Engaging All Learners
I have the opportunity to engage pre-preschoolers through fifth graders in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (S.T.E.A.M.) daily. Every day is full of adventure, problem-solving, and learning. Students are collaborating, researching, designing, and constructing. As I am teaching this range of students, I must consider how to reach each grade level in ways that are appropriate for them. As Brown and Green (2024) state, "understanding the target audience of learners and determining in advance what they can and will do is an essential element of any instructional plan" (p. 84). What are ways I can engage the age range of my students? Read below to find out!
Engaging Young Learners
Although I teach an extensive age range of students, one instructional design strategy engages all of my learners: pictures, videos, and infographics. Researchers Sering and Khan (2022) "found that the use of pictures in the primary classroom in language teaching increases learners' motivation and the classrooms become active and vibrant" (para. Conclusion 1). Videos, pictures, and infographics help our younger learners better understand complicated concepts and keep their attention on the content being taught. "Communicating effectively is an important part of instructional design, and visual display plays a critical part in most instructional media" (Brown & Green, 2024, p. 249). Keeping videos concise allows students of all ages to stay engaged with the presented material.
When creating visuals, it is essential to ask yourself the following questions from Brown and Green (2024):
- "Is the information presented in a way that is easy to read?" (p. 249)
- "Is the information presented in a way that is easy to understand?" (p. 249)
- "Do the instructional materials look professional?" (p. 249)
- "Is the visual display attractive?" (p. 249)
- "Does the visual display help the learner comprehend the instructional content?" (p. 249)
Check out the video below to learn how to make short, instructional videos on Canva!
Engaging Adult Learners
Researchers Sering and Khan (2022) explain that "audio-visual aids have been one of the most influential sources, especially in teaching" (para. 1). Visual aids benefit not only young students but also adult learners. When engaging adults, the essential questions for using visuals throughout the instructional design from Brown and Green (as shown above) remain the same.
Recently, I had the opportunity to create a professional development presentation for adult learners. I designed the presentation to teach educators about a new teaching style: the Modern Classroom Project. The Modern Classroom Project is a teaching style that guides teachers to create units of instruction that include instructional videos, practice, and mastery checks. The students can move throughout the unit at their own pace, allowing teachers to meet all learners' needs. I have been able to implement the Modern Classroom Project into my classroom for the past few years, and it has been amazing to watch students take ownership of their learning as they progress throughout the unit. Check out the presentation I plan on presenting to educators at my school below! If you have any questions or want to know more about implementing Modern Classroom into your classroom, please reach out!
Modern Classroom Project PD by Meredith Barker
Meredith,
ReplyDeleteI was excited to see your information about Modern Classroom as I have never heard of it before you mentioned it. It is such an interesting program, especially one that is so needed in today's world. I love the idea of using concise, effective videos that allow the students to follow along with engaging graphics and effects. Dunn (2024) studied how Modern Classroom affected students and concluded, "Results of this study show that the effects of the tenets of a Modern Classroom – self-pacing, collaboration, blended learning, and a strong student-teacher relationship – have a significant relationship with student efficacy measures..." (p. 121). It was shown that students can excel in using this program when they are satisfied with how material is presented. Brown & Green (2024) state, "Computer software and hardware provide the necessary tools for media production, but to create professional-looking materials, one must understand and apply the rules of visual design." (p. 239). It is so important in instructional design, specifically Modern Classroom, to create visually appealing material that engages the students and gets them excited for the lesson ahead.
