Category: Assignment 1 – Blog Posts

The SAMR Model

The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model is a guide which teachers can use to evaluate how they are integrating technology into their instructional settings (Puentedura, 2006). Substitution occurs when the incorporation of a technology into a classroom does not functionally change a task, but rather acts as a direct tool substitute (Puentedura, 2006). Similarly, Augmentation also ensues when technology acts as a direct tool substitute; however, at this level, the technology offers a degree of functional improvement (Puentedura, 2006). Considering both Substitution and Augmentation do not result in significant functional changes, the two levels are considered to enhance learning. Comparatively, at the Modification level of the SAMR model, considerable task redesign is achieved by the integration of technology (Puentedura, 2006). Redefinition occurs when entirely new tasks, which were previously unrealizable, are created by the integration of technology (Puentedura, 2006). Given both Modification and Redefinition enable significant task redesign, the two levels are deemed to transform learning. To view a visual image of the SAMR model with corresponding examples, please see Figure 1.

The SECTIONS Model

Unlike SAMR, the SECTIONS model is a guide which teachers can use to evaluate the appropriateness of a technology (Bates, 2019). Bates’ SECTIONS model critically analyzes each technology by evaluating various components of a technology’s strengths and weaknesses (See Figure 2). The first consideration of the SECTIONS model is students: to leverage the opportunities offered by technology, instructors must consider their students’ demographics, ability to access technology, and differences in learning (Bates, 2019). Additionally, to reduce uncertainty and frustration, one must also consider the ease of use of a technology. More precisely, instructors should evaluate how easy a technology is to learn for both teachers and students (Bates, 2019). Another key consideration when evaluating the appropriateness of a technology is cost. To ensure cost-effectiveness, instructors must assess the expenses required to design, deliver, and maintain the technology in a course (Bates, 2019). The T in the SECTIONS model represents teaching functions. This component of the model evaluates the educational benefits and detriments of a technology. For instance, instructors can assess the degree to which a medium promotes networking, and interactivity between learners, learning materials, and experts (Bates, 2019). A high degree of interactivity may be regarded as a benefit, and in fact, both interaction and networking are key components of the SECTIONS model. In addition to considering students, organizational issues must also be regarded. In other words, it is important the technology is supported by the institution in which it is being integrated (Bates, 2019). The final consideration of the SECTIONS model is security and privacy: a secure and safe environment is critical to support the technology, and instructors and learners (Bates, 2019).

Both the SAMR and SECTIONS model are similar in the sense that they can be used to evaluate multimedia tools; however, the models differ in that they evaluate different aspects of the tools. While the SAMR model guides teachers in determining whether the integration of a technology enhances or transforms a classroom, the SECTIONS model enables teachers to evaluate whether a tool is appropriate for meeting students’ learning outcomes. Despite these differences, both models can be used in conjunction to assess the value of a technology. For example, if evaluation reveals a tool is difficult to use, does not promote interactivity, and will only act as a substitute, perhaps it will be more beneficial to consider integrating other tools. Overall, the application of both the SAMR and SECTIONS model can prompt instructors to look critically at the technologies being integrated into instructional settings.

References

Bates, T. (2019). Teaching in a digital age – models for media selection. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/9-1-models-for-media-selection/

Puentedura, R. (2006). Transformation, technology, and education [Blog post]. http://hippasus.com/resources/tte/

What is Universal Design for Learning?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework which aims to optimize learning by identifying and removing barriers in the design of instructional materials, methods, and assessments (CAST, n.d.). In other words, it is a pedagogical approach which focuses on minimizing barriers to make learning effective for everyone. For a greater understanding of Universal Design, and the importance behind why we need it, the TED Talk by Michael Nesmith is an informative and worthwhile watch:

To ensure learning is accessible from the start of lesson planning, UDL has various guidelines categorized under three different pillars: engagement, representation, and action and expression (CAST, 2018). Each guideline will be described in further detail below.

