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Peer review for Pod 2’s “Basic Python for Beginners” Interactive learning resource. 

I believe this team has covered the topics nicely in an organized and informative manner. The choice of using google Slides helps to make it easy to maneuver it thoroughly and see all the content and links. It would be lovely to see some more colors or images. 

Overview:  (slides 5-9)

The overview provides a clear description of the topic of the material presented. I  really liked that it was very direct in indicating who it was for, the purpose, which type of learning, and so forth.

I agree that direct instructions (DI) is an accurate representation of this material as it provides specific examples/work for learners to follow and practice.

Personally, I feel as if behaviorism could also be a good fit, as it focuses on responses to specific stimuli this could be interpreted as one writes and runs the code(Ertmer & Newby, 2018).

Moreover, I thought it was very helpful to have the description and rationale split up for the learning theory, and design sections.

Perhaps you might consider adding a small description of the learning outcomes, how will they be of use to the learner, or why knowing this will be helpful.

Activities: (slides 10-25)

It seems to me that the first activity is watching and completing a true/false quiz. I believe if there were components of the learner having to explain their learning it would be of many benefits to test and see what was not only retained but understood. I really liked the Leet code programming problems. I think it is crucial for a student to practice inputting code to understand the process.

Assessment: (slides 23,25,26-29)

For the quiz which is a majority of the grade, I like that the learner has the whole day to complete it. I believe the final assessment activity is great. However, it would be useful to have an explanation section for the assessments as it would provide the learner with the opportunity to express their thought and understanding.

Additionally, I believe this course would benefit from a feedback component, this would allow for additional modifications in the future. 

Design for Inclusion, technology: (slides 30-32)

I agree that this course is well designed for a working single parent as it is self-paced, and all the information can be provided virtually. However, I believe this course will not necessarily be as inclusive for those who do not have access to a  computer. Coding unfortunately has to be run to check for errors. One could however practice by written coding activities with pen and paper. I believe it would be useful to further look into how this course could support those without a  computer.  

Overall I believe this is a great tool with a good selection of components that allowed students to explore the basics of python without getting too overwhelmed. I believe it will very helpful.

 Best

Jeet Bains 

Reference:

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. (2018) Behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design persepctive. In R. E. West, Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology: The Past, Present, and Future of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. EdTechBooks. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism

Hello Tony,

Great post! I really liked hearing your perspective on learning interaction.

The video concept for your interactive learning resource is very helpful as more and more learners are discovering struggles with attention span. Furthermore, I thought it was very impressive that your group is finding a more effective/efficient way to grade assignments. ie running the code. This will save lots of time and hopefully allow the instructor to provide students with that time to help them through their errors.

Best

Jeet

Hello Ariehl,

I really enjoyed reading your post it was very informative. Some parts that really stood out to me included your group’s take on the summative assessment for your learning resource. I agree that it’s reasonable to get students to participate in self-assessments. this is very useful. as they would get the chance to do personal check-ins regarding what they are feeling. I agree that stress cannot be assessed in one manner. Furthermore, i think it’s great your group has implemented the flexibility of learning (taking breaks, etc..) I feel this will keep individuals more engaged/safe. I really like this concept. Best of luck!

Jeet

Designing for inclusion what is it?

Inclusive design is making sure a variety of people are considered for the use of that resource (Meyer et all, 2014).  Each individual is vastly different, this includes differing needs, preferences, capabilities, challenges, etc. it is important to consider different capabilities and limits when coming up with ideas for public use. For example, round door knobs. They may not seem like a problem to most. However, it is challenging to open a door when you are carrying something, or for those who may have ALS, or Parkinson’s disease one may not be able to grip the handle as efficiently as another person.  Whereas leaver door knobs are much easier to open, one can use their leg if needed, or an arm. They simply need to just hit it down. Therefore, these inventions do not have equal accessibility or usability.  

How will your interactive learning resource specifically ensure that the needs of all learners can be met? 

