Category: Assignment 3 – Final Review – Module 3-5 Blog Posts and Comments

Module 3: https://edci337amiraelhafi.opened.ca/2024/02/20/blog-post-3-storytelling-and-creating-video/#comment-17

Module 4: https://nima337.vercel.app/blog/module4

Module 5: https://nima337.vercel.app/blog/module5#comment-493

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.

7 Storytelling Techniques Used by the Most Inspiring TED Presenters

All seven presenters were great storytellers. As someone with stage fright, it amazes me how well they were all able to express themselves vividly and appear to genuinely enjoy doing it. The first video by Richard Turere showed that even if you are presenting in a language you are not fluent in, it is still possible to deliver your message. He used pictures to illustrate and express his story. By incorporating images, it helps listeners to visualize the situation he is describing in words.

From all the presenters, I found Leslie Morgan Steiner, who talked about domestic violence, and Dananjaya Hettiarachchi, who talked about his life, to have caught my attention the most. Between these two speakers, I noticed that they used four similar storytelling techniques. Firstly, they both start the story with a physical prop to capture their audience’s attention. Secondly, they share their life experiences to connect with the audience. Hearing something familiar or relatable helps to keep the audience engaged as it is easier to imagine the story. Thirdly, they add humor to their narratives, which also maintains the audience’s attention and lightens the tone of the story. Lastly, they do not address the crowd directly but instead speak as if they are having a one-on-one conversation with you. Additionally, Leslie Morgan introduced an element of suspense and tension by gradually revealing plot twists in her story. They both executed the techniques very well that I was able to hear their message without feeling tired. After their presentation, I left feeling genuinely pleased to have had the opportunity to hear it.

My experience using story telling techniques

When I tell a story, I naturally incorporate personal experiences to connect with the listener. I find it’s the most effective way to convey the message without becoming dull and to capture the audience’s attention. If I sense that something might be difficult to explain or visualize, I use pictures to help them understand. However, I struggle with maintaining the audience’s engagement because I don’t address each individual directly.

I recognize that speaking as if I’m having a one-on-one conversation with each audience member is a challenging technique to master, especially for someone like me who experiences stage fright. My inclination is to simply say what I need to say and move on. However, I understand that mastering this skill requires a great deal of practice, as I also need to work on overcoming my stage fright.

Moving forward, I plan to incorporate humor into my storytelling to enhance audience engagement. I believe it’s a simple yet effective step towards capturing the audience’s attention.

Twine experience

Twine is a tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories. It presents you with scenarios, and you choose actions or choices. Depending on your selection, the story changes accordingly. Creating a story myself was quite challenging. I’m not very creative when it comes to generating stories, but once I had a script, using the Twine tool to create the interface and make the story interactive was fun and satisfying.

While using Twine, it reminded me of a game called Detroit: Become Human, which is an interactive game where the choices you make affect the outcome. Some players choose the best option to try to get the best outcome, while others try to select choices they wouldn’t usually make in real life out of curiosity to see how they will affect the story.

I think a branched narrative like Twine allows learners to engage with the content, as their choices affect the outcome. It creates an opportunity for learners to think carefully and analyze situations. When I play games like this, I often try other options to explore different outcomes and perspectives. I reflect on the choices and consider whether the choice I made was better or not.

Here a link to my Twine:
https://maikacoleen.itch.io/twine