Month: January 2024

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Week 5- LA#2 Situational Factors

I would want this online experience to be more of a psychoeducational experience; the learning outcomes would reflect this, and formal evaluations would not be the focus for students. The group would be small, with no more than ten students. The general context would be that when the experience was over, the students would have a practical skill they could take away to support their mental wellness journey.  The nature of the experience would be both theoretical and practical as the learning experience would give background on how bilateral stimulation (BLS) can be used to support mental wellness and how the basic neurobiology of the brain supports this. It would also be practical because there would be opportunities to try out the BLS and learn how to use it for different mental health challenges. The learners would be in the class because they felt drawn to the topic, and as such, this would mean that they would already be mentally prepared to learn this new information.

Teaching this type of psychoeducational experience online might make the learning less stressful for students as they could have autonomy over how engaged they are with the group, they could have the ability to be on or off camera, and they may feel less self-conscious being in their own safe space. Some challenges to this platform are low technical literacy, poor access to high-speed wifi, and perhaps having external distractions because students are attending from ‘home’.

 

Dee Fink, L. (2003). A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning .Retrieved from http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf

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Week Four- LA#3

 

The KwikReader course that I am working through has some elements of both the ADDIE and the Dee Fink models. It also utilizes the steps in Gagne’s nine events of instruction. The program used the first step in the ADDIE model- Analysis — This phase involves clarifying the instructional problem, establishing the instructional goals and objectives, and identifying the learning environment and the learner’s existing knowledge and skills (Bates, 2015). The program has done a great job of using analysis to target the learning population likely to be interested in this course; they have employed the concept to assess learners’ prior knowledge and characteristics (Bates, 205). This analytic foundation has provided an approach focusing on a very narrow learning outcome and then building on how to ensure the learner can meet that outcome. Due to this focused analytical framework, the design is also focused and follows the “D” in the ADDIE instructional design model by using the data gathered by the first phase to design a course that has specific course material unique to the course and that supports the learner to meet the learning outcomes successfully. This course also relies heavily on Gagne’s theory by grabbing the learners’ attention, summarizing course goals, linking previous knowledge to new skills/knowledge learned, and teaching the lessons in segments that allow the learners to practice and measure success as they go along (Arshaskiy, 2016).

I suspect this design model was chosen for its simplicity and because it is a proven method for designing content with clear learning objectives that align with structured content (Bates, 2015). The KwikReader program has many associated learning programs, and using the ADDIE method probably made it easier to develop other programs using a “cookie cutter” type approach to the design. The ADDIE model is a valuable tool to support the management and production of courses with the same quality or standards (Bates, 2015).

The KwikReader program is a bit “gimmicky” and might put some people off because of a definite “sales pitchy” vibe. Still, it follows good course design theory, and there are many current subscribers, so I think the designers have done their job well.

Arshavskiy, M. (2016). Leveraging Gagné’s nine events of instruction . Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/leveraging-gagnes-nine-events-of-instruction

Bates, A.W. (2015). The ADDIE model. In Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning Vancouver BC: Tony Bates Associates Ltd. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/6-5-the-addie-model/ CC BY-NC 4.0

 

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Week Three – LA #6

My background is in MH and I am interested in creating an online learning experience that would teach about neurobiology and how bilateral stimulation helps to rewire the anxious brain.

Anxiety is a common mental health condition that can cause feelings of nervousness, worry, and fear. It can interfere with everyday activities and relationships, and it can lead to a variety of physical symptoms, such as headaches, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping.

Traditional treatments for anxiety include psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. However, these treatments are not always effective for everyone, especially youth who often have trouble with talk therapy due to their neuro-developmental stage.

Bilateral stimulation is not a completely new treatment for anxiety, but it is not completely mainstream either; it is, however, showing promising results. Bilateral stimulation involves using various forms of stimulation, from tapping, eye movement or electrical stimulation, to activate the brain.

Using the cognitivism and connectivism learning theories we have looked at this week would support this learning experience as the participants can work together, learn new ways to think about the subject and we can use hands-on tapping techniques to learn a new skill.

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Week One Assessment #1 Online Course Audit

I have chosen to take a speed reading course. I have been interested in the topic of speed reading for a while and have chosen to pay for and participate in the KwikReader course. I am hoping to improve my reading skills and I am interested in the delivery and format of this type of online learning course.


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