Category: Assignment 2 – Blog Feedback

Hi Katie,

I really enjoyed reading your blog post about the importance of learning and standardized testing. Like you, I also struggled to engage effectively with learning materials during my first year at UVic; however, as time progressed, I learned how to change my study habits to enforce active learning instead of passive learning. Personally, I like how you incorporated the Multimedia Principle into your blog post by adding a video, and I think the video you selected effectively described techniques which can be used to encourage active learning. For example, one of the strategies provided in the video was to test yourself by creating quizzes. This is something I often did as I progressed through University. In particular, I wrote study guides where I created questions I could quiz myself on, and wrote down corresponding answers for each question.

Additionally, instead of restating week 3’s learning materials in your blog post, I like how you related it to your personal experience. For instance, you mentioned reviewing course material in discussion groups as one of your studying techniques, and this reflects the Intensity Principle of Learning: learning material is more likely to be retained if the learning experience is more dramatic and immediate (Psychology Wiki, n.d.). As a result, by discussing course material in learning groups, learning becomes more exciting, and therefore more effective. Further, this strategy also enforces active learning. More precisely, in the video provided in your blog post, teaching your peers in study groups was described as an active learning technique.

Great job!

Xinh

References

Psychology Wiki. (n.d.). Principles of learning. Fandom. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Principles_of_learning#Intensity

Hi Yashvi,

Thank you for your blog post about the importance of multimedia and interactive learning. I appreciate how you defined multimedia learning at the beginning of your post, and later provided examples. This made your blog post easy to understand, and flow in a logical manner. Like you, I also agree with Mayer’s theory which states people learn better when pictures are presented with words. For example, I find my comprehension of concepts in textbooks improves when the information is accompanied by photos. As mentioned in your blog post, perhaps this is because the images provide learners with a means to mentally visualize the material they are reading.

Additionally, I like how you incorporated Mayer’s Multimedia Principle by adding an image to your own blog post. I think the photo you selected is well-aligned with what we have learned in EDCI337, and representative of a classroom which integrates interactive multimedia learning. As a result, the image pairs well with your written text, and adds value to your post.

Awesome work!

Xinh

Hi Katie,

Your post this week was a great read, and as a Health Information Science (HINF) student myself, I really enjoyed your in-depth analysis of the Telus Med Access platform! One thing I particularly liked about your blog post this week were the images you included. In adding these images, not only did it add value to your post, but it also helped segment your post into digestible chunks of information. Additionally, I appreciated the infographic you created which summarized your SECTIONS evaluation of Telus Med Access. In particular, I like how you integrated the Signaling Principle into your infographic by adding arrows to redirect viewers’ attention. Considering people learn better when key information is emphasized through application of cues, your application of the Signaling Principle made the content of your infographic easy to follow, and helped enhance my overall understanding (Mayer, 2014).

Like you mentioned in your post, technology and media are heavily utilized within the HINF program; therefore, the SECTIONS Model is a useful guide when evaluating new tools which are to be integrated in the program. Although Telus Med Access did not fulfill all components of the SECTIONS Model, using this approach revealed the platform was still valuable. For instance, like you said in your post, Telus Med Access does not support networking, but the tool still promotes interactivity between students. Despite the networking drawback, evaluation using the SECTIONS Model provided instructors with an all-encompassing view of the technology which demonstrated the tool was still beneficial. As a result, I think your analysis successfully demonstrates how using the SECTIONS Model can be an effective guide for teachers when evaluating technology.

Great work!

Xinh

References

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

Hi Katie,

Thank you for your blog post this week which emphasized the importance of differentiated learning. The video you selected explained the topic very well, and I really enjoyed the examples they provided. In particular, I liked Ferlazzo’s example of differentiating instruction for one of his students by allowing them to write an essay on a topic which interested them. Personally, I found this example to be very effective at demonstrating how easy it is to differentiate instruction, and how one small change can successfully equip students for learning. Additionally, Ferlazzo’s use of anecdotes enabled the personalization principle to be applied to the video you selected. This helped improve my understanding of the topic, for people learn better when the words of a multimedia presentation are spoken in a conversational style (Mayer, 2014).

