How can equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners be afforded to all learners in open and distributed learning contexts?
“Open education seeks to eliminate as many [barriers] as possible, with the aim of improving educational access, effectiveness, and equality”
Cronin, 2019
This quote by Cronin, in my opinion, sums up the goals of UDL and how adding open distributed learning into learning settings can create more equitable, authentic, meaningful and relevant learning environments.
When we aim to break down barriers and create relevant and meaningful materials and spaces, by allowing learning to happen in a variety of spaces through a variety of voices and choices, we allow for more people to take part in, connect to, take ownership of and enjoy, learning. Open learning attempts to accomplish this by offering access to materials, resources, information, and data freely and with no fees attached, while opening up the conversation to a wider range of humans. This happens by “making content more inclusive [which] begins with understanding what kinds of alternatives are needed, and realizing that inclusivity and accessibility are achieved through awareness, adaptation, collaboration, and flexibility. ” (OCAD, 2021). It is also achieved by asking the learners themselves what they need and where they need to go, as well as placing them in learning environments that will foster their abilities to successfully become part of their future workplaces or promote innovation.
Although, open learning can, at times benefit in information accessibility and diversity, it does continue to have its pitfalls. Lisa, a colleague I have been working with in this course, questioned, “is there truly equity in learning when not everyone has equal opportunity to access said learning?” (Swan, 2021). This struck home with me because I work with learners in Africa who have have minimal resources and technologies. They have no access to these due to costs and accessibility to electricity and wifi. I can see them struggling to obtain and to sustain any learning that is not necessarily happening in larger facilities or towns nearby. Therefore, are open distributed learning resources truly open and accessible to all? No. This makes me question HOW can we make this possible?
What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?
I already knew about UDL and how it is designed specifically to give the learner advocacy over their learning and to shift any power roles that exist in a learning environments. I knew that UDL helps the learner organize or demonstrate their learning which increases engagement, allows for voice and choice and that if given relevance, can increase motivation and meaning behind what and why they are learning. UDL also creates more of an equitable environment, because when a learner is at the centre of their learning, and they are given choice in tools and technology to use in a way that is accessible to them, they can demonstrate where they are at without the barriers of having to use only a single mode they may not be savvy with or even be able to physically do.
I would still like to learn about how we can make OERs more accessible for ALL and how we can get training on developing these OERs for our learners and for ourselves. I am currently trying to get a website I made licensed for CC, so I think it may become easier once I go through the motions once.
Citation
Cronin. C. (2019). Open education: Walking a critical path. In D. Conrad, & P. Prinsloo (Eds.), Open(ing) Education: Theory and Practice. Leiden: Brill. Open Access Version http://eprints.teachingandlearning.ie/4345/
Cronin. C. (2019). Open education: Walking a critical path. In D. Conrad, & P. Prinsloo (Eds.), Open(ing) Education: Theory and Practice. Leiden: Brill. Open Access Version http://eprints.teachingandlearning.ie/4345/
Robertson, T. (2017). Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Open Research and Education. Press.rebus.community. Retrieved 29 July 2021, from https://press.rebus.community/openatthemargins/chapter/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-open-research-and-education/
Welcome to the Inclusive Learning Design Handbook | Inclusive Learning Design Handbook. Handbook.floeproject.org. (2021). Retrieved 27 July 2021, from https://handbook.floeproject.org/
Swan, Lisa. (2021). EDCI339 Open and Distributed Learning.
*Please note: What you will find (in italics), my added thinking after our second Webinar. I learned more information after the activities and conversations we had and wanted to add it to this post.
Constructivism vs Connectivism
While reading this weeks informational objects, I found it easiest to create a Venn diagram in Canva to show my thinking and to demonstrate my understanding of the materials.
While curating this diagram, I realized quickly that I was having a difficult time pulling out differences and that I was finding mostly similarities. This made me register that these two theories are very similar and that, at times, Connectivism can act as an aid to the Constructivism theory by offering it principles to improve it. For example, Connectivism adds chaos into the mix and can teach a Constructivist that information is constantly changing and that, “while there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision” (Weller, 2020). Therefore, a constructivist’s mindset, or ways that they develop their pedagogy, may take a more connectivist approach. This could be as simple as implementing WIKIS to the mix so that learners can see information being developed and curated in real time, thus witness how information is ever changing through collaboration and an open continuous conversation. Those same learners then have the opportunity to add to the conversation as well.
