Blog Post 4: Principles of Learning Design and Active Learning

What Authentic Problem Would you use to Design a Lesson Using Merrill’s Principles?

An authentic problem I thought of to use to design a lesson effectively using Merrill’s Principles could be attempting to educate youth about the importance of taking care of their mental health. This practice often happens within a school setting, but may be ineffective if the material is only covered through a lecture or guest speaker, which as we learned is not an effective way of ensuring students are retaining and processing information. I’ve been learning in one of my psych classes that transitional periods such as late childhood and early adolescence can be difficult or more stressful for many individuals. This can lead to symptoms of mental illness presenting themselves and becoming persistent if youth don’t have effective support systems in place, or don’t have effective self strategies for coping with these periods and supporting their mental well being.  

One of Merrill’s principles describes that learning is promoted when relevant previous experiences are activated, and that one of the best ways to start a lesson of a new concept is by first recognizing which past knowledge can be built off of. In this instance, activation can take place through providing a small chunk of time for students to break off into groups and discuss what mental health means to them, why it is important to take care of and potential ways this could occur. This allows for students to think back to times in their own lives where they’ve received or provided help during a difficult time and how that was beneficial.

Another principle that could be used is Merrill’s idea that learning is promoted when learners are engaged in solving real world problems. Because the lesson is on the topic of mental health, this is a crucial principle to remember. Instead of rattling off statistics, educators could put together case studies highlighting common mental health issues within adolescents, such as feelings of depression or anxiety, and give students the opportunity to brainstorm potential ways to help alleviate symptoms, before explaining themselves what would be best for each scenario. 

The principle that learning is promoted when the instruction demonstrates what is to be learned would also be an important one to use. As Merrill explains, it is much more effective to show than tell when providing learners with information. A demonstration could involve the modelling of ways to take care of one’s mental health, such as coping strategies that may include practising mindfulness meditations, seeking help from a trusted adult or peer or showing where to find professional resources.

What Media or Multimedia Would I Create to Support It?

For this material, I think that I would create an interactive lesson accompanied by a multimedia presentation. The multimedia presentation could help guide the principles I have highlighted above by prompting breakout periods with students and asking the class for their input on case studies while visually and audibly portraying the important material of the lesson. 

To further involve the students in this learning experience, after the multimedia presentation, an interactive practice of a mental wellness strategy could take place. A great way to include this could be for students to settle into their seats and close their eyes, focusing on their breathing. The teacher could find a guided meditation online, or write one themselves. These meditations often involve the vivid description of a serene, calming place, and asks the individual to picture themselves there and think of how they’re feeling. This is a great grounding and calming strategy that is super accessible, as students once they learn about this method of mindfulness are able to find similar ones on free sites such as Youtube or Spotify.

My Lesson Plan:

What Was Your Experience Trying Out H5P?

I had a really positive learning experience trying out H5P’s interactive learning tools. The instructional module was extremely helpful as it was clearly laid out and provided useful step by step instructions of how to set up the technology within wordpress. The site offered many more options than I was initially expecting, and provided a multitude of great teaching materials with so much variety to ensure that one would likely fit into each educator’s unique lesson plan. Each tool was customizable in a really intuitive way, and I found it easy to figure out what to do even though it was my first time. I chose to use the interactive image feature that was provided, which allows for students to learn from an image in a way that is more immersive. This feature is perfect for complex images with multiple important features, diagrams and graphs. 

My H5P Interactive Learning Object! Let me Know What You Think!

For my H5P interactive learning object, I chose to create an interactive image that learners can explore. Because this module was so focused on the psychological and cognitive reasonings behind why individuals fail to retain information in an effective way when learning occurs passively, I wanted to lean into those concepts a little bit in my interactive learning tool. With this in mind, I decided that I wanted to make my interactive learning tool a diagram of the human brain. By using simple language and phrasing allow for learners from a wide range of ages and past knowledge banks to gain some insight on the different parts of the brain and their basic functionings. I had a lot of fun figuring out how to use this learning tool.

How Have I found the Balance of Passive and Active Learning in This Course? How Does it Compare to My Experience in Other Courses?

I have found that the balance of passive and active learning in this course has been really beneficial, and feel that there have been few other courses I have experienced with this much emphasis based on active learning. I have found it much easier for me to remember the course content in detail, as there is such an emphasis on truly understanding the material and showing that understanding through the assignments and reflection questions each module. Oftentimes in my classes, I find myself mindlessly trying to memorise all the information for assessments, which I then immediately forget as soon as the midterm is complete. In the majority of my psychology courses, and even in most of the electives I have taken, course material has been delivered to students as they sit silently in a massive lecture hall, as a professor clicks through a powerpoint and explains the slides. We sparsely have a few minutes of time in a class to discuss what we’re learning with a partner or group.