While watching Dr. Ray Pastore’s video about the topic of multimedia learning, I paused the video every couple of minutes to take notes or think about what was just said, as I do with most informational videos. I noticed that for myself as a learner, having a video of Dr. Pastore speaking on the screen felt slightly redundant when I was also looking at graphics on the screen as well as listening to his voice explain them with the texts. I agree with the statement “eliminating one of the redundant spoken or written sources of information might be beneficial for learning” and feel that as a learner, I might have benefitted from the removal of this aspect of the video (Kalyuga and Swelller, 2014).

While I did begin to watch the video with several ideas that I knew I was looking for, having the prompt from the H5P tool come up on the screen during the video ensured that I was interacting with the material and enabled me to feel more engaged while watching. I also enjoyed the opportunity to “test” my knowledge and understanding at the end to ensure that I was on the correct path. I am aware that sometimes when people watch videos, it can be difficult to know if one is properly engaging with the material and is getting everything they can out of a specific resource. Using the H5P is a useful way for educators to add something extra to their learner’s experience and to provide a pathway for their learners. 

As I mostly envision myself teaching primary grades (K-1), I would have to adjust how I would use this tool in my classroom. Initially, I did not think I would be able to use it as my learners will undoubtedly have different literacy levels and be interacting with materials in very different ways. Upon giving this more careful consideration, I have realized that I could adapt this and most certainly be able to use it in many learning situations. This would be able a helpful tool to use in a whole-class situation while watching a video and could also be a valuable tool to use in small group learning experiences as well. As a teacher, I could also adapt these and create different entry points to meet my learners where they are and more effectively meet their learning needs. 

References

Mayer, R. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369

Kalyuga, S., & Sweller, J. (2014). The Redundancy Principle in Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 247-262). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.013

In this course, I am looking forward to exploring and deepening my understanding of multimedia learning and teaching. I am hoping to broaden my understanding of interactive and multimedia learning, as well as hoping to gain new knowledge about how I can bring these ideas into my future teaching career. I am unsure about taking a course fully online. I recognize that I am a hands-on learner and I often benefit from the ability to connect and discuss face to face with my peers and instructors. I have taken online courses in the past and I felt as though it was successful, but I have not taken an education course online yet. I am curious about my ability to retain the information and know that I will have to make a conscious effort to discuss and connect with my peers in the course. 

Throughout the duration of my public and university education, I have gained significant knowledge about myself as a learner. I know that I am an active learner and I recognize that I, like many others, am able to learn best through authentic experiences and through “doing”. The majority of my most memorable and most significant learning experiences have been through interactive or multimedia learning. 

When I was in grade eleven and twelve, I had an extremely passionate teacher for biology. He was excited about biology and enjoyed sharing his excitement with us, his students. Students in his class were encouraged to use microscopes to examine various slides with examples of organisms we were learning about, as well as to explore other items or objects which were relevant to our learning. We constantly

did experiments that were relevant to our learning but also of interest to us. If a student asked a question that our teacher was unable to answer, we would watch videos as a class and try to uncover the answer. Frequently, our teacher would take our class on field trips around the city to see real like examples of something we were learning about in class. The teacher did use a lecture-style of teaching on some occasions but lectures were always followed by either an example of what we were learning about or a video or another activity to deepen our understanding. This interactive and authentic approach to teaching and learning benefitted students and ensured learning was enjoyable and on-going.

 As I move forwards in my teaching career, I intend to use multimedia and interactive learning situations whenever possible in my classroom to deepen understanding

and reach my learners. Some resources that I have found helpful can be found here and here. Multimedia learning can make learning accessible for students and ultimately enhances the whole learning process. 

 

 

 

References 

The SHARE team. (2018, April 6). Interactive Teaching Styles Used in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/5-interactive-teaching-styles-2/

Betts, T. (2016, November 22). 5 Tips for Multimedia Enhanced Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/tel/2016/11/22/5-tips-for-multimedia-enhanced-teaching-and-learning/