Evaluating and Identifying Online Resources

 

Are you intrigued by all the decorative animated GIFs that are designed to make content more interesting? Have you ever thought about whether or not they enhance or distract from the learning? This week, I have been studying the brain and learning and decided to look further into how new technology such as GIFs may affect learning. I focused on two specific details, decorative animation, and instructional order, within the immense topic of how the brain learns best to understand the effects on the cognitive load of the learner.

 

Decorative animations impair recall and are a source of extraneous cognitive load by Annabel Pink and Philip M. Newton

 

The authors have reviewed that the brain’s working memory has a limited capacity for processing new information in real-time and cognitive load theory pursues reducing unnecessary loads on working memory to avert overwhelming it (Pink & Newton, 2020). Interestingly, this study found that recalling STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) content was reduced when decorative animations were used, implying that they are a cause of extraneous cognitive load. In contrast, other studies (Mayer & Moreno, 2002) found that educational animations were linked to improved learning and retention. Therefore, it appears that a distinction between the effects of decorative versus educational animations needs to be carefully made. The authors wrapped up by advising that animations should only be used when they are prominently the focal point of the instruction and not for visual enrichment alone (Pink & Newton, 2020).

 

Instruction, example order, and student learning: reducing extraneous cognitive load by providing structure for elaborated examples by San Bolkan & Alan K. Goodboy

 

Another way to consider lowering the cognitive load is in the planning of the order of instructional delivery. This study presented that there is evidence that the order of instruction as far as teaching concrete and abstract examples of a concept does matter to learner outcomes. They argue that beginning with general, abstract definitions before providing concrete examples benefits the learner by placing less of a burden on working memory. Abstract definitions can act as an organizational cue or signal that allows the learner to better process the concrete examples that succeed. Learners can create schemas to categorize and understand concrete examples. These results contradict previous research (e.g., Ching & Wu, 2019; Fyfe et al., 2015; Goldstone & Son, 2015). The nature of the conflicting results may involve the idea that teaching with varying types of concreteness can lead to different outcomes. Also, the diverse content material may affect results. For example, beginning with concrete examples and fading may work better for some math concepts. The authors conclude that “teachers who help their students structure and organize incoming information may help them better understand and retain their lessons by reducing their extraneous cognitive burden and increasing their capacity to engage in meaningful learning activities” (Bolkan & Goodboy, 2020, p. 313).

Significance

Both of these studies were published in educational journals including Advances in Physiology Education and Communication Education. By reading educational journals, instructional designers benefit from keeping informed about how new technologies may affect learner outcomes. They may also take the time to consider not only the content sequence but the order of instruction and how that too substantially impacts learning. Both articles discuss related future areas of research needed, thus bringing awareness about future advances.

 

References

Pink, A., & Newton, P.M. (2020). Decorative Animations Impair Recall and Are a Source of Extraneous Cognitive Load. Advances in Physiology Education, 44(3), 376-382.

Bolkan, S.; Goodboy, A.K. Instruction, Example Order, and Student Learning: Reducing Extraneous Cognitive Load by Providing Structure for Elaborated Examples. Communication Education, [s.l.], v. 69, n.3, p. 300-316, 2020. Disponivel em: https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=treu&db=eric&AN=EJ1260813&site=eds-live&scope=site. Acesso em: 20 maio. 2021.

 

 

The Doorway to Professional Learning Communities

Introduction

          My name is Lori Wright and I am a graduate student at Walden University studying instructional design and technology. I am embarking on a new journey into corporate training, design, and instruction with a background in elementary education and speech and language therapy. I chose three professional blogs to explore and reflect upon to broaden my understanding of the instructional design field.

https://www.scissortailcs.com/blog

          This is a unique blog developed by an experienced instructional designer of fifteen years named, Kayleen Holt, who later in life became disabled. She has a unique perspective and discusses the true meaning of accessibility and inclusive design from her personal account. It is important to consider that disabilities such as dyslexia are not always seen. Simple access to material is not necessarily inclusive. True inclusivity must include the understanding, perception, and vision of people with disabilities in the design process. There is still a great deal to be learned in this area. With my background in teaching special education students, I am interested in learning more by following this blog and contributing to the thinking about the way people learn, especially people with special needs.

                      https://elearningfeeds.com/blog/devlin-peck

          Devlin Peck is an independent instructional designer with his own freelance eLearning business, Peck Consulting, LLC. He is an active blogger with daily practical posts. He focuses on efficient skill development and building portfolios by posting tutorials. His blog includes impressive testimonials, listing current job companies and titles from people who have followed his blog. One-on-one support is offered. Relevant and current questions about the instructional design field are posed, surveys are taken and an analysis of the data is given. The information is interesting to consider as one perspective in the field. This will be a blog to follow to stay current with possible trends in the field.

 

                                  https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog

          Aura Interactiva is the developer of the Shift company. Since 1996, they have been offering solutions to meet the training needs of all types of companies, small and large. They have a mission to "revolutionize online training one screen at a time". They do it all, including planning, set-up, development, and implementation. I chose to follow their blog to gain insight from a large corporation that has been in the field for twenty-five years. They are innovative and relevant with such blog posts about solutions for the top three mobile learning challenges. Their research found that 64% of workers said that training on their phones is a must. With advances in technology, the instructional design field changes rapidly and this company seems prepared. I'd like to continue to follow their blog to continue to keep up with the pace of technological changes that affect the field.

Conclusion

          The three blogs I have chosen to follow will offer me a diverse professional community of learning. It will include the varying scope from an independent freelancer to a large corporation. It will offer learning theory discussions as well as practical skill set development ideas. A unique and not yet well-researched area on the forefront will be the idea of true accessibility and inclusivity beyond compliance. Gaining a wide variety of awareness in this new field is a great starting point.