My group has chosen the topic “How to Effectively Use Social Media in the Classroom,” therefore I have selected a video that illustrates some of the ways social media can to enhance education.
–> Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM5bxbosgD8
I have selected this video as it offers a brief yet informative description of the benefits of integrating social media within learning environments, and how it can be used to promote effective learning. It illustrates how social media shouldn’t be perceived as an obstacle but rather as a tool to enhance and promote student-centered learning.
- In what way are learners likely to respond to the video on their own?
This video offers the opportunity for open discussion with classmates, and it can also be beneficial to take notes. Incorporating this video into a learning design allows teachers to use learner-generated learning techniques. For instance, before showing the video, the instructor could ask students if they can think of any ways to effectively integrate social media within the classroom to enhance learning, this will emphasize students’ agency, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. This approach empowers learners to connect with the subject matter, make it relevant to their lives, and develop a deeper understanding through their active participation. After watching the video, students may actively discuss what types of social media are appropriate to incorporate into the classroom and which ones may not be relevant to learning. They may also discuss what stood out to them, what they already knew, and what they discovered.
2. What activity could you suggest that they do after they have watched the video? What type of knowledge or skill would that activity help develop? What medium or technology would students use to do the activity?
After engaging with this educational video, students could write a list of ways they engage with social media for educational purposes within their lives or discuss how the video can be applied to their lives. In terms of activities, students could create an infographic based on the information they retained from the video or make a list of social media platforms they believe can be used within a classroom setting. Further, students could select an interactive platform they think could be beneficial for learning such as Quizlet, Powerpoint, Infographic, or YouTube video, and create a short lesson on what they learned using their platform of choice. This activity allows students to apply what they learned through active/self-discovery.
3. How will you address any potential barriers for your learners in the use of this video to ensure an inclusive design?
I have chosen this video as is follows principles of Universal Design Learning (UDL). For example it:
- Provides closed captions or subtitles to make the content accessible to learners with hearing impairments and for those who prefer reading
- Uses clear and concise visualssuch as graphics, diagrams, and animations to visually represent concepts, subtitles and captions
- Includes visual diversity, incorporating a variety of images, colors, and fonts to accommodate different preferences and cognitive styles
- Uses engaging content, presenting the content in an interesting and relatable manner to capture learners’ attention
- Allows learners to play, pause, reverse or fast forward to learn at their own pace or take notes
- Uses simple language: Explain concepts in straightforward language to enhance understanding for all learners
However, potential barriers still exist that need to be addressed while using this video in a learning design. For instance, videos that heavily rely on visuals without auditory descriptions or alternatives may exclude learners with visual impairments. This video does not include auditory/verbal cues or descriptions, which can be a barrier to those who are visually impaired. Text to speech is therefore required to address this barrier. Complex visuals, rapid pacing, or too much information presented at once can overwhelm learners’ cognitive capacities and hinder their ability to process and retain information. The pacing of this video may be too fast for certain learners to read the information provided, therefor sharing the video on a platform that allows for pause, start, rewind, and advance, is a useful way to address this barrier. This feature can also be beneficial for those who experience language barriers to read at their own pace.
By addressing these potential barriers and leveraging the video’s existing UDL features, a lesson can be created to foster inclusivity by removing potential obstacles, making it a valuable tool in promoting diverse and accessible learning experiences.
4. How would students get feedback on the activity that you set? What medium or technology would they and/or you use for getting and giving feedback on their activity?
In terms of group discussion, I think that using online discussion forums would be an effective way for students and teachers to share information and receive/provide feedback. Discussion forums allow students to react to course material, share ideas, questions, and concerns, reply to or engage with peers, and allow teachers to provide information, answer questions, and read what students have shared. In regard to the learning activity suggested above, where students create a lesson using their choice of social media platform, I think it would be beneficial to have them upload their creations to an online forum where teachers can share feedback and students can engage with and learn from their creation. This would require online discussion forums, or an online medium such as Mattermost, where students can interact, upload, and share ideas.