Hi everyone,
In this blog post, I will be reviewing a group’s Interactive Learning Resource (ILR) whose topic is Basic Nutrition.
To begin, I really liked how your group decided to put your ILR on a website instead of a Google word document. I found the website to be well-designed, and the layout of the webpage is clean and user-friendly. Additionally, it was very easy to navigate through your group’s topics, and each topic’s corresponding assignments.
Regarding the content of your ILR, I will start by looking at your overview, and sequentially review the relevant aspects of the resource which will be assessed as defined in the assignment outline.
Overview
The overview of your ILR is very well-written and concise. Your group did a good job of describing all the topics which were going to be covered in your resource; however, one suggestion I have is to add a sentence in which explains why you chose the topic of “Basic Nutrition.” As covered during the “Motivation and Learning” unit of EDCI335, making the learning experience relevant and meaningful can help increase learner motivation (James, 2022a).
Description and Rationale for Learning Theory and Design
Unfortunately, I was unable to locate your group’s description and rationale for your ILR’s learning theory and design. Considering the resource is still a draft, I understand these sections may not yet be complete. I noticed your website has a link to a webpage titled “Schedule” (See Figure 1). Perhaps this will be a suitable webpage to later describe your learning theory and design.
After going through your group’s ILR, I personally think the cognitivism learning theory could be well-suited to your resource. This is because your group provided real-life examples within each topic, and organized the information in your topics into subtopics (e.g., Topic 2 has a Micronutrient subtopic, and Macronutrient subtopic). In fact, cognitive approaches emphasize the organization of information to facilitate processing, and the use of relevant examples which enables students to create connections between the material and prior knowledge (Ertmer & Newby, 2013).
In terms of learning design, it appears students can access all the information for your ILR on the website, and can complete the resource at their own pace online. As a result, I think inquiry-based learning may be appropriate for your ILR. Although I did not research this learning design myself, from what I recall during a discussion with my learning pod, it is a learning approach in which the instructor acts as a facilitator instead of a teacher. For your ILR, perhaps it is the website which acts as the facilitator.
Description of Learning Context
I was unable to locate your group’s description of your learning context. Again, since the resource is a draft, I understand these sections may be incomplete. In my opinion, I believe your ILR could be well-suited to a variety of learning contexts, for the language used in your resource is formal and easy to understand.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes listed for each of your ILR’s topics are concise and well-written. As covered in the “Learning Outcomes” unit of EDCI335, each outcome should include a verb, and I think your group did a good job of accomplishing this (James, 2022b). Regarding the learning outcomes listed on the Overview webpage of your resource, I also think they are very good; however, one suggestion I have is to change the verb in your second learning outcome from “consider” to a different verb, such as “explain.” This is because it would be difficult to accurately assess whether a student can effectively consider the impact of nutrition on their everyday diet.
Commentary about Topics and Activities
Each topic of your ILR is thorough, informative, and well-written. One suggestion I have is to include citations and references to support the information provided in your resource. While I did see citations included in your Micronutrient and Macronutrient webpages, it may be beneficial to add citations throughout the rest of your resource to increase its reliability, and to avoid plagiarism. Additionally, it appears I cannot see the images provided on your “Different Diets” webpage (See Figure 2); however, if this webpage is not yet complete, that is not a problem.
Regarding your activities and assessments, I think your group did a great job at designing these, and I appreciate that you provided both graded and ungraded assessments. Further, your activities are interactive, and clearly relate to your listed learning outcomes. That being said, it appears there are no assignments listed for Topic 4, but I assume these will be provided in the final copy of your ILR. Based on the activities and assessments you came up with for Topics 1 to 3, I am sure you will develop just as great assignments for Topic 4!
Overview of Assessment Plan
I may have missed something, but I was unable to locate an overview of your group’s assessment plan. If you have not yet completed this section of your ILR, I think it would be beneficial if you provide a brief description and rationale for the assessments you included in each topic.
Inclusion of Diverse Learners
Unfortunately, I could not locate your plan to design for inclusion of diverse learners. Considering I do not know which contexts you selected for your group of learners, it is difficult for me to provide suggestions for this section of your ILR. However, one thing I will say is that your resource appears to be inclusive of individuals with hearing loss. This is because the information in your resource is mainly text-based, and most of the videos you included have a form of closed-captioning available.
Rationale for Technology Choices
Again, I was unable to locate your rationale for technology choices. Given your ILR is delivered online through a website, I think appropriate technologies to implement could be an internet connection, and a laptop or tablet. That being said, one of your activities for Assignment 1 requires students to take pictures of their meals; therefore, a tablet may be a more suitable technology for your resource.
Closing Remarks
Overall, I think your group has done a great job with your ILR so far! To ensure you include all the components of the resource which will be assessed, I recommend you review the assignment outline. Other than that, your group appears to be on the right track. Although not required by any means, feel free to implement any of the suggestions I have made above, and good luck!
References
Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.
James, H. (2022a, April 5). Motivation and learning. EDCI 335 – Learning Design for Technology-Mediated Environments. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/motivation/
James, H. (2022b, April 5). Learning outcomes. EDCI 335 – Learning Design for Technology-Mediated Environments. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/learning-outcomes/
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