Brandon's Blog

EDCI335 Post 4

Interaction required by video

The video on “Understanding Machine Learning” requires students to engage actively by paying attention to the concepts explained. The content is demands viewers to follow along with the visual and auditory explanations to grasp the basics of wearable health technologies.

Likely Student Responses

Students are likely to take notes while watching the video to capture key points and concepts. They may also pause and replay sections to ensure they understand complex ideas. Reflecting on the content and thinking about how it applies to real-world scenarios or their current studies would be another common response.

Suggested Activity Post-Viewing

Activity: Create a Mind Map

Objective: To help students organize and connect the concepts covered in the video.

Technology: Students can use online tools like MindMup, Canva, or traditional paper and pen.

Developmental Focus: This activity will develop students’ ability to identify relationships between concepts, and enhance their understanding of wearable health devices.

Feedback Mechanism

Students can submit their mind maps via the learning management system (LMS). Feedback can be provided through:

• Peer Review: Students exchange mind maps with classmates and provide constructive feedback.
• Instructor Review: The instructor reviews the mind maps and provides detailed comments.
• Technology: LMS for submission, feedback forms, and discussion forums for peer review.

Manageability and Scalability

This activity is manageable as it involves reviewing visual summaries rather than lengthy essays. For larger classes, the peer review process can be scaled by organizing students into small groups, making it feasible for the instructor to oversee the feedback process rather than reviewing each mind map individually.

Enhancing Video Design for Better Engagement

The video could include interactive elements such as embedded quizzes or pause points where students are prompted to reflect on questions or solve small problems. Additionally, providing downloadable resources like summary notes or concept diagrams could help reinforce learning.

Addressing Potential Barriers for Inclusive Design

To ensure inclusivity:

• Closed Captions: Include accurate closed captions for students with hearing impairments.
• Transcripts: Provide transcripts for students who prefer reading over watching videos.
• Language Support: Offer subtitles in multiple languages for non-native English speakers.
• Pacing Options: Allow students to adjust playback speed to match their learning pace.

By integrating these elements, the learning experience becomes more accessible, engaging, and effective for all students.

To ensure that the needs of all learners are met in an interactive learning resource, a multivariable approach focusing on accessibility, flexibility, and support is essential.

1. Ensuring that the needs of all learners can be met

Accessibility

• Content Delivery: Use multiple formats such as text, audio, and video to cater to different learning preferences.
• Language Support: Provide translations and language support for non-native speakers.
• Accessibility Tools: Integrate tools like screen readers, adjustable font sizes, and high-contrast modes for visually impaired learners.

Flexibility:

• Pacing: Allow self-paced learning to accommodate different learning speeds.
• Assessment Options: Offer various assessment methods (quizzes, essays, projects) to let students demonstrate their understanding in different ways.
• Time Zones and Schedules: Record live sessions and provide asynchronous content to cater to students in different time zones.

2. Adjusting to unexpected events

If an unexpected event like a pandemic arises, here’s how planned learning activities can be adjusted:

Transition to Online Learning:

• Platform Selection: Choose a reliable online learning platform that supports live sessions, discussions, and assessments.
• Training: Provide training sessions and resources on how to use the online platform effectively. This includes how to attend live classes, participate in discussions, submit assignments, and use any additional tools.

Engagement and Interaction:

• Live Classes: Conduct live classes via video conferencing tools, ensuring they are recorded for those who cannot attend.
• Interactive Tools: Use interactive tools like polls, quizzes, and breakout rooms to keep students engaged during live sessions.

3. Reducing Barriers in Learning Activities: 

Potential Barriers:

• Coordination Issues: Difficulty in coordinating meetings and tasks among group members, especially in different time zones.
• Resource Access: Limited access to necessary resources (like lab equipment or physical materials).

Adjustments:

• Virtual Collaboration Tools: Use collaboration tools like Google Docs, Trello, or Slack for effective communication and task management.
• Resource Alternatives: Provide virtual labs or simulation software as alternatives to physical lab work.