That being said, Connectivism expects the user to have the cognitive abilities and soft skills to be able to problem solve and to understand the privacy concerns related with it. This is a problem when it comes to youth, or people who are not aware of these concerns. Using tools, such as open VR games, withouut thinking of the privacy concerns can put people at risk without even knowing it. Creating a user name, or signing up for an account can offer up pieces of your identity that can be used/sought out by anyone. Another issue comes to light when we see digital natives heading straight into connectivism then being expected to learn in a behaviourism or cognitivismbased environment. This poses issues since the digital natives are used to having voice, choice, autonomy and the ability to freely access and share ideas in real time. This contradicts the behaviourist methods and can create a strain on the learner because they are used to other, more flexible and freeing, ways of learning and sharing.This only highlights the importance of shifting our teaching systems to better fit the learner. We need to shift current systems by implementing connectivism into teaching theory so that we can increase connection, engagement and truly meet our learners where they are at: In open learning environments that are increasingly connected and globalized. We must adapt to as our learners have.
Similarities and Differences
When I look at similarities, both theories favour collaboration, having the learner at the centre, using multiple modes, allowing for autonomy and recognizing that learners already bring knowledge and experiential insights to the table. When I look at the differences, the one which presents itself is that Constructivism seems to be more structured around Theorists such as Vygostky, Bruner and Skinner, while Connectivism seems more chaotic and less researched. I did note however, that although both theories allow a learner to learn at their own pace in their own way, Connectivism truly allows the learner to continue that learning journey into their future outside the course which acts as an aid in lifelong learning. The ability to continue learning outside the course, sets the learner up for success in their future because it gives them vital skills to innovate and create within their passions, as well as move forward in the unknown possibilities of their future learning.
The“EdTech trend” which interested me the most from Weller’s (2018) article was PLE. This interested me the most because I can see how valuable tapping into several tools and platforms can be. I believe that the more skills and tools that are available for someone to learn/ use, the more they are set up for demonstrating their knowledge in a way that best suits them at the place there are at NOW. This is much like the constructivism theory in a sense that it is learner centred and learner accessible. It also speaks to connectivism since it provides them with multiple platforms and tools, which allows learners to gain several vital skills needed to perform in their futures, thus setting them up for life long learning. I have seen this in my past courses where I have been asked to use specific environments that may not have necessarily been on my radar, or of preference to me. However, those same tools have now been used in my future depending on who I am working with and what best suits our/my own needs. Weller’s article mentions how, ” each learner had his/her own particular blend of tools,” (Weller, 2020) and for me, this is true. However, that being said, I do tap into the plethora of PLE’s which I have learned over the past year in my education courses as well, depending on when I need them. This ability to tap into, and change my personal learning environment based on what I need now, has truly made me become a resilient and adaptive learner. This resilience and adaptability will only prove to enhacce my skills as a learner and individual in my future.
I hope that in the next few weeks I can truly define open learning and e-learning. I am still struggling to divide the two. That being said, perhaps they are much like the Venn Diagram above where there are more similarities than differences. Either way, I hope it becomes clear sooner rather than later.
Online learning has opened up opportunities in my life which may not have been possible with in-class learning, as well as helped me reach my learning goals in a flexible and personally driven way. Online learning has also made me feel more secure with my online privacy, as I have become more aware of it and been given explanations on how to manage it. This is not to say that there have not been steep learning curves and some difficulties with security which have come with it. However, for the most part, the online learning experience has only acted to enhance many learning opportunities.
I am a mom of two children and am currently on maternity leave. I have been wanting to upgrade my pay and enhance my education for awhile now, but have found previous attempts at going to University while juggling two kids, work and home life extremely difficult since I was never able to attend the times slots offered. Online learning has given me the flexibility to tackle courses and material at my own pace in my own time. I can work on assignments and readings after I put the kids down for the day, or while they are snacking. Online learning felt liberating and I can see how, “the blending of face-to-face provision with online delivery has been one area of significant growth, and [that] it has allowed many “traditional” universities to offer flexible learning opportunities”(Weller, 2020) because I have experienced that flexibility and that growth personally.
