Tag: edci335

Introduction

Our group’s Interactive Learning Resource discusses Alzheimer’s Disease, and its impact on human life. More specifically, the Interactive Learning Resource focuses on the multiple stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, the various symptoms that patients may develop, and possible treatment options for Alzheimer’s 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 Alzheimer’s 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 “selective attention test” video under week 8, ‘Inclusive Learning Design’ 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 “more pathways to success,” 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 “selective attention test,” a diagram of the five stages of Alzheimer’s, or a labeled image of a ‘normal human brain’ versus an ‘Alzheimer’s Disease human brain’ 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 Queen’s University (n.d.), inquiry-based learning is defined as “an 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.” A key component in inquiry-based learning is the student’s ability to ask questions, identify relevant materials, determine how to use those materials to answer questions, and share progress with others (students, teacher, etc.)

Queen’s 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, “Alzheimer’s Disease.” 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.). Queen’s University: Centre for Teaching and Learning. https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning

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