4.Improving the Learning Environment

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

• Multiple Means of Representation: Present information in different ways (videos, infographics, text) to cater to diverse learning preferences.
• Multiple Means of Engagement: Encourage student engagement through discussions, hands-on activities, and interactive content.
• Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Allow students to express their understanding through various methods like presentations, essays, or projects.

5.Inspiration from Universal Design in Engineering:

Idea: Automatic sliding doors

Description: Automatic doors are designed to open without physical effort, making buildings accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, parents with strollers, and those carrying heavy objects.

Application to Learning Design:

• Ease of Access: Design the learning platform to be easily navigable, with clear instructions and intuitive interfaces.
• Inclusive Tools: Incorporate features that automatically adjust to user needs, such as text-to-speech, adjustable text sizes, and language translation.
• Supportive Environment: Create an inclusive learning environment where all students can easily access content, participate in activities, and receive support without additional barriers.

Experiential Learning Approach: emphasizes learning through experience and reflection.

A process where knowledge can be created through experience. The experiential learning cycle involves four stages: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation.

• Concrete Experience: Direct engagement in a hands-on activity or task.
• Reflective Observation: Reflecting on the experience to identify what was significant and why.
• Abstract Conceptualization: Developing theories or insights based on reflections.
• Active Experimentation: Applying the new knowledge in different situations to test its validity.

Characteristics of experiential learning can include:

1. Learner-Centered: Focuses on the learner’s needs, experiences, and active participation.
2. Reflective: Encourages learners to think about and analyze their experiences.
3. Contextual: Learning is connected to real-world situations, making it relevant and meaningful.
4. Interactive: Involves collaboration and discussion among learners.

Wearable Devices in Healthcare and Experiential Learning

Wearable devices in healthcare, such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and medical monitoring devices, provide an excellent opportunity to apply experiential learning principles. These devices allow users to receive real-time feedback, providing them with information in an experiential format.

• Concrete Experience: Learners can use wearable devices to monitor their health metrics, such as heart rate, steps, or glucose levels. This hands-on engagement provides a tangible experience.
• Reflective Observation: Learners reflect on their health data, identifying patterns or anomalies. For instance, they might observe how their heart rate varies with different activities or stress levels.
• Abstract Conceptualization: Based on their reflections, learners develop insights about their health behaviours and how they impact their well-being. They might formulate theories about the relationship between exercise and stress reduction.
• Active Experimentation: Learners apply their newfound knowledge by adjusting their routines or behaviours and monitoring the outcomes using wearable devices. For example, they might experiment with different exercise regimens to see which most effectively lowers their heart rate.

By integrating wearable devices into the learning process, students engage in a comprehensive experiential learning cycle, enhancing their understanding of personal health management through direct interaction, reflection, conceptualization, and application.

From what you’ve seen of the course so far and in the course outline, which of the assessment strategies in your reading this week are being used in this course? Which are not being used? What learning theories (from Week 1) do these connect to? How does it compare to other courses you’ve taken in your studies? Be specific in your examples and the theories and strategies that you’re connecting to.

The assessment strategies that are being used in this course are:

Used	Not Used
Discussion Forums	Simulations and Role-Playing
Peer Review	Quizzes
Interactive Learning Projects	Exams
Blueprint and Draft Submissions

Now connecting them to learning theories (from Week 1)

Behaviourism	Cognitivism	Constructivism
Interactive Learning Projects	Blog Posts	Interactive Learning Projects
Blueprint and Draft Submissions	Peer Reviews	Blog Posts & Peer Reviews

The format of this course compared to my other courses is definitely quite different. Normally, there are midterms, quizzes and an final exam at the end of the course, however there are only big projects in EDCI 335. I feel like this type of course structure allows the student to be more involved and on their own, rather than taking a robotic approach of: learn… study… exam… repeat.

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