Not only is online learning flexible, but it also offers “a curriculum [that can] be offered electronically not just to hundreds of students nearby but to tens of thousands around the world” (Weller, 2020). Therefore, learning is becoming more accessible to everyone all over the world. Furthermore, online learning offers the ability to work with people from all over the world. This has broadened and diversified my PLN (personalized learning network) because it has allowed me to learn from, and learn with, a variety of individuals whom I may never have had the chance in a “traditional” setting. This diversity in my learning network has provided me with diverse insights and life long learning.
All that being said, while attempting to use open learning resources, or creating media for myself or with others, there are so many regulations and privacy issues that come along with it. When I teach, there is the privacy act that we must follow, as well as parental consent for image release etc… There are also limited Apps that we can use . Even in my past course, we needed to use the Open Ed website rather than one of our choice. This presented a couple issues. When in Open Ed, we cannot share it with the public. I was hoping to use my website created for my classroom, but I will need to make another in a separate way. Another issue I ran into was sourcing and confirming where those sources come from. Many times you trust the person who has posted a resource, but they may not be adhering to FIPPA regulations.
After absorbing this weeks readings, I realized that I have never actually heard the term OER (open educational resources). I have possibly used some as an educator, but I have not ever truly known the term or where to find these open resources. I feel like this may be what this course is all about, becoming a creator of learning resources and having the ability to share those ideas freely and openly online, without the restrictions of some e-learning. This would entail learning about privacy and securities, as well as how we would go about creating and sharing in general. I truly hope to learn more about how we can help our learners create learning objects which will enhance their understanding of intended learning materials, as well as to share that said information to educate others. As Weller mentions, “there [is] more to an education than simply the content” (Weller, 2020). I believe the same. I think that once we can produce something for others, collaborate around different ideas and enhance/ remix original ideas, we not only have a solid understanding of the material, but we gain more insight and skill sets which can aid us in becoming life long learners/ educators.
This learning object is meant to be accessed freely by learners or with the help of a facilitator. You will find all our original content within our Wellness Website which includes;
Infographics x 2
Prezi
Powerpoint (Learning Objectives)
Canva Tutorial
Polleverywhere Tutorial
PollEverywhere Poll
Screencastify Facilitator Guide
Padlet Experience
Interactive Google Doc
H5P Assessment
Canva Self-Assessment
Discussion
In the making of our Wellness website, we have implemented many learning theories and multimedia learning principles in order to effectively reach our learners, move the intended information to their long term memory storage and guide them to meet the intended learning outcomes. Below, we will discuss the many theories and principles we used, as well and how and why we implemented them.
We have designed and structured this website wearing the lens’ of Cognitive and Constructivist theorists. We have done this by taking a learner-centred approach, which encourages learners to build their own, contextualized understandings of the material. We encourage discovery through self-reflective, collaborative activities such as our Padlet. We provide a variety of available resources, so that learners can interpret the information that works best for their own context, and scaffoldnew understanding that is meaningful for them. We have presented an integrated set of material designed to encompass one usable body of knowledge and have sourced data- and science-driven materials as researched by experts in their fields. Finally, we acknowledge that learner success depends on learners’ capacity, motivation, beliefs, and effort. Therefore, we included self-reflection activities after our learning resources in hopes that our learners will make a connection with the context and have them potentially alter their beliefs, spur motivation and effort; thereby expanding their capacity.We hope that through the above, we will change learners’ metal models of what mental wellness means to them.
We first considered the Dual Coding and Cognitive Load Theories. A learner’s short term memory is limited and can be overloaded, causing information to be forgotten (Bates, 2019). Therefore, we chose to design our learning experience in a fashion that reduces load on working memory. Therefore, we chunked our website into sections and steps. We offer a variety of channels to obtain and retain information and we have ensured that learners have the time to explore the website and tinker with the information as they feel fit. This way, learners can assimilate that information at their own pace. We combined visual and verbal channels to allow our learners to better process more information.
Image 1. Video on the website that includes visual and verbal information which illustrates Dual-coding theory.