In addition to the video you selected, I really enjoyed reading your suggestions to make online classrooms more accessible. I agree students often struggle to pay attention during online lectures due to the conversations being typically one-sided, and a lack peer-peer engagement; therefore, I like your suggestion to have all students turn on their cameras. This will likely benefit the majority of students by increasing their attentiveness during online lectures. Additionally, like you mentioned, having students turn on their cameras will support learners who depend on reading lips and facial expressions to communicate. However, one question I have is: how can we achieve the same benefits for students who struggle with anxiety? For instance, some students may not feel comfortable turning on their camera during online lectures. As a result, what alternatives can be offered to such students to ensure they participate, and remain attentive in online learning environments?

Overall, great work!

Xinh

References

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

Hi Grace,

Your blog post this week was a great and informative read! In particular, I like how you provided a definition for multimedia at the beginning of your post, and subsequently described the impact it has on learning environments. This logical flow made it easy to understand your written blog post. Additionally, I really like the infographic you made for this week’s discussion. It is clear you paid great attention to incorporating some of the Adobe design principles we learned about this week, such as alignment, repetition, balance, and colour. Further, I also appreciate that you integrated the Signaling Principle into your infographic. Considering your infographic is about the benefits of multimedia learning, your use of big text helped draw my attention to the main points of your topic. In doing so, I had a better understanding of the content of your post, for people learn better when key information is emphasized through the application of cues (Mayer, 2014).

One question I have after reading your post is: despite all the benefits, do you think there are any disadvantages to multimedia learning? For instance, having access to a vast variety of information is one of the advantages of multimedia learning, as noted in your infographic; however, can this hinder students’ learning by overloading them with information? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Really great job!

Xinh

References

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

Hi Yashvi,

Thank you for writing such an informative post about the benefits of gamification in the learning environment! I appreciate that you explained what gamification was, prior to relating it to your personal experience. This formatting made it easy to understand the topic, and enabled your blog post to flow in a logical manner. The one question I have is: I wonder if adding section headers for each of your segments of text would make your formatting clearer?

In addition to the logical flow of your blog post, I also liked that you added both photos and videos to your post. I especially enjoyed the video you selected which explained Kahoot, for it applied the Modality Principle by pairing graphics with narration (Mayer, 2014). In doing so, the video effectively delivered information by not visually overloading viewers with both animations, and on-screen text. Further, while learning about gamification in our readings this week, iClicker questions came to mind for me too; therefore, I enjoyed reading about your experiences with them, and how they helped contribute to your learning. Like you, I also found I was more motivated to complete assigned readings for classes which had iClicker questions, and the class environments were often more engaging and collaborative.

Awesome post!

Xinh

References

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

Hi Katie,

I really enjoyed reading your blog post about the top 300 tools for learning. Your writing was clear and concise, and I like how you personalized your post by writing about which tools you use and for what reasons. Like you, I also use applications such as YouTube, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams for personal and work matters; therefore, I agree it is not surprising the platforms are ranked as the top learning tools.

Additionally, I like that you applied the Multimedia Principle to your blog post by adding videos to further explain Kahoot and Mentimeter. I particularly enjoyed the video which described Mentimeter, for it applied the Modality Principle we learned this week. More precisely, the video provided graphics through a screencast, and narration instead of on-screen text. Considering people learn better when graphics are paired with narration instead of printed text, the format of the video helped improve my understanding of Mentimeter (Mayer, 2014).

Although you mentioned you agree with the ranking of the top 300 learning tools, one question I have is whether you would reorder any of the tools on the list? While both Kahoot and Mentimeter are ranked as relatively popular learning tools, you stated you did not know what the platforms were prior to reading the list; therefore, are there any applications you would rank higher than Kahoot and Mentimeter? For instance, perhaps you would consider WordPress a better learning tool than Kahoot, for it enables learners to apply more of the principles for designing multimedia learning environments. What are your thoughts?

Overall, great post!

Xinh

References

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