Category: edci335
Type of Interaction
The video I selected for this blog post is a youtube video titled āAlzheimer’s Disease: Risk Factors, Testing, Treatments | Mass General Brigham.ā by the Mass General Brigham (2024). This video was also selected for my teamās Interactive Design Blueprint (IDB). It is themed around Alzheimerās Disease, and includes various general information about our IDB. The video is meant as a form of ālearner-contentā interaction. While this video does not force a response from learners, it aims to give them more information about the topic which, for the purposes of the IDB, will be a stepping stone for activities and assessments.
Interactive Design
After viewing the video in our IDB, we tasked learners with documenting some facts they came across in the video. This included grabbing a pen and paper or using electronic or mobile devices to collect information on the video. Afterwards, learners are tasked with answering some questions about the video such as āHow do we diagnose Alzheimer’sā¦ What are some potential treatments of Alzheimer’s?ā This aims to help students learn more about the topic, which will help them with the subsequent assessments.
Feedback
When it comes to feedback, learners are tasked with documenting the contents of the video and responding to questions posed by the IDB. However, it does not stop there. Learners are also encouraged to complete other reading activities regarding Alzheimerās. Moreover, Learners are later tasked with completing multiple Kahoot assessments to test their knowledge on the subject.
Manageability
This activity would not consume a significant amount of time and effort for myself/learners. The work involves taking notes on the videoās contents, as well as responding to questions on the materials. Additionally, the video is approximately only 5 minutes long, making it easy to watch, especially for students with shorter attention spans. This activity is selected because it can be completed individually or in groups. Furthermore, it can also be scaled for a larger number of learners if need be.
Reference
Mass General Brigham. (2024, August 16).Ā Alzheimer’s Disease: Risk Factors, Testing, Treatments | Mass General BrighamĀ [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot1bea0-OXk&t=1s
Introduction
Our groupās Interactive Learning Resource discusses Alzheimerās Disease, and its impact on human life. More specifically, the Interactive Learning Resource focuses on the multiple stages of Alzheimerās Disease, the various symptoms that patients may develop, and possible treatment options for Alzheimerās Disease. Throughout the project, we have created multiple obstacles and challenges that aim to test, educate, and ultimately reward our learners with knowledge they can use, and share with other people. Our designated learners, high-school students, are given the task of traversing our Interactive Learning Resources, reviewing reading materials, completing activities, and performing a Kahoot assessment to test their learning.
Adjusting For Learner Needs
As of the writing of this blog post, our activities are a work in progress, and involve the review of numerous articles to gain additional insight on our learning outcomes for Alzheimerās Disease. This may pose an issue for some learners, as our activities entail a lot of reading. For ordinary students, this may still pose an issue, as reading multiple articles is an arduous process, and takes time and focus. Refer to the āselective attention testā video under week 8, āInclusive Learning Designā on the EDCI 335 website (University of Victoria: Educational Technology, 2025). The video and the overall post suggest that learners can easily miss information if they are not intently paying attention throughout the process.
To provide learners with āmore pathways to success,ā we ought to lower barriers to learning, to make the process more manageable (University of Victoria: Educational Technology, 2025). To do this, we can use images and videos to convey information in a digestible format. This can take the form of a youtube video showcasing a āselective attention test,ā a diagram of the five stages of Alzheimerās, or a labeled image of a ānormal human brainā versus an āAlzheimerās Disease human brainā followed by a concise explanation. Ultimately, there are many ways for us to make learning easier for learners, and it is our duty to find those ways.
Reference
University of Victoria: Educational Technology. (2025). Inclusive Learning Design. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/inclusive-learning-design
Inquiry Approach – Overview
When it comes to learning, inquiry places the responsibility on the learner to feel motivated to understand the topic at hand. According to Queenās University (n.d.), inquiry-based learning is defined as āan array of classroom practices that promote student learning through guided and, increasingly, independent investigation of complex questions and problems, often for which there is no single answer.ā A key component in inquiry-based learning is the studentās ability to ask questions, identify relevant materials, determine how to use those materials to answer questions, and share progress with others (students, teacher, etc.)
Queenās University (n.d.) identifies four elements that are central to the idea of inquiry-based learning: inquire (ask questions and discuss topic to improve base understanding), research and reflect (find relevant sources on the topic), evaluate (verify sources for accuracy and reliability), and construct (modify information into something of substance).
If a student follows up with the four elements of inquiry-based learning, they will improve their inquiry and learning skills over time. Not only will they improve their knowledge and expertise on the topic at hand, but they will also: improve their ability to ask the right questions, enhance their ability to research any given topic for relevant information, improve their ability to vett information, and improve their ability to communicate information (either through written or verbal means).
Alignment With Topic
In the context of our first assignment, Inquiry-based learning is aligned to our chosen topic, āAlzheimerās Disease.ā The reason for that is due to the structure of our Learning Design Blueprint. When we completed the assignment, we made available a variety of learning methods for prospective students. These methods exist to guide the students to a deeper understanding of the material, and include online articles, several health organizations, and multiple examinations to test learning competency on the topic. Overall, Inquiry-based learning is about asking questions, then answering those same questions, and our blueprint provides learning with the ability to do just that.
