alistairjedci335

Month: June 2020

Peer Review

June 20, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I reviewed a blog post on an Orientation to Electronic Health Records (https://pod3patienteducationportal.opened.ca/). Overall, this is a fantastic piece of work. I found it educational and engaging. I have a few thoughts on what makes it so great:

 

  1. The overview tells me everything I need to know for the resource, and nothing more. I appreciate the clutter-free simplicity of the beginning. It does not overwhelm me. 
  2. Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction are laid out in visually appealing boxes.
  3. There is a clear rationale behind the target audience.
  4. Module links and learning outcomes were bolded. That made them stand out. 
  5. The forums seemed engaging and I liked the specific questions.
  6. I appreciated the optional resources. It keeps the workload manageable, but gives keen students an opportunity to take on more if they want to do so. 

 

What could be improved:

 

  1. The design for inclusion section felt brief. There could be more steps taken to support ELL learners, such as providing a link to a translation service or explicitly stating educators will be available to clarify concepts and meanings if necessary. 
  2. There are some big chunks of text that are hard to read, in the assessment section for example. Text could be broken up into smaller paragraphs for easier reading. 
  3. I personally find bulleted or numbered lists visually appealing and they help me learn as well. Lists could possibly be present to make large chunks of text easier to read. 
  4. Some of the images in the descriptions and rationale section felt too basic and only loosely related to the text.

It is hard to criticize such an amazing piece of work. I am looking forward to seeing the final product!

Learning Interaction

June 10, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This Blog is about a TED Talk on Happiness by Robert Waldinger. Waldinger reports that an almost century-long study on thousands of people allowed scientists to narrow down the predictors of happiness to one key aspect: relationships. He has three main points. First, social connections are amazing for our health, and loneliness can literally kill. Then, quality close relationships are the most important kind and should be treasured and preserved above all others. Finally, great relationships are important for our physical health, and brain health, specifically in relation to memory. 

 

Students will interact with clips of this video (learning material) through user-generated interaction. There is no quiz at the end of the video or a checkpoint they must pass to complete the lesson. However, students will automatically reflect on the important relationships in their life. Students will ponder what specific relationships mean to them, and how they can improve them. 

 

As previously mentioned, on their own, students will think about the relationships in their life. They might realize how much they appreciate certain relationships, and how happy those interactions can make them. Secondly, they might think about what relationships in their life are not making them happier, and what they can do about that. 

 

An easy activity learners could do is reflect on their relationship. They could write down a few reasons why a particular relationship makes them happy. To take it a step further, learners could be encouraged to reach out to a friend to see how they are or arrange a date to see each other. This activity would require little effort from teachers and could easily be scaled to work with larger groups. Unfortunately though, even though the student is in control for this activity, it would be challenging to give feedback. 

 

The video ends with the speaker encouraging listeners to lean into relationships as “the good life is built with good relationships”. That advice is not specific. The speaker could have suggested listeners do some of the activities mentioned above, to give them actionable steps to improve their relationships, and therefore, their lives. Otherwise, this video was great and inclusive, as it had a full transcript for those unable to listen or watch the video. The transcript is available in multiple languages which is a fantastic step towards completely inclusive learning. 

 

References

 

Waldinger, R. (2015, November). Transcript of “What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness”. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness/transcript

 

William, A. (2019, October 10). 9.6 interaction – Teaching in a digital age – Second edition. Retrieved from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/pedagogical-roles-for-text-audio-and-video/

Universal Design

June 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Introduction to Universal Design

Universal design is an essential concept for inclusive learning. Universal design is the design and structure of an environment so it can be used by the greatest number of people, to the fullest extent of all their abilities (Hansen Foundation, 2017). This is to give learners of all ages and abilities the best possible opportunities to succeed. Another goal is for learners to have to make as little adaptations to their environment as possible, so they can be independent (National Disability Authority, 2020). 

 

Principles of Universal Design

There are seven basic principles of universal design: 

  1. Equitable Use
  2. Flexibility in Use
  3. Simple and Intuitive Use
  4. Perceptible Information
  5. Tolerance for Error
  6. Low Physical Effort
  7. Size and Space for Approach and Use

 

Universal Design in Engineering 

Some examples of universal design engineering are curb cuts (so wheelchair users can easily cross the street), simple signs, entrance ramps (for anyone who may have difficulty climbing stairs), level door handles (for those who do not have full motor control in their hands), and automatic doors. These inventions all include multiple principles of universal design, and we can use that as inspiration for designing learning. 

 

Universal Design in Learning

For example, signs that are designed with universal use in mind will have at least one language on them, as well as simple pictures. This would be the perceptible information principle. To adapt this to learning, the information could be delivered in multiple mediums. To explain a concept, a teacher could use writing, their spoken word, and diagrams to facilitate various learning styles. An entrance ramp satisfies the multiple principles: low physical effort, simple and intuitive use, flexibility in use, and equitable use. If the ramp was designed with railings on either side, to protect users, that would be following the tolerance for error principle. Signs warning that the ramp could be slippery would also be under the tolerance for error principle. A teacher could follow these guidelines, and warn students that an upcoming exam will be challenging. If students fail the exam, the teacher could offer a re-test, as they tolerate error. Finally, a teacher could be inspired by the flexibility in use principle. In engineering, this could manifest as inventions that people can use with either hand, whatever one is their preferred. A teacher could allow students to submit their assignments in their preferred medium, whether that be written, spoken, or presented and recorded. A teacher should always strive to be as inclusive as possible. 

 

References

 

National Disability Authority. (2020). The 7 principles of Universal Design. The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design | Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. https://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/The-7-Principles/

 

Rick Hansen Foundation. (2017, February 6). Universal design 101. https://www.rickhansen.com/news-stories/blog/universal-design-101

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