Engagement Guideline

The engagement guideline supports learner self-efficacy by providing learners with several different options to promote self-determination, motivation, and self-regulation (CAST, 2018). To fulfill this guideline, a variety of pathways can be taken. For instance, to achieve engagement, the UDL guideline suggests fostering collaboration and community by creating cooperative learning groups (CAST, 2018). Personally, I find this strategy to be very effective for ensuring sustained engagement. During one of my psychology classes at UVic, my professor would often have reflective questions for students to discuss in pairs or groups during lecture. This helped establish a collaborative class environment, and create an active community of learners. Additionally, I found these discussions with my peers improved my ability to recall information during assessments. In fact, communicating in social environments enable students to learn through interaction, and can therefore improve students’ ability to recall information (Brame & Biel, 2015). While having students answer reflection questions in groups helped promote motivation and self-regulation, this activity did not address the self-determination aspect of the engagement guideline. One way in which self-determination can be achieved is by optimizing learners’ individual choice and autonomy (CAST, 2018). For example, to improve the activity described above, students who did not feel safe participating in class discussions could have been given alternative options, such as written journal entries. As a result, multiple pathways would be created for all students to achieve learning.

Representation Guideline

To ensure learning is accessible, learners must have a choice in how they access information and materials. The representation guideline addresses this by providing students with options for perception, comprehension, and language and symbols (CAST, 2018). One way to achieve representation as suggested by CAST is to offer alternatives for auditory information (2018). For instance, during one of my classes last semester, there was a student who was hard of hearing. To ensure the design of instruction did not act as a barrier to her learning, my professor turned on live captioning for his zoom lectures, and had transcribers sit in on the lesson to record what was being said in class. Although this made learning more accessible for the student who was hard of hearing, making these adjustments to the delivery of instruction benefitted other students in the class as well. For example, having live captions generate during class helped clarify vocabulary, and improve comprehension for students whose first language was not English. While this is just a single example of achieving representation, it demonstrates how making one small change to the delivery of instruction can remove barriers which obstruct the success of learners.

Action and Expression Guideline

Finally, the action and expression guideline provides learners with various options to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. To fulfill this guideline, instructors should “vary the methods for response and navigation” and “use multiple media for communication” (CAST, 2018). For example, instead of centering a class around written activities, alternative methods such as using technology, or speaking, should be incorporated. This will help ensure learners have equal learning opportunities, and multiple means for conveying their knowledge (CAST, 2018). Regarding the use of multiple media, it is important to incorporate various media to equip learners with a wide range of expression, such as text, music, videos, and more (CAST, 2018). As seen throughout the past weeks of EDCI337, multimedia has been integrated throughout our curriculum using images, audio clips, and hands-on activities. In doing so, not only has learning become more effective, but we also learn the skills which are necessary to compose effective multimedia (Mayer, 2014; CAST, 2018). Overall, providing learners with different options to convey their understanding can help address learners’ unique needs by minimizing media-specific barriers to expression (CAST, 2018).

To conclude, the UDL guidelines are an effective reference to minimize barriers when designing instructional materials and methods. By designing for inclusion, we can reduce obstructions to education, and ensure learning is universally accessible for everyone.

References

Brame, C. J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/.

CAST. (n.d.). About universal design for learning. https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl

CAST. (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369

Pixabay. (n.d.-a). [Image of learning group]. https://pixabay.com/vectors/african-asian-black-brown-cartoon-2029984/

Pixabay. (n.d.-b). [Image of subtitles]. https://pixabay.com/photos/subtitles-writing-scrabble-word-4546080/

TED. [TEDx Talks]. (2016, October 13). Why we need universal design | Michael Nesmith | TEDxBoulder [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/bVdPNWMGyZY

The Cognitive Load Theory

As someone who is easily distracted, and struggles to study in loud environments, learning about cognitive load this week piqued my interest. The Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) states a learner’s working memory can become unnecessarily overloaded when instructional design does not account for “the limitations of the human cognitive architecture” (Schnotz & Kürschner, 2007, p. 470). Cognitive load can be divided into 3 components: effective load, ineffective load, and task difficulty load (ColumbiaLearn, 2018). Effective load refers to the learner’s working memory which is being used to focus on their current task; ineffective load refers to the learner’s working memory which is focused on distractions; and task difficulty load refers to the amount of working memory which is consumed by the complexity of a task (ColumbiaLearn, 2018). After learning about the CLT, I now understand why I thrive in quiet learning environments free of distraction: considering I am susceptible to disturbances, and sensitive to noise, much of my working memory is consumed by distractions in overstimulated environments. That being said, cognitive load varies between learners (ColumbiaLearn, 2018); therefore, different learners perform better in different learning environments. For a quick summary of the CLT, please watch the video below:

