Category: edci335

   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.

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.