Since each individual has different learning capabilities and may require varying support to reach their full potential. It is important to ensure accountability for the type of assessments, and tasks a person is given (Meyer et all, 2014). I believe in our interactive learning resource we are focusing on a variety of inclusive learning components. This will include Kahoot and moodle. Kahoot allows for those who are better at multiple choice quick response assessment types and moodle will be catered toward written responses. This allows for students to be assessed in more than one manner. Furthermore, we will allow students using our interactive learning resource to meet with other peers as well as us to discuss class topics. This will be done by meeting with groups virtually or participating in an online discussion. Ultimately,  allowing for more cooperative engagement 

Consider the learning environment for your current design. What potential barriers can be reduced or eliminated to provide more pathways for learner success?

An example of a barrier for EMR scheduling systems includes not having any experience using information systems (Gupta, 2008). This can be reduced as staff can receive training and support through both the implementation and updates for the system. This will also require good communication between users and developers as well as good teamwork and collaborative learning skills. Another potential barrier could be inconsistencies or errors in information within the system. This could be reduced by altering the system user to perform an information overview verification before submitting the patient details. 

References:

Meyer, Anne, et al. Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice. CAST Professional Publishing, an Imprint of CAST, Inc., 2014, UDL Theory Practice, retrieved from: udltheorypractice.cast.org/

Right to Education – Inclusive Education, retrieved from: https://www.inclusiveeducation.ca/learn/right-to-education/

Gupta, D., & Denton, B. (2008). Appointment scheduling in health care: Challenges and opportunities. IIE Transactions, 40(9), 800–819. https://doi.org/10.1080/07408170802165880

What is cooperative learning?

Cooperative learning is a form of learning done in a group (Brame,2015). This learning is done by multiple individuals providing a social structure to the discussion of concepts (Brame,2015) The use of goals and interactions allows for increased engagement, practicing social skills, and teamwork.

My experience with cooperative learning:

I have had lots of experiences with cooperative learning. I feel as if my studies in Health Information Sciences promoted a lot of group work. Along with working collaboratively, I found through many courses my teammates and I would help each other learn as students when we would be stuck or confused. I believe this helped us gain better social interaction skills. This I feel has truly translated into my co-op and working in a real-life professional setting.

How this type of learning relates to our topic?

This approach aligns with our topic as a form of integrated learning is very necessary for individuals to be able to use an EMR scheduling system effectively.  I believe cooperative learning is a critical part of learning to use the system and keeping up with system updates. Working together as a team is needed when developing the system as there have to be interactions between the developers and users, and again when the system is implemented the staff has to learn and then continue to work together to use it effectively.

Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work:
Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/.

Pixabay. (n.d.). 1,000+ free collaboration & team images – pixabay. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://pixabay.com/images/search/collaboration/

This week I chose the third article “Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them”  by Rajagopal, et al. 2012.  This article caught my interest as it refers to one’s professional development and growth through networking. This includes learning strategies built from refections and social interactions and experiences.

By reading this article I gained a new perspective on networking in a professional setting. This includes the three-layered approach proposed by Grabher and Ibert (2008). Which explains the communality layer/strong ties, sociality layer/weak ties, and connectivity layer/very weak ties. All of which play an important role in developing professional networking skills. Not only is networking a skill that can be further developed, but it is also an attitude towards learning. 

My wonder regarding this article is that I would like to know more about building, maintaining, and activating connections, learn more in-depth about the factors of contacts qualities, as well as the impacts of attitude on one’s professional network building experiences. 

The reason why I chose this article as my WoW topic was that I have recently started my first Co-op in the Health Information Sciences program. I am currently in a new workplace and have the opportunity to network professionally. This includes gaining further perspectives which will ultimately aid me in networking in both my current and future jobs and any other endeavors  I may take. 

Hyperlink: https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559/3131

Rajagopal, K., Brinke, D. J.-ten, Bruggen, J. V., & Sloep, P. B. (n.d.). Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. First Monday. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559