligned, it is expected that both learners and teachers are receiving more expected results. Another component of this theory is constructivism, which argues that knowledge is built and not given, and that the student creates knowledge rather than the teacher transmitting it. One of my professors has been using constructive alignment throughout the entire course, in which he provides a roadmap of the content that will be covered, and indicates the important stages of the learning path at certain points in the lecture. He informs us on when important concepts should be understood and how these concepts will be applied in tests and assignments. He acts as a guide to improve the knowledge gained by the student in that he gives us ideas on how we can better understand a topic with similes and relatable examples. He also gives the students enough time to reflect on the topics to improve our knowledge on the underlying ideas.

Backward design is described as a way of instructional planning which begins with the end goal and continues backwards from there (Gonzalez, 2020). My ichthyology professor uses this technique for each section of the course that he teaches. For instance, at the beginning of a new section, he outlines concepts and ideas that the students will be able to understand by the end of the section. After that lecture, he explains the evaluation that we will eventually do, and afterwards the content of each lecture contains concepts that help prepare us for the assessment. I like this curriculum design as it keeps the end goal in mind and it helps me keep in mind the important concepts that should be known for evaluations throughout the section.

References

Gonzalez, J. (2020, June 21). Backward design: The basics. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/backward-design-basics/

What made you decide to take this course?

Provide an example of ___________ and explain why your examples belong in each category. Are there any grey areas where the categories are not clear?

1. Interactive media: This term is defined as an electronic system that permits the user to manipulate various media types, including video, computer graphics, animations, text, and sound (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2023). An example of interactive media are social networking websites including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. These platforms allow the user to create inputs (such as sharing a photo or video) which affects the output of the platform. Below I have attached an example of interactive media which is video games because it is media where the inputs by the user affect the output of the media.

2. Multimedia: Defined as sharing information through various types of communication formats (Vocabulary.com, n.d.). Some examples include photographs, audio clips, radio, and film. Attached below is Youtube video of a popular song, which is one way of relaying information in the form of an audio clip.

3. Interactive multimedia: Defined as a technology which needs specific inputs from the user resulting in the delivery of various types of information in the form of images, graphics, and videos (Farrer, 2023). Below portrays an individual using Virtual Reality (VR), which is an example of interactive multimedia because it is in the form of two or more media where the user has the ability to perform certain inputs using the game controller, which influences the output.

Which of these examples do you find the most interesting and engaging?

Interactive multimedia!

References

Encyclopædia Britannica. (2023, January 11). Interactive Media. https://www.britannica.com/technology/interactive-media

Farrer, A. (2023, January 13). What is interactive multimedia? Easy Tech Junkie. https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-is-interactive-multimedia.htm

Vocabulary.com. (n.d.). Multimedia. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/multimedia