Fawzan Hussain's EDCI 335 Blog

Peer Review of Learning Pod 7’s Interactive Learning Resource

July 18, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Learning Pod #7: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lxAU5NzaWK2upnuDXeKoEzaGMoQySTZKTujxKrOGJ5Y/edit#slide=id.g4dfce81f19_0_45

Peers’ Names: Noah Forbes, Ayden Weber, Raquel Levy

Interactive Learning Resource Topic: The Circle of Courage

Identify components of the Interactive Learning Resource that might be missing (e.g., appropriate outcomes, alignment, interactivity, inclusivity, technology use and rationale, presentation, grammar, spelling, citations, etc.).

This learning resource was very well-done and included most of the criteria outlined in the assignment requirements. Some of the pictures may be missing a reference (the pictures presented on Slides 5, 7, 12, 13, 18, 24 and 28). In addition, the Learning Outcomes and Rationale obtained through completion of the course may be missing in the presentation mode of this  Interactive Learning Resource. Finally, the Introduction slide (Slide 4) may be missing a reference, as it is in quotes, but no reference is mentioned for this slide.

Provide a summary of The Interactive Learning Resource’s strengths and weaknesses. Draw out specific examples from your peers’ work to justify your feedback.

Strengths:  

1. Provides a thorough explanation of the Learning Resource (Table of Contents) and the Circle of Courage (Slide 5) and each part of the Circle of Courage (Slides 4, 7, 12 and 18)  

2. Uses various assignments and strategies to involve students in the learning process (e.g., Jamboard, Reflection Activities, Videos, Worksheets and Group Work) and strives for each student to see what it means to them  

3. Good use of pictures, diagrams and learning technologies (throughout presentation, videos and Jamboard) to illustrate the text and nurture strong understanding of the materials.  

4. Discusses a topic that encourages children to become more confident of their learning in the classroom and ties into the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion field to promote diverse student identities and encourage the sharing of concepts from other cultures.        

Weaknesses:  

1. Depending on the age of the target audience, the chosen colour template for the presentation and delivery mode may not be as interactive as expected. While older students may appreciate the information presented and enjoy the layout, younger students may not be as receptive to the format.

2. Some of the learning technologies are embedded as hyperlinks on the PowerPoint presentation. This may involve the teacher opening each tab up as they are presenting the resource.

3. Some larger words are used during the presentation, when students are doing activities (e.g. Slide 32 – pedagogy and resonated). Depending on the age group of the audience, they may struggle to comprehend these instructions and need clarifications from the teacher.  

Provide general, specific, and practical recommendations to your peers on how to improve their Interactive Learning Resource.

  Overall, I really enjoyed reviewing your Interactive Learning Resource. Amazing work, team! I have a few suggestions to improve your Interactive Learning Resource:  

1. Defining the age range of your target audience as part of this resource. Through reviewing your resource, it seems like it is designed for students in a classroom setting. However, I was unsure of the ages of your target audience.  

2. The amount of text and information per slide. Perhaps, your team may consider reducing the amount of text and information for some slides. For example, I found Slides 8,19 and 25 to have lots of information and I spent some extra time understanding the text.  

3. Perhaps your team may consider changing the format of your delivery to increase its interactivity. Depending on the age group of your target audience, they may have some difficulties following along with the presentation and text. For example, for younger audiences, you may consider having more in-person speakers and promoting a classroom discussion. Whereas, for older audiences you may consider having more critical thinking activities and group discussions to promote interactivity at a different age level.  


Wonderful work! I really enjoyed learning about the Circle of Courage, and I wish your team the best of luck moving forward with the remainder of the term.

Comment on a Peer’s Blog Post #4

July 9, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Hi Grace! Thank you so much for sharing about Art Therapy. During my free time, I enjoy journalling, reading self-help/psychology books and exploring new things. Through reading your post, Art Therapy seems like an engaging way for students to reflect on their emotions and release stress through creativity. Although I am not an artist myself anymore per se, I used to volunteer at many summer camps and would find that students were relaxed and fully engaged with the art activity at hand. Looking forward to potentially seeing your group’s learning resource and wishing you the best for the remainder of the term!!

