Category: Assignment 1 – Blog Posts

Assessment is an integral tool to use in the classroom. Not only do teachers benefit from assessment tools, but students are able to discover if they have successfully retained the information taught in class. This week, we discussed two main types of assessment; summative and formative.

Summative assessment is used to evaluate learning after the instructional unit is complete and the assessment scores are compared to a standard or bench mark. Examples of summative assessments include final exams in the form of multiple choice questions. As discussed in class, the downside of summative assessment is that is fails to provide the learner and teacher feedback regarding the learning process. 

Meanwhile, the goal of formative assessment is to capture the learning process of students through evaluation. Examples of formative assessments in the classroom include, informal questions, one minute papers. Thus, giving students the ability to practice knowledge without the pressure of grades. 

Although I believe that choosing assessment that is relevant and authentic to the learning material is important, it is equally important to be aware of some the implications of assessment in the school system. In a world that is rapidly changing, assessment tools used in the classroom nowadays are vastly outdated. Here is a TED talk discussing some of the major implications of this. 

The video by EON reality entitled “Panel #1 – Associate Professor Matt Bower, Macquarie University” provided insightful recommendations for how a classroom in 2030 may look regarding the use of technology. One of the main themes in the video that I found interesting was when the speaker discussed that teachers will determine technology in the classroom in 2030 rather than technology itself in a given time. In other words, no matter how technologically advanced the world has become in 2030, teachers determine whether it will be implemented in the classroom. At surface level this may seem obvious, however, the speaker is trying to communicate the importance of having teachers up to date with technology. The likelihood of teachers implementing technology in the classroom when they have limited training and understanding of the technology is small. Thus, emphasizing the importance of informative and up to date training for teachers to create a classroom environment that benefits students learning through technology and other multimedia strategies. 

Additionally, I agree with the speakers prediction of AI, AR and VR being prevalent in future classrooms. More specifically, I see many benefits from his description of AR visual simulations in the classroom. Learners who benefit from visual learning strategies are able to vastly improve their knowledge in an interactive and technologically advanced way. Not to mention the indirect benefits this has to the students in an increasingly technologically based world and their understanding of technology. 

Reference:

Major, E. (2020, October 12). 4 ways to use augmented and virtual reality apps in the classroom. Common Sense Education. Retrieved November 21, 2021, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/4-ways-to-use-augmented-and-virtual-reality-apps-in-the-classroom. 

An example of game-based learning that I have experienced as a third-grade student, which I found helpful, was quickfire math quizzes. The quizzes were divided into levels comprised of questions with varying difficulty. All students would start at level one with the easiest math questions and work their way up to level ten, which got more complicated. To advance to the next level, students had to complete the quiz and have all their answers correct. The quizzes were handed out to all the students in the class and were to be completed in under a minute. In addition to advancing to the next level, students received a prize from a prize box. 

Using a game-based learning method, where students are asked to complete a math task in under a minute and rewarded with a prize, has proven to be successful in my learning experience. As a student who was not good or interested in math, turning math-related activities into a game motivated me to learn math and think critically under pressure. The outcome of this learning method for me was that I learned multiplication, subtraction, and addition in a fun environment, making my interest in math flourish. Thus, unintentionally improving my love for math as a subject. 

The production of videos is a crucial part of the viewers’ understanding and focus, especially when it comes to learning new skills or subjects. Poorly made videos can negatively affect the learner’s attention span. Learners watching videos that are not polished or poorly made can make the content more confusing than it has to be. Thus, taking the student away from the material they are being taught. The viewer’s focus is unintentionally removed from the concepts they are being taught and shifted towards the distracting images or editing produced in the video. 

With this in mind, it is essential for teachers to have adequate knowledge and training to produce instructional videos that are polished and well-made. As the world becomes vastly digitalized, teachers should have the tools necessary to create a learning environment that coincides with digital and media-based teaching methods. Polished instructional videos have proven to have positive outcomes on students learning, so it is beneficial to implement this technique in the classroom. However, with that being said, poorly made or unpolished videos have the opposite effect and can negatively impact students learning. Thus, making polished and well-produced instructional videos is essential for the teacher to consider when sharing with viewers. 

