We intend for the Notion site to be a resource for teachers, as it provides more of the reasoning and processes required to set up this course. Students can use the notion for a starting point, but the aspect of this ressource developed for them is the google classroom. The google classroom guides students through the course, by outlining the lessons, activities, discussions, etc. It is also a space that provides students with support, an area to check for understanding, ask questions, post and participate in discussions. We chose grade 2 because the water cycle is a large portion of the grade 2 Science curriculum in British Columbia.
We felt that our interactive learning course followed all 3: behaviourism, constructivism, and cognitivism except the one we focused on the most was cognitivism. Throughout our entire course, students are using problem-solving, they are thinking, and processing new information (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). They are very active participants throughout their learning process in this design (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). Cognitivism focuses on how the information students learn is received, stored, and organized in their minds. We are focused more on what the learners already know (prior knowledge) and what they will know after the course is over not on what they do (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). The idea is for them to have an understanding of the water cycle and its purpose when the course is over. Although we still do support our learners through instructional explanations, videos, and examples to guide our students. Cognitivism requires formative feedback which we also provide for the learners.
Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. (2018). Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. In R. E. West, Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology: The Past, Present, and Future of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. EdTech Books. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism
We chose to take an open pedagogical approach to our learning design. An open pedagogy in this setting is our choice of co-creation, meaningful assignments, and open resources (KPU, n.d.). Due to the nature of this platform, it is not possible to co-create our unit or assessments with our students, however, we would take this into consideration when using this for a real class. We chose this instructional approach because we wanted students to create meaningful work that could be considered anywhere outside of the unit. We want our students to think about the work that they have done and share it with anybody for them to think about as well. We are also very passionate about our students using open resources on the web. We use a variety of open resources throughout our unit including YouTube, Google (Forms and Classroom), EdPuzzle, GimKit, Kahoot, and online text.
Open Pedagogy. (n.d.). Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Retrieved Nov 3, 2022, from https://www.kpu.ca/open/pedagogy
Notion: We chose to use Notion as a place to host our interactive learning resource because one of our team members is very familiar with the platform. She suggested to the other group members that it would make for an easy-to-navigate platform for any student, or teacher, who would use this resource. Notion relies on simple coding and allows the creator to embed links and other resources, and create pages, just like a real online course. This was an easy choice for all of us, as this is not a difficult program to use, and we feel it has made our interactive learning resource feel like a real online and interactive course!
EdPuzzle: Edpuzzle was an easy choice to make for an interactive activity within this resource. It was a tool that many of us have used in the past. It provides a unique way for students to watch an educational video, and then reflect on what they have just watched. It is also a great way to provide maximum engagement from just a youtube video because it ensures that the student is paying attention to the video, and comprehending the information within the video.
Google Classroom: We decided to use Google Classroom as it is a commonly used site in many classrooms across the country; therefore, our learners would most likely a level of familiarity with it already. Additionally this site contains many features such as the ability to make announcements, link quizzes and provide discussion forums; the site fit well with our lessons and learning activites. One example of how we used google classroom to support our interactive ressource was using it as a space for students to share their final inquiry projects as it alows them to post their work as well as view, interact with and comment on their peers’ work. By providing this interactive resource, students are able to learn from each other and get their work shown to a wider audience (creating an element of community).
Google forms: We chose to use google forms for a quiz as a formative assessment as it is easy to use, allows for anonymous submissions, and provides the creator or teacher with feedback to see if the teacher needs to change anything or spend more time on specific topics. Google forms are also able to be re-done multiple times; therefore, students can re use them to practice and see how their understandings have grown.
Gimkit: We found a Gimkit that was created by another user and decided to use this because it included ideas that we had in our unit. We decided this was a great use of open resources. Students will work through the Gimkit, which is an excellent platform for gamification, and they will complete learning objectives. In a real classroom, we would create our Gimkit so we could give feedback on the student's answers.
YouTube: Using YouTube is a great opportunity for students to use different types of media to learn. It is also important for students to learn from different voices throughout units. YouTube allows students to engage in a video, but on its own is not able to be assessed. Not everything needs to be an assessment, although it is possible to include an assessment by creating an EdPuzzle with a YouTube video, or any other for of assessment such as discussion posts and google form posts.