This section started as a space to contain a range of critical evaluations completed as part of my Post-Graduate Studies in Education (Innovative Learning Design.) For quite some time I have been interested in curriculum and learning design, and always enjoyed being able to write schemes of work that were fun and engaging not just for my students, but for myself as a teacher. Here you will find a range of 21st century concepts and ideas that can be used in learning design.
Social Media and Education
Social media, encompassing networking, publishing, content sharing, virtual and gaming networking, holds value in enhancing education, but must not be used carte blanche. By understanding what social media can offers in terms of learning enhancement we can understand its value post-education (Mao, 2014, pp. 213, 214). Technology is rapidly developing and changing the way society interacts…
“Please put your phone away…”
We laugh about this because we know how real this is, but we need to ask if this is actually a valid method. Steele (2015) discusses how technology (including social media) can really help to enhance learning, whilst Pahomov (2014) argues that technological advancements means that conventional learning (i.e. taking notes from a board) is…
As a history teacher, I love that we can use technology like this to help us understand the past and allow my students to visualise what they need to learn about – it makes it come to life a lot more than it does in a textbook!
This YouTube video really articulates how gaming has some surprising educational benefits.
Duolingo is a great example to see how digital badges can work. They are able to identify your progress both in skills and knowledge, as well as provide some extra rewards. I particularly appreciate the hearts refill option that can be bought using experience points!
Using Duolingo has really helped to supplement my Undergraduate in French, and the different achievements available has really helped to motivate me and keep me accountable in my learning.
Wadja Wadja @ Flexi 