Cognitive Load and Multimedia Learning Objects

While I described the CLT in terms of learning environments above, the theory can also be applied to the design of multimedia learning objects. For instance, although a common learning tool in today’s classrooms, PowerPoint presentations can cognitively overload students when poorly designed; therefore, instructors should abide by design principles when creating instructional objects. To apply some of the design principles we learned, I created a poster following this week’s activity using Canva (See Figure 1). In this poster, several of Adobe’s design principles were applied, including alignment of text, repetition of shapes, and use of negative space (Adobe Express, 2020). Additionally, as suggested by Phillips in his TED talk, I used an illustrative image, and short accompanying text on my poster. In doing so, the redundancy effect is mitigated, and the capacity of the learner’s working memory increases (TED, 2014). Overall, to ensure effective learning, teachers must design instructional techniques and objects in a manner which does not overload a learner’s working memory.

References

Adobe Express. (2020). 8 basic design principles to help you make awesome graphics. Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/8-basic-design-principles-to-help-you-create-better-graphics

ColumbiaLearn. [ColumbiaLearn]. (2018, February 16). MOOC EDSCI1x | Video 1: cognitive load | student learning strategies [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/O6WtKeQrJmY

McGraw Hill. [McGraw Hill PreK-12]. (2019, January 9). Teaching strategies: cognitive load theory [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/UpA6RdE0aYo

Schnotz, W., & Kürschner, C. (2007). A reconsideration of cognitive load theory. Educ Psychol Rev, 19, 469–508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-007-9053-4

TED. [TEDx Talks]. (2014, April 14). How to avoid death by PowerPoint | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholmSalon [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/Iwpi1Lm6dFo

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset

When talking about Fixed and Growth Mindsets, the term “mindset” is used to describe how people think about ability and talent (Spencer, 2017). The Fixed Mindset suggests one’s abilities and intelligence are innate and unchangeable; therefore, individuals with this mindset view failure as permanent, and believe if they fail a task, they are incapable of improvement due to their fixed abilities (Spencer, 2017). Comparatively, the Growth Mindset suggests intelligence is “malleable and improvable” (Ng, 2018, p. 2). Unlike the Fixed Mindset, learners with a Growth Mindset view failures as part of the learning process, and as an opportunity to improve and grow (Ng, 2018). In fact, in a study conducted by Blackwell et al., results revealed students with a Growth Mindset outperformed those with a Fixed Mindset, and this was attributed to their increased desire and motivation to learn (2007). For a more in-depth review of the differences between both mindsets, please watch the video linked below.

My Experience with Fixed and Growth Mindsets

Although I consider myself as someone with a Growth Mindset, I have been in situations where I had a Fixed Mindset. During my first year at UVic, I signed up for a computer science (CSC) class which focused on coding. At the beginning of the semester, I was able to keep up with the material relatively well, and possessed a sufficient understanding of the basic concepts; however, as the term progressed, I found myself increasingly struggling to comprehend the course material, and had difficulty completing my assignments. Once my progress in the class began to dwindle, I started to believe my brain was “not wired” for coding, and I accepted failure as my only outcome. Looking back on that class now, I no longer believe my abilities for coding were fixed. Rather, my mindset prevented me from progressing in the class: I felt defeated by failure, and therefore considered my intelligence as stagnant. Currently, I would say I possess a Growth Mindset towards learning. For instance, while taking a statistics class at UVic, I did not perform as well on an assignment as I would have liked to. Instead of enforcing the belief that I did not have the innate intelligence required to successfully complete the assignment, I used the assignment as a learning opportunity to develop my abilities further. At the end of my statistics course, I was able to achieve a grade I was satisfied with; however, had I adopted a Fixed Mindset after performing poorly on one assignment, it is unlikely I would have arrived at the same outcome.

Promoting a Growth Mindset

To determine if you possess a dominantly Fixed or Growth Mindset, take this quiz. My results indicated I have a dominant Growth Mindset; however, during my educational experience, I do not recall any of my instructors explicitly encouraging students to have a Growth Mindset. Regardless, a study conducted by O’Rourke et al., revealed an online educational game, which encouraged perseverance and incentivized effort, helped low-performing students develop a Growth Mindset (2014). Given this, it is likely my previous instructors implicitly promoted a Growth Mindset through various class activities and exercises. Additionally, if your quiz results indicated you have a dominantly Fixed Mindset, the study by O’Rourke et al., suggests a Growth Mindset can be developed with the appropriate support and resources (2014).