Next, we considered the Prior knowledge principle and the Pre-Training principle. “People learn better from a multimedia message when they know the names and characteristics of the main concepts” (Bates, 2019). Therefore, we chose to create an interactive padlet, which allows us to draw on learners’ prior knowledge so that they can connect their experience to our presentation, give hints into what we will be diving into and provide a space where they can add information which they have learned from the website so that they, we, and others can refer back to it.
Image 2. Padlet home screen which draws on prior knowledge and acts as a reference to learning.
We added several videos which explain Mental Wellness which will help learners connect to this subject matter. We created learning objectives that will give learners a purposeful ‘hook’ into the material. Finally, we included a screencastify tutorial video, a canva tutorial and a section where the instructor walks the learner how to engage with the website, so that the learner can see what is expected of them and be given a sense of how to use the intended materials BEFORE the learning takes place.
Image 3. Recorded video showing instructors how to navigate and engage with the website.
Not only did the aforementioned screencastify aid in pretraining and prior knowledge, but it adhered to the Multimedia & Modality Principles which can help our learners learn better since there are spoken words and imagery rather than words alone (Bates, 2019). We adhere to these principles by providing a written lesson plan and a screencast of how the lesson can be taught. This allows the learner, or potential facilitator, to better see/understand what is expected of them due to several visual, audio and video representations.
All of the learning on the website is presented in multiple modes. We have both an infographic which explains how an active lifestyle can help mental wellness and a video.
Image 4. Partial InfographicImage 5. Video as another representation of how exercise benefits mental wellness.
Multiple modes expose learners to the intended information in several ways so that, through repetition and re-representation, they take that learning into their long term memory storage. Within all of the videos and screencastify videos, we ensured to follow the Redundancy Principle. Since, learners learn better when there is only animation and narration (Bates, 2019), we chose to ensure that there were limited written words where we would be speaking. Therefore, in the screencasts, we did as much as we could to limit the amount of written text which came along with oral explanation. That being said, we allowed for transcription for those who are hearing-impaired.
We moved from the redundancy principle into The Signaling (or Cueing) Principle. “People learn better when cues are added that highlight the key information and its organization” (Bates, 2019). Therefore, we used a fade function in both our Prezi and PowerPoint which allowed for information to enter the screen when we spoke to it and ensured that only one piece of information was given at one time.
Image 5. Screen before fade in.
Image 6: Screen after fade in.
We demonstrate signaling again in our blogging. We highlighted the important information within the blog so that learners could easily pick out the important information. For example, blue text highlighted the links within the website and CAPITALIZED or bolded gave awareness toother important information.
Image 7. Important information is bolded.
We then came to the Spatial Contiguity Principle. Throughout all of our infographics, presentations and website we aimed to keep photos/images within close proximity to the text which relates to it. This way, the learners can make sense of the text by seeing the video/ images that relate to it in real time.
Image 8. Photo matches the descriptor of the website blog.
We then moved to the Segmenting Principle, which specifies that learners should be empowered to view content at their own pace (Bates, 2019).For instance, the Prezi can be viewed in sequence, but the movement through the different phases is user-controlled. The videos presented in the Prezi are from YouTube and have the expected functions enabling repetition, skipping backward and forward, and presentation speed. Further, the Prezi’s individual elements can be freely navigated at the end. The website itself is also presented right-to-left, top-to-bottom, and is intended to be worked through in sequence. However, we have created it as separate pages in order to delineate the sections of the lesson for the learner, and to allow easy reference to any individual part of the site. The pages are self-contained and have their own value. We hope that learners see this and feel it useful to be able to easily navigate to any one of them when it suits them.
Image 9. Ordered blog posts presented on the wellness website.
Moving forward, we followed some of the characteristics of Instructional Design Models, createdby Branch and Merrill, which are described as follows. Our website and lessons are learner-centred. We draw upon learners’ prior knowledge and experience by asking them to continually self-reflect as they work through the material and connect it to their own context. We make the learning outcomes, as well as the mental wellness goals, explicit in a powerpoint presentation, so that learners can engage constructively with the goal-oriented process. We provide tutorials to empower learners to enhance understanding of the intended outcomes and have them reflect their new understandings back in creative tools, thus encouraging real-world performance. We provide a rubric to help guide them to success. Our outcomes are actionable and measurable since each has a unique, discrete product. The learning resources were all vetted for being science-based and empirical. We chose informational videos only when they were data-driven. Finally, we worked together as a team to build our resources. Therefore, learners will benefit simply because of the different knowledge, understanding, and perspectives that each of our members brought to the table.