Interaction

BLOG POST #4 – Interaction

July 9, 2023 / / 2 Comments

   For my team’s Learning Design Project, we are looking to educate young kids from Kindergarten to Grade 3 on the topics of Well-being and Mindfulness. Our team believes in the importance of helping children build a solid foundation for their futures and believe that the importance of our topic should be emphasized in a classroom setting. We will be exploring a variety of areas such as Physical Health, Nutrition and Breathing Strategies that students can implement in their daily lives.

   Given our audience’s age range, we believe it is important to create an interactive resource that requires their active participation. To foster engagement, we can provide resources with interactive components and student engagement such as short videos, picture diagrams, in-person kid-friendly presentations etc.

   Doing a YouTube search on my topic led to the following YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJBM1snFC9E encouraging young children to move their bodies with the Minions from the Despicable Me franchise.

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

This video would require students to follow along by moving their bodies and answering some of the fun questions along the way!

2. 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?

Students could get feedback on this activity from the instructor. If the instructor notices a student disengaging, an instructor could help a student redirect their attention to the video and check in to make sure they are okay. Upon completion of the activity, instructors could do a quick check-in with student (thumbs up/down and oral debrief) to see how students are doing

3. 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?

   This activity would not cause much work on the instructors’ end to be implemented and would be quite manageable and worthwhile, given its interactive nature for large groups of students

4. How could the video have been designed to generate more or better activity from viewers or students?

   This video could have been designed to generate more or better activity by extending its duration from a couple minutes to a longer period of time and implementing breaks to encourage students to practice their breathing strategies and grab some water.

Comment on a Peer’s Blog Post #3

July 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Hi Caelum, I really enjoyed reading your blog post and found curb cuts to be an interesting and amazing way to be more inclusive of the people around us. Before reading your post, I did not know about curb cuts and learned something new. Taking the time to reflect upon our own identities and learn more about the world around us, is an amazing way to support others and help the people around us grow. I am a strong believer in innovation and believe that we are making strides to be more inclusive of the people close to us. Some examples of this are universities providing Accessible Learning solutions, events providing questionnaires asking for accessibility needs and websites providing more education about people with disabilities, Sharing knowledge with others and being open-minded about new perspectives can act as a catalyst to a more accessible world.

Blog Post 3.1: Engineering and Design for Everyone

BLOG POST #3 

July 2, 2023 / / 1 Comment
  1. How will your interactive learning resource specifically ensure that the needs of all learners can be met?
  2. Consider the learning environment for your current design. What potential barriers can be reduced or eliminated to provide more pathways for learner success?

   We are all unique and have various needs and ways of comprehending new ideas. Therefore, creating an environment that is inclusive of everyone and takes on learners’ needs as opportunities rather than “challenges” is important to build an engaging and welcoming community. Implementing measures to promote inclusion allows learners to feel valued, safe and that their voice matters in the classroom. In turn, this may lead to higher learner engagement and a stronger comprehension of the learning material. 

   Here is a short video from a student with Down’s Syndrome in Australia describing the need for more inclusive measures in the classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMz06iVzqs

   For my team’s project – we have selected the topic of “Wellness and Mental Health in Children,” where we explore areas surrounding this topic, such as Healthy Eating, Exercise, and Breathing Strategies at a level where young children can understand and build a strong foundation for their life. 

   Given the video above and topic we selected, my team can implement strategies to promote inclusion and support a diverse range of learners, which include:

– Providing online, hybrid, and in-person options for students. Due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, some families may not feel comfortable sending their young ones to the classroom. To ensure learners can learn anywhere, our team can build an in-person, hybrid, and online version of each module to support diverse learner needs. 

