Module 4

My experience of trying out H5P

I created a multiple-choice quiz using H5P, designed to educate users about Japan. This quiz serves two purposes: it caters to those unfamiliar with Japan, providing them with informative content as they progress through the questions, while also challenging individuals already knowledgeable about the country to test their understanding. Crafting the quiz with H5P proved to be an enjoyable process, as it offered numerous features such as providing hints or feedback when users select incorrect answers, and the option to allow retries for questions.

Putting myself in the shoes of the user, I tailored the quiz design and adjusted settings accordingly. For instance, I ensured that users could retry questions if they made incorrect choices. Additionally, I incorporated feedback explaining why each wrong answer was incorrect, enriching the learning experience by providing users with additional facts. Rather than simply notifying users of their mistakes, offering supplementary information adds value to their learning journey.

How have you found the balance of passive and active learning in this course for your learning? How does it compare to your experience in other courses?

I find that this course has a good balance between passive and active learning approaches. There are abundance of resources provided like readings, podcasts, and videos that facilitate passive learning by providing us with foundational knowledge on the topics. The blog writing component serves as a reflective exercise, where we consolidate our understanding gained from these passive learning resources. This process of articulating our learning allows for self-assessment of comprehension. Engaging in activities further enhances our learning experience by providing hands-on practice, which is a quintessential aspect of active learning.

In contrast, many of my other courses, particularly in computer science, lean heavily towards passive learning. While lectures, slides, and textbooks offer information, they often lack sufficient guidance for completing assignments effectively. This deficiency undermines the active learning process. 

To find the balance between passive and active learning, it’s essential to provide students with substantial information through passive learning resources while ensuring that active learning activities, such as assignments, are designed to complement the taught materials. This way, students can immerse themselves in the subject matter and actively challenge their comprehension.

What is your experience with video game learning supports? Which principles (Mayer’s and Merrill’s) seem to be commonly applied in in-game support and which ones are often missed in your experience?

One of my interests is learning different languages. If possible, I would have the power to speak every language on earth. Recently, I started using Duolingo, a quiz-style language game designed to help users learn a new language. While it’s not the best tool for language learning, it’s very convenient as it’s a mobile app. When I’m bored, I open it up and learn a few new words in a different language. The platform adheres to Mayer’s multimedia principles by incorporating images alongside new vocabulary, aiding in comprehension and retention. The absence of background music allows for focused learning and concentration on quiz tasks, aligning with the coherence principle.

Duolingo also incorporates many of Merrill’s principles. It first shows the word and demonstrates how those words fit into a sentence. In a quiz format, I apply what I’ve learned from these demonstrations. Therefore, for Duolingo, Merrill’s principles of demonstrations and application of new knowledge are very well applied. However, it lacks integration into the learner’s world because the app alone does not provide services or functions to interact with native speakers or to practice and test language knowledge.

Lesson planning

My lesson plan is related to my group’s final project.
To give you some context, our group is creating a tutorial of “How to make a DIY slime” for kids.