References
Brown, A. & Green, T. (2024). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting fundamental principles with process and practice (5th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003404835
Dunn, R. (2023). The modern classrooms project: Student efficacy and achievement (Publication No. 4166) [Doctoral dissertation, East Tennessee State University]. Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4166
Meredith, I would be very interested to observe the Modern classroom in action. I have had co-workers do things similar to this but I have never been able to keep all of my kids engaged while trying to differentiate the vast difference of knowledge. You inspired me to go looking at more resources to keep my students engaged but trying to find ones without using technology. My students are on the computer almost all day long and I try hard not to be a part of that. According to Taplin (2019), "When I walked into the teacher’s room several weeks later and saw a poster hanging up that outlined the Try It, Talk It, Color It, Check It framework, I realized it had become the standard way she did whiteboard practice in her classroom." (para. 13). She had implemented group work that allowed her to see which groups needed more help and which groups she could move forward without having to stand over each group. It was pretty interesting. You may be able to implement this strategy in your STEM instruction.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Taplin, A. (2019, December 20). A Strategy for Boosting Student Engagement in Math. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/strategy-boosting-student-engagement-math
I really enjoyed reading your blog. Visual aids such as pictures, videos, and infographics are important in maintaining student engagement across all age groups. These tools help younger students understand the information and they help older students with understanding. I enjoyed reading about the modern classroom. A Modern Classroom is one that is responsive to the needs and experiences of all students (Modern Classrooms). I think this is such a great program used in the classroom! Thank you for the information.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
What is a modern classroom?. Modern Classrooms Project. (n.d.). https://www.modernclassrooms.org/videos/v/our-model-explained
I recently attended a training through the Schlechty Center about engagement, and I had so many connections to that while reading your blog! The modern classroom idea sounds like a really great way to engage learners across different instructional levels and have time to address other needs. As engagement is our goal as teachers, anything that reaches all students is going to be helpful. Lawrence (2022) discusses how adding pictures and media can engage viewers with a piece of digital writing (sec. 2.16), and your information on digital resources help me connect that digital writing and design piece to my classroom practices.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Meredith,
ReplyDeleteWhat content area do you use this with? I teach STEM specials classes, as well, and I think it would be difficult to manage a project with this type of learning. Maybe I need to see it in action! As Brown and Green wrote, it’s our job to present “specific activities based on the information gathered through needs, task, and learner analyses and through the development of goals and objectives,” (2024, p. 138) but it sounds like with The Modern Classroom, the learner analysis aspect is continuous. That would make a very dynamic classroom! Your instructional design materials are very appealing and I can see how you engage students easily. A big part of this is due to creativity, which is an integral part of the 21st century skill we teach our students! (Thornhill-Miller, 2023).
References
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2024). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice. Fifth Edition. New York: Routledge.
Thornhill-Miller, B., Camarda, A., Mercier, M., Burkhardt, J., Morisseau, T., Bourgeois-Bougrine, S., Vinchon, F., El Hayek, S., Augereau-Landais, M., Mourey, F., Finesse, C., Sundquist, D., & Lubart, T. (2023). Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration: Assessment, certification, and promotion of 21st century skills for the future of work and education. Journal of Intelligence 11(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11030054
I completely agree with the importance of communication with learners and keeping them motivated. It's great that you get to engage pre-preschoolers through fifth graders in STEAM education every day. I actually just became a STEM teacher for Pre-K through 6th grade. I am excited to learn from my students. I believe communication is important to connect with students at their level, and motivation is what keeps them excited and eager to learn. Using visuals like pictures, videos, and infographics is a great strategy to maintain their interest and help them understand concepts. According to Kates et al. (2023), when presented with visual aids, students reported a deeper understanding of the material and were more engaged for longer periods compared to traditional learning methods. Understanding the abilities and potential of your learners beforehand is also helpful when planning instruction (Brown & Green, 2024). We can then truly understand what kinds of support our students need. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on good instructional design.
ReplyDelete-Tanishia Smith-Sims
References:
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2024). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting fundamental principles with process and practice. Fifth Edition. New York: Routledge.
Kates, F. R., Hamadi, H., Ellison, C., Larson, S. A., & Romero, R. (2023). Examining the impact of student-created infographics on understanding, engagement, and creativity. Journal of Educators Online, 20(4).