1. Designing for Student Engagement: Creating Learning Activities with Interactive Multimedia
Tracy Penny Light
LT3 Centre, University of Waterloo
MERLOT International Conference
August 5, 2004

2. Overview We will consider: We will work to:
the importance of student engagement in learning
the importance of learning styles in activity design
different types of learning activities
the importance of an integral approach to learning activity design
We will work to:
design a “mock” interactive learning activity
design a learning activity for a MERLOT learning object in your discipline
(10 min.)
ell participants that this is based on my one-term course
We will give an overview of the process and have them participate in some aspects of it and then reflect on how they can use the process in their own institutions
Get all participants to introduce themselves and why they have come to the workshop

3. Student Engagement What does the research say?
“Students learn by becoming involved.”
“Learning is not a spectator sport.”
“Students learn what they care about and remember what they understand.”

4. Understanding Our Learners
Where do we start?
Form an hypothesis about your learners based on your observations of them
Talk to your colleagues to see if your assumptions are the same and catalog EVERYONE’S assumptions…even yours!
Consider your own learning preferences and keep them in mind as you design your activity

5. How Do We Learn? What are our own learning preferences?
i.e. Solomon-Felder Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire
Reflective-----X Active
Sensing-----X Intuitive
Visual X Verbal
Sequential X-----Global
(10 min.)
How many of you have done some sort-of learning preferences quiz?
What does your learning style tell you about how you like to learn?

6. Creating Learner Profiles (Personas)
How do your target learners like to
learn?
Consider:
Learner preferences
Learners’ background
Outside interests
Knowledge of topic?
(10 min.)
How can we collect information about our target learners?

7. Types of Learning Activities
Examples of learning activities:

8. Designing Learning Activities
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
(30 min.)
What are some different types of learning activities?
Come up with a learning activity for the Canada Food Guide learning object and identify which learning level you are trying to address.

9. Where does your activity fit?
Course Design Model

10. Designing a Learning Activity: The “Pizza Explorer” (30 min.)
In pairs, go to the Pizza Explorer
Using the current scenario and persona, design an activity to address the identified learning level.
(10 min.)
How many of you have done some sort-of learning preferences quiz?
What does your learning style tell you about how you like to learn?

11. Designing your own Learning Activity (45 min.)
Go to MERLOT and choose a learning object in your own discipline that you think you could use in one of your own courses
Considering your own course design and learners design an activity to address your desired learning level.
(10 min.)
How many of you have done some sort-of learning preferences quiz?
What does your learning style tell you about how you like to learn?

12. Sharing our Activities (15 min.)
In your pairs, share your idea for your learning activity and provide each other feedback on the design

13. Questions?

14. Thank You!
Tracy Penny Light