References
Inquiry-Based Learning. (n.d.). Queenās University: Centre for Teaching and Learning. https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning
Blog 1
Comment 1 (Link) (to teammate Therese Taruc): “I like how you progress throughout the blog, learning new skills and techniques to guide you through courses (and the university experience). Having taken these courses before, I can attest to how difficult they can be in terms of memorization and midterms. I also like your inclusion of course content, such as behaviorism, in your blog. Overall, it is a good post.”
Comment 2 (Link) (to Omid Izadi): “I like how you talked about the key topic of week 3 in your blog. I do think the blog was written very well. Nevertheless, the blog explains each feature of learning and its importance in the learning process. Moreover, it summarises the topic rather well. Good post.”
Comment 3 (Link) (to Gaia Iturralde): “I like that your post was aabout a relatable experience (math). I also liked how you tied the course material to your experience. Moreover, I liked how you tied each of your strategies to learning and understanding. Overall, it was a good post, and I enjoyed reading it.”
Blog 2
Comment 1 (Link) (to teammate Therese Taruc): “I liked how you used bullet point format to explain the key areas of direct instruction. Your post provides insight into direct instruction and its importance. Moreover, I also liked the way you tied direct instruction to our topic of Alzheimer’s Disease. Overall, a decent post, with some minor grammar issues (at the time of typing this).”
Comment 2 (Link) (to David Xie): “I like how you link all subtopics to the constructivist approach to learning. Moreover, you adequately give examples of how your learning environment promotes a constructivist approach to learning. Overall, good post.”
Blog 3
Comment 1 (Link) (to teammate Mansahaj Singh Popli): “I liked your use of personal experiences to tie into the material. Your post gives a prespective into what inclusive design would look like in practice. I also liked how you discussed issues such as rigidness in educating, which can make it more difficult to teach even regular or brighter students. Overall, your post was insightful.”
Comment 2 (Link) (to Dawson Charles): “I liked the use of the Olympic athlete analogy, as well as the GPS analogy in your post. I found the framing of universal design as the removal of barriers to be a good prespective to have for educators. I agree with the idea that inclusive design aims to make education possible for everyone. Overall, a decent post.”
Blog 4
Comment 1 (Link) (to teammate Mansahaj Singh Popli): “I like that you included the video at the beginning, as well as providing a summary of its contents at the start of the blog. Moreover, I appreciated how concise your post was, effectively describing how learners are meant to interact with the material at hand. I also liked how you mentioned making the video inclusive by creating a transcript, which would be helpful for blind learners and the like. Overall, it was a good post.”
Comment 2 (Link) (to Dawson Charles): “I liked how you included an overview on your subject at the beginning of the blog, as it provides valuable insight into the rest of the post. One of the things you mentioned learners are encouraged to do is take notes, which is something our team has suggested for our video, with the same reasoning as your post. Moreover, I believe it is a good thing to make learning more inclusive whenever feasible. Also, I like the fact that you linked your video in the blog post, but I would have liked it more had you embedded the video into your post. Overall, it was a good blog post.”
Introduction
Learning is about obtaining new information and using it to tackle a problem. Whether it is learning a skill that helps you solve a problem you are facing, or out of pure interest or enjoyment about the topic, learning is all about seeking information, and putting it to use.
Computer Science 375
I have learned many things throughout university, and I still have much more to learn. My best learning experience thus far has to be from the Fall 2024 semester, in the third year of my Health Information Science (HINF) program. During that semester, I had my best learning experience in communication and teamwork. One course sticks out, “Computer Science 375: Introduction to Systems Analysis” (CSC375), taught to us by Professor Roberto A. Bittencourt. Teaching CSC375 was a learning experience for Professor Bittencourt as well, as it was his first time teaching it, but I digress.
In CSC375, students were divided into 24 groups of six, and were instructed to work on a large-scale group assignment that would total 70% of our grade by the end of the semester. The assignment was broken into 9 components, and all six of us were involved in those components. When starting the semester, I had a difficult time assimilating with the group, especially since I was meeting some teammates for the first time.
A Constructivist Approach to Communication
However, throughout the semester, I took on a constructivist approach to learning how to communicate and work in a team. To elaborate, a constructivist approach to learning means I took on new experiences and advanced my learning using a hands-on approach (Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T., 2018). I created an Instagram groupchat to facilitate inter-group communication, and I chose a leadership position in the group to cultivate my communication with all other members. More specifically, we all had different roles, and I was the Project Manager.
As a Project Manager, I progressively learned to create in-person meeting times and locations, discuss/allocate responsibilities, and communicate with all team members. This not only allowed me to know my teammates much better, but it also improved my communication skills, a category I previously underperformed on.
Conclusion
Overall, I believe that taking CSC375 has taught me how to communicate more effectively. This occurred through a constructivist approach of persistently communicating with multiple people throughout the semester. Ultimately, I learned how to communicate better, and I will continue to learn more.
References
Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. (2018). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology: https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism
Hello, and welcome to anyone reading this! My name is Bashar, and I am a 3rd year Health Information Science (HINF) Student. I enrolled in HLTH321 because I wanted to take a health-related senior elective to learn more useful information about healthcare. To my groupmates reading this, I hope we get along!
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