Finally we took Flow Theory into consideration. “Flow’ is created when a learner engages their skills with a task they are invested in. Csikszentmihalyi suggests that the best way to do this is to find something that a learner enjoys doing and connect it to learning outcomes (Richards, 2021). We aimed to create flow through the use of informational presentations and material, and through self-reflection activities, to connect their context to the learning, we then present options for selecting a program of physical activity in as open-ended a way as possible.
Image 10. Providing incentives, excitement, purpose and potential “Flow” through choice, puropseful activities and experience.
We make suggestions but also give guidelines for independently finding a program. We encourage thinking about whether the learner would like to do the program individually or as part of a partnership. We hope that, with purpose gained from reliable data and self-reflection, the learner will engage with their chosen exercise program with reduced need for determination and resilience, thus potentially achieving ‘flow’ and joy in the journey.
Richards, Luke. “Multimedia Design for Learning.” EDCI 337: Interactive and Multimedia Learning, June 2021, edtechuvic.ca/edci337/2021/05/29/topic-4-multimedia-design-for-learning/.
Omar, great post. I love how you also played this game and learned from it. You mention, “While playing the game, once I received a badge, I took a moment to read the description of each one and understand how it works in mainstream media.” This is exactly the point of this game. The game was teaching you something throughout and it made that badge a learning opportunity and incentive to learn more. When I played, that was the first time I noticed that I was being TAUGHT something. This is where adding these tools to education can lead to a huge boost in motivation and investment from learners. I am glad you enjoyed the game and your comments truly make me want to create these types of activities for my own learners. It has been wonderful working with you and learning from your insight.
Thank you for yet another well written and insightful post.
You wrote, “I often found classes that relied heavily on summative assessment to be quite difficult. I feel that as students our knowledge of the material shouldn’t all count towards one examination. By breaking up the learning into manageable blocks and taking a formative approach for assessment, I believe this is a much more efficient way in students retaining information.”
This is incredible insight. I also believe this is so important. It should not be about one exam, but the journey to get there and the knowledge gained throughout. When we formatively assess, we can see the learners where they are at and help them get to where they need to be. Because all learners are different and are at different stages in their learning, “conferences” and “check ins” allow instructors to guide individuals in their unique needs to their unique destinations.
I do still believe in a summative assessment in areas. However, that assessment can be engaging and exciting to the learners if it is created together and will inspire them to produce something meaningful. Therefore, I always try to make a final assessment a multimedia museum of learning. By that I mean, learners can demonstrate their learning in a way that best suits them and their needs, in a museum night where others can come to learn from them as experts. It is much like what we are doing for this course. We have learned the basics of the programs and tools, and now we can display our learning by creating something that is meaningful to us in hopes to educate others.
Thanks again for your thinking. I love reading your weekly posts and always gain something from them.
Yet another well laid out and thoughtful post on your part. I too have been a victim of long winded videos that have bored me beyond belief, thus impeding my ability to retain and engage in any learning.
You mention how, “if longer videos were cut into segments, this would be much more favourable for learners to take information in chunks and retain the needed information, then move on to the next.” I completely agree. Isn’t it great that video editing now allows us as educators, or potential educators (as we are all sharers of information), to chunk out the important information and make an already made video better? I know I have some resources that I have created that I will return to, chunk out and improve and I could not be more excited about it. Video editing has come a long way and I am sure has a long way to go. Therefore, we need to stay up to date with what exists so that we can continue creating, chunking, theming and amplifying what we produce.
Sarah, Thank you again for an insightful post regarding storytelling in education. I forgot about the microphones being a tech aid within the classroom as they are now simply part of my teaching world and daily use. That being said, you are so right in the fact that this tool fosters learning as it exemplifies the words I speak. Not only does it help the learners who may be hard of hearing, but it may help other learners at certain times too. I know from experience that my littles often remind me to turn on the mic!
