Effective use of educational media

R19–0518, R19–0618 MEDN67090

This plan is a refreshed version of this post. This updated plan aims to reduce the possibility of cognitive overload and allow more time in the session for participants to design learning.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

2 hour session with activities

Supporting materials

• Slides/materials: Slides
• Online session materials: Padlet, Google form
• Other materials used: Flipchart, pens, post its, printed instructions, iPads, Case studies, Learning challenges, ABC toolkit cards (Download all materials as zip file.)

Practicalities

• Group: up to 30
• Length: 2 hours
• Room: flat seminar room
• Discipline: any, can be tailored
• Level: any, can be tailored

Learning outcomes

After engaging with this support, you will be able to:

• Evaluate different educational media and OER’s and their potential for implementation
• Design a learning activity that incorporates educational media to support learning
• Reflect critically upon how to incorporate educational media into individual practise

Suggested online resources

• Start to finish: Present like a pro
• Copyright for teaching materials

Session content

Introduction

The first part of the session introduces students to facilitators. Identify what will be covered during the session:

• Evaluate different educational media and OER’s and their potential for implementation
• Design a learning activity that incorporates educational media to support learning
• Reflect critically upon how to incorporate educational media into individual practise

Summarise by explaining the format the session will take; discussions, action planing and activities.

Agenda

Screenshot of slide asking students ‘What they want from the session’.

Students are introduce to 3 questions:

1. How does educational media/technology make you feel?
2. What do you want to know?
3. What do you want to be able to do?

Students are asked to consider these questions and feedback to facilitators in order to shape the session. Responses are written on a flip chart and discussed as they are fed back. Facilitators use these throughout the session and revisit at the end.

Communities of practice

In this next part of the session students are introduced to the idea of communities of practice and key learning theories and frameworks related to education media.

Screenshot of slide 4 ‘’Connectivism, Social, Collaborative, Active, Peer-to-peer. Communities of practice’.

Facilitators give an over view of relevant educational media research and how it all fits together to form a community of practice. Social constructivism and connectivism, blended and active learning in particular are highlighted

Emphasise how educational media and technology can enhance learning experiences. It can support and enable learning, increase engagement; however it is not always the answer!

Highlight to students that the theories covered here have one thing in common and that is learning with others. Theory has its place: but it should be considered alongside other elements. References are given for these theories on the final slide and also at the end of this post.

Learning technologies cards

In this next part of the session students are introduced to technologies card sets. Each card represents a different type of educational media, its advantages and disadvantages. Students are asked to spend time 2 minutes discussing the cards and share examples of where they have used the successfully in their own practice.

Explore each card— paying attention to the advantages and disadvantages .

Identify & discuss what would work for your own practise or what you have used successfully before.

Decide where it fits in relation to supporting the 4 main areas of learning activity (1. discuss, 2. create, 3. collaborate and 4. reflect).

The facilitator will keep groups moving by giving time prompts, 10 minutes will be allowed in total.

Solving your learning challenge

After all groups have discussed the learning technologies cards. They are given a learning challenge card.

Challenge example:

“You are delivering a session for 200 students. It will be taking place in a lecture theatre on campus. Some of the students may not be able to attend as they are on placements.”

Each group will have a different challenge to use in this part of the session. There are 4 in total, as follows:

1. You are delivering a session for 200 students. It will be taking place in a lecture theatre on campus. Some of the students may not be able to attend as they are on placements.
2. You are facilitating a problem/inquiry/case based learning group. There are usually about 12 students present.
3. You mentor a small group of professional postgraduate students. The students all work at different sites and are on different placements around the region. You meet face to face 4 times per year at training events.
4. You are supporting a small group of students who are working on individual research projects in your field. One of the students is currently working abroad.

Each of the groups is given the following instructions for the activity:

- Use the iPads to complete the form ‘Planning your session/activity’ based on their learning challenge from the stalls activity.

- Participants should respond to the learning challenge by planning a short activity to engage learners incorporating appropriate technology. Each group should be able to outline their rationale for their planning.

- You may want to start by identifying the objective and then discuss appropriate technologies on the reverse.

Inclusive learning design

In this next part of the session students to best practice guidance for designing learning which inclusive and accessible.

Accessibility principles:
To create inclusive learning materials that can be accessed by all audiences, including:

• Students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
• Students learning via distance and partially online, specifically those with limited access.
• Students who speak English as a second language.

To enable all students to gain the most from teaching materials by removing barriers to access such as:

• Taking a text-only approach to the first iteration of new materials.
• Providing alternative formats such as transcripts, blogs, video, and audio.
• Providing access to openly and specifically sharing these before and or after events as appropriate.

Students are provided with a link (embedded into their Blackboard space) to more detailed guidance on designing accessible materials, including links to further resources such as ‘Copyright for teaching materials’.

Creating an action plan

In this final part of the session students are asked to reflect on their own practice, reviewing the flips at the start of the session and also what they have learned in the session. They are asked to contribute to a Padlet which has been embedded into their Blackboard space.

The Padlet asks students to add action(s) relating to:

• What you are going to try?
• Why you’re going to try it?
• When you are going to do it?

Summary

At the end of the session facilitators revisit the agenda from the beginning of the session and ask the SCONUL evaluation question.

Further reading

Students are are advised of what has been placed into the course space on Blackboard which includes all the materials used in the session as well as further reading.

Suggested reading

• Teaching in a Digital age
• ABC learning design toolkit
• Effective assessment in a digital age

References

• Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity.
• Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age.International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3–10.
• Tinto, V., 2003. Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success. Higher Education monograph series, 1(8), pp.1–8.
• Vygotsky, Lev (1978). Mind in Society. London: Harvard University Press.

MEDN67090, R19–0518, R19–0618