– Making modifications to the content to meet student needs. As mentioned earlier, various people have various needs. As such, it is important to consider these needs before proceeding with any big decisions. Some students with disabilities and non-native English speakers may find our content tricky to understand. To support their needs, our team could consider making modifications to the content, such as hiring teachers who can teach in different languages and adjusting the content to be inclusive of students with disabilities (e.g., finding ways for students with physical disabilities to participate in the Physical Well-Being section without being left out). 

– Creating a database or form to get student, parent, and instructor feedback on our Interactive Learning Resource. Given that they are using our resources, we would find it invaluable to gather their feedback and make improvements for future course iterations. 

Comment on a Peer’s Blog Post #2

June 18, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Hi Katherine, thanks for sharing your thoughts and knowledge about PBL. Growing up as a kid, I really enjoyed participating in science fairs! Having been part of science fairs during high school, I found them to be enjoyable and a great way to learn more about the world around me. Compared to many of the other learning environments, I found PBL to be the one that resonates the most with me, as it is engaging and I learned so many new things outside the classroom. I enjoyed reading your post as well and found it easy to comprehend.

Blog Post 2

BLOG POST #2: An overview of the characteristics of Cooperative Learning and a discussion of how it does or does not align with your chosen topic.

June 18, 2023 / / 2 Comments

Cooperative learning is a learning strategy that promotes teamwork of individuals within a group to complete a task. This learning style involves people working together, assigning roles for team members to complete sub-tasks, and active participation from all members.

   Using this learning model, individuals can take ownership of their learning, feel valued in their learning community, and work on their communication skills. Instead of utilizing a traditional lecture model, some people may find discussing ideas and sharing their learning amongst peers to be a more engaging way of absorbing knowledge and, perhaps, learn a thing or two along the way!

   Some key characteristics of Cooperative learning include:

–      A Group Dynamic – Individuals work with others to complete their sub-task and over-arching tasks. These groups can consist of 2 or more people.

–      Active participation – Individuals are responsible for their sub-task and contributing to the overall task. Given the group nature of this learning style, individuals are often held accountable by their group members.

–      Diversity – In this learning model, diversity is essential. Whether that be an individual’s identity or thoughts, having different understandings of a topic can help individuals to learn about things from a different perspective and comprehend content if they are having difficulties.

–      Equitable division of tasks – Individuals coordinate with their teammates which portions of the tasks they would like to work on. Given one’s extenuating circumstances (if applicable), it may be harder for them to contribute equally. However, the team will work together to decide on an equitable split that is fair for everyone.

   For my group’s topic, we have selected “Well-being & Mindfulness in Children,” where we are creating an interactive resource to help school children (Grades Kindergarten to Grade 3) improve their overall well-being and mindfulness in areas such as breathing strategies, creativity, physical well-being & play and healthy eating. I believe that Cooperative Learning indirectly aligns with my group’s topic because we are getting students involved in learning more about mindfulness and well-being in a group setting. Upon learning about these strategies using our interactive blueprint, students can discuss what they have learned and implement these strategies outlined in their day-to-day lives. During assessment portions, students can collaborate on their answers and discuss their understanding of the topic with the class.

References:

Lewis, B. (2019, November 13). What is Cooperative Learning? ThoughtCo. Retrieved June 18, 2023, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-cooperative-learning-2081641   

Willis, J. (2021, November 5). How Cooperative Learning Can Benefit Students This Year. Edutopia. Retrieved June 18, 2023, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-cooperative-learning-can-benefit-students-year

Comment on a Peer’s Blog Post #1

June 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Hi Nikhil, thank you so much for sharing your perspective on the different learning styles. I found the learning styles to be hard to understand at first but found clarity through reviewing the videos and reading your post. I agree with your conclusion that each learning method can help different people comprehend topics. I believe that one can use individual or multiple learning methods, depending on the task at hand and their understanding of the topic.

https://nickkkedci335.opened.ca/learning-motivation-and-theory-post-1/?unapproved=1&moderation-hash=e96e42c14f14cc9c3af349d0b10e897f#comment-1

Blog Post #1 – Learning, Motivation, and Theory

June 1, 2023 / / 6 Comments

By: Fawzan Hussain

  • Share a story about your best learning experience (could be a formal course or something more personal). Why did you enjoy it?
  • Describe an example from your life of when you were taught using each method described in this article: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.