References

Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: a longitudinal study and an intervention. Child development, 78(1), 246–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x

Ng, B. (2018). The neuroscience of growth mindset and intrinsic motivation. Brain sciences, 8(2), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci8020020

O’Rourke, E., Haimovitz, K., Ballweber, C., Dweck, C., & Popović, Z. (2014). Brain points: a growth mindset incentive structure boosts persistence in an educational game. In CHI 2014: One of a CHInd – Conference Proceedings, 32nd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 3339-3348). (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems – Proceedings). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/2556288.2557157

Piccard, P. (2018, September 23). [Characteristics of a growth mindset]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/150885343@N04/43058632290

Spencer, J. [John Spencer]. (2017, Mar 26). Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/M1CHPnZfFmU

What is Multimedia Learning?

According to Mayer, the term multimedia refers to the simultaneous presentation of both words and pictures (2014). Comparatively, multimedia learning refers to “the learner’s construction of knowledge from words and pictures” (Mayer, 2014, p. 3). As demonstrated in our readings this week, there exists various basic principles to optimize the design of multimedia learning environments. Example principles include the Modality Principle, Signaling Principle, and Segmenting Principle. The videos below describe each principle, and in the subsequent section I will describe how I applied these principles when designing a multimedia learning experience.

The Modality Principle: People learn better when graphics are paired with narration instead of printed text (Mayer, 2014).

The Signaling Principle: People learn better when key information is emphasized through application of cues (Mayer, 2014).

The Segmenting Principle: People learn better when multimedia messages are divided into appropriate learning segments instead of being presented as continuous units (Mayer, 2014).

Application of Principles to Designing Multimedia Learning Experiences

TransportTracking is an application used by porters and requesters (e.g., unit clerks, nurses, hospital staff, etc.) to coordinate the internal transportation of patients (Teletracking, 2012). During my co-op in the Health Information Science program at Fraser Health, one of my tasks was to create new training videos using PowerPoint for TransportTracking. While creating the training materials for this application, I applied the principles listed above to facilitate learning. For instance, rather than overlaying screenshots of the application with printed text, I narrated each slide with instructions regarding which steps the learner should take. This enabled me to apply the Modality Principle, and therefore reduced the learner’s cognitive load (Tyler, 2020a). Additionally, I applied the Signaling Principle when creating the training videos for TransportTracking: to emphasize key functionalities, I used arrows to direct the learner’s attention to buttons I described in my narration. Regarding the Segmenting Principle, I applied this concept to ensure the learner could complete their training in segments at their own pace. More precisely, I created separate learning modules for different tasks which could be accomplished using TransportTracking (e.g., How to Request a Porter, How to Accept a Request, How to Cancel a Request, etc.). The application of these principles enabled me to take a learner-centered approach, by allowing me to use multimedia in a way that supports human cognition (Mayer, 2014).

References

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369

TeleTracking. (2012). TransportTracking [PDF]. https://www.teletracking.com/media/1175/teletracking-transporttracking- data-sheet.pdf?width=3000&upscale=false

Tyler, M. [Mike Tyler]. (2020a). Modality principle | The 12 multimedia instructional principles [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/mo6PdP0emQs

Tyler, M. [Mike Tyler]. (2020b). Signalling principle | The 12 multimedia instructional principles [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/U-H7-iSJU-E

Tyler, M. [Mike Tyler]. (2020c). Segmenting principle | The 12 multimedia instructional principles [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/KxxK-kRs6Cw

Hi everyone! My name is Xinh, and I am a fourth year student in the Health Information Science program at UVic. Throughout my curriculum, I completed three co-ops with the Provincial Health Services Authority, Fraser Health, and Island Health. During my work terms, I participated in projects where new applications were being launched across the organization, and I was often tasked with creating quick reference guides to support learning. Additionally, at the end of each co-op, I created various training materials for subsequent co-op students to facilitate knowledge transfer. The training materials I produced came in different forms, such as word documents with embedded images, interactive PowerPoints, videos, and more.

Given the nature of the tasks I was assigned during my co-ops, I decided to take EDCI337 to learn more about how different media types can impact learning. For instance, a few questions I have are: which media types are most effective to facilitate learning, and is it beneficial for learners if several media types are combined? Additionally, I have previously taken EDCI338 and EDCI339, and thoroughly enjoyed the content of those courses; therefore, I believe EDCI337 will be another exciting class for me. I am looking forward to our next few weeks together!