The SAMR model is used in the classroom to assess the effectiveness of multi-media learning and technology in the classroom. The SAMR model involves four key components: substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition. The model can be described as a ladder including a dotted line in the middle. The dotted line represents the threshold where substitution and augmentation are below the line and modification and redefinition are above the line. The threshold represents where multimedia learning is used for enhancement in the classroom to transforming learning in the classroom.

This model is very beneficial in classrooms as it allows the teacher to recall how the technology is being integrating into the classroom to facilitate in the students learning. Not only allowing the teacher to ensure the technology is useful in the classroom but supplementing their teaching strategies to enhance the students learning experience. Additionally, the SAMR model allows the educator to gradually implement technology in their classroom through the assignments they give and test whether it is appropriate for the learning objective at hand. Not to mention, educators are able to transform the use of technology year to year by referencing the SAMR and noting the success of the technology in the classroom with regards to a certain task. 

For my assignment this week, I decided to create a poster that outlines some suggestions for students to follow to ensure the classroom stays clean, safe and germ-free. I used Canva to create my poster. The website provided inspiring templates to bring my ideas to life. In addition, the templates were incredibly user-friendly and allowed me to cater them towards my vision, allowing me to change the colours, photos, font and message. I will definitely save this resource and use it later in my career when I become a teacher!

When creating my poster, I decided to use soft and friendly colours, creating a message that is genuine and caring towards my students. I chose a big font to allow the important messages and title to stand out. I referenced the Multimedia Principle to create a helpful poster that successfully conveys my message to students about a germ-free classroom. The Multimedia Principle explained by McCues (2020) describes how people learn better when words are accompanied by relevant pictures rather than words presented alone. With this in mind, I accompanied my writing with small relevant pictures, such as hands with soap to represent ‘frequent hand washing with soap.’

Posters are a beneficial tool in the classroom if executed properly. Here is a link to a video that explores potential problems if poorly executed:

Reference:

McCue, R. (2020). Principles of Multimedia Learning—A summary. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TGVFG_iCc3iSz3aX3j8UC-YC63V__6tKFJQ4FtAsH4o/

Heavily Decorated Classrooms Disrupt Attention and Learning in young Children. (2014). Youtube. Retrieved November 29, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt0muSzEd_M&t=228s

An example of non-digital multimedia and interactive experience that stands out to me during my educational career was a nature walk that my university professor conducted in my English 147 class. In this class, students were required to read a book entitled “Gardens Aflame” by a Victoria writer named Maleea Acker. To summarize, Maleea Acker describes the unique ecosystem and the people who dedicate their lives to saving Garry Oak trees and the environment. The writer described the Garry Oak environment and species as being in danger and at risk of becoming extinct. After reading the first couple of chapters of the book, I was unsatisfied and bored with the topic. However, mid-way through reading and dissecting the book as a class, our professor took us on a walk around the campus to show us the few Garry Oak trees that live on campus. While on the walk, our professor shared more facts about the trees on the UVIC campus specifically. Not only did this allow me to connect to the book from a more personal level, but it also allowed me to have a deeper understanding and view of the Garry Oak trees described in the book since I was able to view them firsthand. This non-digital multimedia and interactive experience in my English 147 class was very engaging and interesting and allowed to be to create a deeper connection to the material that I was reading. 

Throughout this class, I hope to improve my skills of developing a useful online learning platform and further explore tools that will be beneficial for my career as a teacher. Since I am planning to become an elementary school teacher after university, this class is particularly helpful for my preparation. Nonetheless, I aspire to expand my knowledge of multimedia and digital interaction learning to facilitate for diverse learning strategies students have in my classroom.

While reflecting on previous learning experiences that had a positive impact on my learning, one using an interactive learning experience comes to mind. In my human anatomy class, we learned about the lungs. Since the anatomy of a human is complex and includes many different working components, using a simple lecturing approach would be less beneficial compared to using a hands on and interactive approach. The instructors of the human anatomy course brought in a real set of cow lungs to supplement their lecture and preform an interactive learning approach. Though this demonstration, the professors taught the information verbally while demonstrating the actions visually and pointing out the parts on the lungs. This was particularly impactful for my learning experience as it allowed me to make visual and verbal connections to the course material. With that being said, I understand that this method may not be as impactful for other learners due to the diversity in learning strategies.