You say, “children are able to comprehend the information better through digital storytelling, [and] it also creates a sense of meaningful and active listening. ” I absolutely agree with this. They are able to better comprehend the information given to them in a storytelling way because it is more meaningful and allows them to make connections to the intended learning. I also think that storytelling helps learners get interested, engaged, involved and inspired. I think it was Lynch that said, “when research has a story, it has impact.” (Lynch, 2017). Therefore, storytelling has more impact because it evokes those emotions and engagement.
Finally, I love how you speak to using storytelling as assessment. I love doing this with my learners. Using programs such as screencast, or creating digital storytelling lessons such as these in this link: https://creativeeducator.tech4learning.com/lessons/digital-storytelling, helps our learners share their understanding in a way that is authentic and engaging to them, as well as in a way that they are able. For example, they can use images when they do not have words, they can use thought bubbles and limited text when their vocabulary has not yet expanded. Another great storytelling app is ComicLife3. I use this with my learners as a way for them to show me all about them, or their DNA (Dreams, Needs and Abilities). SD62 offers this program free.
Thank you so much for your post. I am looking forward to reading your next.
Lynch, M. (2017, November 7). How Digital Storytelling Can Amplify Your Students’ Voices. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
Thank you for your post regarding multimedia and its effectiveness and ineffectiveness in the classroom. You mention, how “nowadays Smartboards are a basic, and there are enough Chromebooks for a minimum of a third of the school. Kids are taught coding starting in kindergarten. When I was an education assistant it was eye opening to see how technology has been interpreted into schools.” I agree how there is more technology entering into the school system and that schools and teachers are absolutely placing more value on tech. Tech, media and online learning is a part of our world and what our learners will be entering into in a few years. Therefore, it is imperative to include these learning systems in the classroom. Not only to prepare them for their futures, but to engage them.
However, that being said, not all schools look like this. In the school I teach at, we are struggling to receive a Smartboard and chrome books are just beginning to show their faces. Budget cuts and the accessibility to internet has us lagging in the realm of technology. It makes me wonder if our learners are losing our because they don’t have the same access to these tools as others.
You speak to this when you mention how, AR “allows students to access the material anywhere with a stable internet connection.” This unfortunately demonstrates how many people are not getting access to these practices and reminds me of my teaching in Africa. When I taught there, there was no internet or technology for that matter in the classrooms. No access to a computer and still only the use of flip phones. Again, the costs and limited resources are inaccessible to certain areas and demographics. These lack of resources are not setting the people who live and learn there up for their futures as well as more accessible places are.
I have never actually used goggles and been in an augmented reality before and I would love the opportunity. I am sure I would also feel sick, but perhaps with time we would adjust like anything? Finally, I LOVE your idea when you say, “in an AR setting they can almost create a real-life Magic School Bus scenario. The students can be walking with the dinosaurs, or travel to other planets. In a sense this is more hands on than looking at a slide or a black and white photocopied picture on a paper.” This is the point of AR. It lets us connect with our learning and feel part of it. It brings us into our learning through experiencing it in a way we may not have been able to. Imagine that! I would love the chance to wander through space if I had the chance. That is not to say that I would one day want to actually explore space. But until that time, I think AR would satisfy some of my curiosity and spark so much more wonder and joy!
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. I appreciate how you laid out your experiences and then spoke to how Dual Coding Theory could have helped thereafter. You mention, “there’s no need for additional explanation, proofs, weird symbols, colours/symbols that do not match. This will only serve to distract the learner at retaining the most important points.” I absolutely could not agree more. I teach Kindergarten and the more things I place on the screen, the less the learners retain since their attention is then everywhere, rather than where it ought to be. After analyzing your powerpoint, I wonder if I have placed too many videos in my powerpoint thus “muddying” the actual concepts which I hope to get across. That being said, although it could be an overload, it is also the modality principal of how people learn better from oral and image rather than text and image. It is difficult as I have non-readers and everything must be orally explained and visually demonstrated. What do you think about this? I would love your feedback on my Prezi and regarding this question. Thank you again for such an insightful post. It definitely sparked more wonder and curiosity in me.