  My best learning experience was learning how to live a healthier lifestyle. A year ago, I went through a rough time and felt lost. I knew something had to change but did not know how.

   My journey began with an inventory of where I was. At that point, I wasn’t living healthily – I was slightly overweight, did not exercise, and did not feel too great. That’s when I decided to start journaling and documenting my progress.

   In my first journal entry, I outlined my current situation and feelings. In addition, I made a list of what I wanted to do to help me become a better version of myself, with various activities such as reading books, going to the gym, and journaling.

[COGNITIVISM]

In May 2022, I started reading self-help, psychology, and personal development books. Every day, I aim to read ten pages and make notes to outline key points from each section. These self-help books showcase different ways of resolving problems and the mindset shifts we can make in our thinking patterns. Through learning about these strategies, I incorporated these ways of thinking to improve the quality of my life, build a resilient mindset, and better understand the world.

[BEHAVIOURISM]

In June 2022, I started going to my local gym. Since I did not know much about the gym, I decided to work on an exercise plan with a personal trainer – where I would come into the gym four times a week and dedicate each day to exercising a different muscle group. Through consistently showing up to the gym and completing the exercises on my own, I have become more confident in how my body looks, able to carry heavier loads, and received lots of support for my progress.

[CONSTRUCTIVISM]

Over the past year, I have found happiness, peace, and healing by documenting my journey in my journal and self-reflecting. Each journal entry has helped me understand my life better and construe my own meaning of growth from the various self-help books I read, balanced lifestyle, and exercise from the gym.

I enjoy continually working on myself because I feel happier about life, love solving problems, and have a story I am proud to share with those around me. Since starting my personal development journey in May 2022, I have lost over 35 pounds, read 14 books, and created a new identity – Fawzan Hussain, a lifelong learner.

image showing person walking in pre-painted footprints
Photo by Flickr user jfchenier under CC license: BY-NC 2.0

Welcome and Introduction

May 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Before proceeding with this first blog post, we expect you to consider your privacy preferences carefully and that you have considered the following options:

  1. Do you want to be online vs. offline?
  2. Do you want to use your name (or part thereof) vs. a pseudonym (e.g., West Coast Teacher)?
  3. Do you want to have your blog public vs. private? (Note, you can set individual blog posts private or password protected or have an entire blog set to private)
  4. Have you considered whether you are posting within or outside of Canada? This blog on opened.ca is hosted within Canada. That said, any public blog posts can have its content aggregated/curated onto social networks outside of Canada.

First tasks you might explore with your new blog:

  • Go into its admin panel found by adding /wp-admin at the end of your blog’s URL
  • Add new category or tags to organize your blog posts – found under “Posts” (but do not remove the pre-existing “edci335” category).
  • See if your blog posts are appearing on the course website (you must have the the edci335 category assigned to a post first and have provided your instructor with your blog URL)
  • Add pages, if you like.
  • Include hyperlinks in your posts (select text and click on the link icon in the post toolbar)
  • Embed images or set featured images and embed video in blog posts and pages (can be your own media or that found on the internet, but consider free or creative commons licensed works). To embed a YouTube video, simply paste the URL on its own line.
  • Under Dashboard/Appearance,
    • Select your preferred website theme and customize to your preferences (New title, new header image, etc.)
    • Customize menus & navigation
    • Use widgets to customize blog content and features
  • Delete this starter post (or switch it to draft status if you want to keep it for reference)

Do consider creating categories for each course that you take should you wish to document your learning (or from professional learning activities outside of formal courses). Keep note, however, that you may wish to rename the label of the course category in menus (e.g., as we did where it shows “Learning Design” as the label for the “edci335” category menu.  This will enable readers not familiar with university course numbers to understand what to expect in the contents.

Lastly, as always, be aware of the FIPPA as it relates to privacy and share only those names/images that you have consent to use or are otherwise public figures. When in doubt, ask us.

Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:

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