Category: edci337-blog

I can see myself using H5P in my future classroom. I recently took the Level one Google Educator exam and training, and in this course, they spoke of utilizing Google Classroom for homework assignments or pre-class work. I could see assigning a video for any age students as a homework assignment. I think that videos are often the most effective and engaging form of multimedia for young learners. I also understand that videos can also be a part of homework or pre-class work that is left undone. The Google training suggested that a Google form could be a good way to check for understanding once the video is watched. I see H5P as a potentially more effective way to check for understanding because the important ideas are emphasized (signalling principle) while the information is being absorbed. This protects against becoming disengaged while watching the video and then failing a quiz. Indeed, a student will watch with anticipation of a quiz, making them more engaged, and then when a question or annotation is included, it will clue them in to what points are important.  By having an application such as H5P, I can ensure that my students are not only watching the videos but also hitting the learning outcomes I was intending. 

H5P is very easy to use on both the teachers’ and students’ end. The ability to choose your content or a Youtube video allows for flexibility in how you use the application. By varying the content source you can create a different multimedia experience for your students.  In an online school setting, like what we see in schools right now, I could see creating tutorials or vlogs for my students and having annotations, quizzes, and questions added on top to make my content more engaging. This would be a good way to have an asynchronous style of learning, while still having an element of guided discovery like Mayer outlines.  I also love that I can utilize all of the amazing educational resources on Youtube as well. There is so much in the world of video creation and animation that I simply don’t have the skill set to accomplish, so having a way to use others professionally developed content, but adapt it to my learning style and learning outcomes is incredibly useful.

Overall, I am a huge fan of H5P if you couldn’t tell and truly plan on using it in my classroom.

Multimedia  learning without digital technology

My first experience with multimedia learning did not involve technology. Until this lesson, I was unaware that multimedia instruction could include things such as educational picture books or teachers using a chalkboard (chalk-and-talk) (Mayer’s, 2014, p.2). Looking back at my childhood, I had many educational picture books both in school and at home. These books supported my learning by including more than one form of representation( multiple representation principle) of the current topic that I was exploring. In school, these books were often used with a guided discovery principle (Mayer’s, 2014, p. 13). This meant that multimedia learning in the form of books was inquiry-based learning often not part of the curriculum, but instead independent exploration. 

As far as the chalk-and-talk, this was the main way that my teacher used multimedia learning. Diagrams and some pictures were used to support the verbal lesson that was taking place. This is the most common form of multimedia learning which still exists in my education today. This integration of multimedia learning is so ingrained as the norm in my education that it often does not feel like a forced process to add these elements of multi-form instruction. I would not be a successful student if it were not for the multimedia instruction that I received and still receive. I can retain information faster and for longer when it is presented in multiple forms to clarify any gaps that exist in a single form of representation.

Multimedia learning with technology

In my past, I have had exposer to technologically led multimedia learning. Although the technology was the centre of attention, it was presented in a learner-centred approach ( Mayer’s, 2014, p. 13). Teachers used technology by showing educational videos from youtube (ex. Crash Course), PowerPoint presentations, and pictures that were supported by either on-screen text, narration, or lecture. I find this to be my most successful way to learn as an adult. I find PowerPoints extremely helpful to focus my attention on important points (Signalling Principle) (Mayer’s, 2014, p. 9). With the addition of visuals on the PowerPoints, I can get a full grasp of what the teacher is explaining. I now find that when a professor does not use a PowerPoint, I feel slightly lost in how to take notes and be actively engaged. The ability to read and hear what the teacher is saying is so helpful especially when learning new topics full of new vocabulary. I also find that PowerPoints help pace teachers, allowing students time to process as they are engaged in the lesson. I find that this method of multimedia instruction is the most successful for me and my peer group.

Citations 

Mayer, R. (2014). Introduction to Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 1-24). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.002