Sam Song's blog

The topic we discussed is the learning of the R language. This video can be used by students in grade 12 and above. Because the video covers some concepts about R language, interesting editing, and monologue forms, students can clearly understand the wide range of uses and convenience of R language. This is a video that explains why R is a better choice than other statistical software packages and software options (including SPSS, STATA, SAS, etc.). Making students understand that learning theme-R language is worth learning.  

1. What kind of interaction would the video require from your students? Does it force them to respond in some way (inherent)? 

This video contains designed interactions. In fact, some media or technologies are not inherently interactive, but they can be explicitly designed to encourage interaction with learners (Bates, 2019). In our R language teaching, we do not force students to respond. Teachers can add activities in specific media to allow students to discuss based on the content of the podcast every few minutes. Therefore, designed interactions are suitable for teaching programming. 

2. In what way are they likely to respond to the video on their own, e.g. make notes, do an activity, think about the topic (learner-generated)?

Students will respond to the video by remembering how to participate in the activity. We have designed the students’ self-programming attempts and group discussions in the teaching plan, so students will be more willing to try simple programming in the R language after watching the video. 

3. How much work for you would that activity cause? Would the work be both manageable and worthwhile? Could the activity be scaled for larger numbers of students? 

I use a short presentation to let students have a better experience and follow the cases I wrote. For example, I calculated the average and median of two variables, plotted a simple 2*2 matrix, and calculated the correlation coefficient. Students only need to retype the code that I wrote at a slow pace to achieve a simple learning process of understanding and memorizing. So, there is not much workload in class. Moreover, this example operation is suitable for large-scale teaching but not suitable for management. 

4. How could the video have been designed to generate more or better activity from viewers or students? 

This video uses interesting explanations and simple real codes to improve students’ enthusiasm for learning R. Students may like to request more open discussions in the class activities. Students can understand mathematical logic and simple programming concepts through simple thinking. This kind of video is conducive to the participation and thinking of students. 

Reference

Bates, A. W. (2019, October 10). 9.6 Interaction. Teaching in a Digital Age Second Edition. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/pedagogical-roles-for-text-audio-and-video/. 

R Programming 101. (2018, December 14). R programming for beginners – Why you should use R.[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/cnkKHL_dyGE

Today, I want to discuss the learning obstacles that may be encountered in the learning design of our group and how to reduce these obstacles and help learners succeed. First, let’s watch a wonderful speech video and then think about how to manage the current situation to reduce those learning barriers.

We have designed group discussions of R language learning in the classroom, self-trying, and teacher-answering methods to better interact with students. Our goal is to ensure that all students above grade 12 can successfully accept the learning and basic use of the R language. For the R language, persuading students and encouraging their learning spirit is the basis for supporting all learning. 

We have designed group discussions of R language learning in the classroom, self-trying, and teacher-answering methods to better interact with students. Our goal is to ensure that all students above grade 12 can successfully accept the learning and basic use of the R language. For the R language, persuading students and encouraging their learning spirit is the basis for supporting all learning.  
In Meyer’s article (2021), the classic “selective attention test” shows the attention variability in our population. Therefore, we will provide learners with a summary of R language learning notes and programming manuals to allow learners to learn in any environment, different topic materials, difficult/easy tasks, and assessments. To avoid a large number of learning obstacles for students, students’ levels of understanding must be perfectly matched. Besides, We will firmly follow Inclusive Education Canadian laws and UNESCO laws to ensure every student has equal rights to study and engage with the R language.

According to UNESCO (2009), which takes a broad view of the concept of inclusion, has identified four key tenets of an inclusive education system: 

1. Inclusion is a process. 

2. Inclusion is concerned with the identification and removal of barriers. 

3. Inclusion is about the presence, participation, and achievement of all students. 

4. Inclusion involves an emphasis on those groups of learners who may be at risk of marginalization, exclusion, or underachievement. 

Reference

Meyer, Anne, et al. (2021). Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice. CAST Professional Publishing, an Imprint of CAST, Inc., 2014, UDL Theory Practice, retrieved from: udltheorypractice.cast.org/

Right to Education – Inclusive Education, retrieved from: https://www.inclusiveeducation.ca/learn/right-to-education/

TEDx Talks. (2017, May 18). Removing barriers to inclusion & participation – user-centred design | Gary Evans | TEDxStPeterPort[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVu_dUHu5CU

UNESCO. (2009). Policy guidelines on inclusion in education. Retrieved June 17, 2021 from https://unesdoc​.unesco​.org/images/0017/001778/177849e.pdf

Based on the office of research (1992), cooperative learning is a successful teaching strategy for each student of different levels of ability in small teams, using various learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a team is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn and creating an atmosphere of achievement” (The office of research, 1992). 

Here, I list all characteristics of a successful cooperative learning:  

1. Students work together in small groups containing three to five members 

2. Students are positively interdependent

3. Students need to accomplish their own common tasks or structured learning activities

4. Students are individually accountable for their work or learning  

5. Group processing for their final goals 

6. Positive social skills in promotive interaction 

The prepared topic of our group is to explain the basic R language and simple programming of RStudio for young students. I think cooperative learning is in line with the teaching goals in our group, which is the most important part when we prepare to teach. For example, the first goal of our group is to make young students understand why they should learn the R language and the wide range of uses of RStudio in the future. In cooperative learning, my team members and I need to prepare a lot of materials to introduce the actual use and the development of the R language to make each group member clearly understand that RStudio is the main programming tool in many research and analysis tasks. Like us as teachers, students should also have the process of cooperative learning in their own group studies. 

If you want to learn more about the common strategy of cooperative learning roles in the classroom, I strongly recommend you to listen to the 60 second Youtube video linked below. This is a very good resource, which is more practical than what I have said here. 

I have also embedded a summary video below, which more simply defines the cooperative teaching structure. The video also shows some strategies on how to create groups and classroom examples, such as think-pair-share and jigsaw. 

Reference

Edutopia. (2018, November 2). 60 Second-Strategy: Cooperative learning Roles [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR6rTKPkjgQ 

Teachings in Education. (2017, October 5). Cooperative Learning Model: Strategies & Examples [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/cnkKHL_dyGE

The Office of Research. (1992). Education Research Consumer Guide. The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education. https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/cooplear.html 

From the article “Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism…”, “To be successful, meaningful, and lasting, learning must include all three of these crucial factors: activity (practice), concept (knowledge), and culture (context).” (Brown et al., 1989) I do not fully agree with all these factors because I think self-determination of study is the primary factor.  

I consider that the content of the article “How Should Instruction be Structured?” makes me feel puzzled. Therefore, I checked the introduction of behavioral theory on google search and combined the examples of cognitive strategies provided in the article to think about the relationship between theoretical cues and cognitive levels from my personal high school experience in China.  

I have been the least good at memorizing articles or knowledge points until now. I occasionally give up the task of memorizing knowledge points during my university study because I prefer to analyze the answers to the questions. Only solving problems is not a complete knowledge structure but the previous “experience” should be used to innovate the knowledge memory in my brain to achieve a cumulative construction process for specific problems.  

My best learning experience is that my parents have the ability to send me out of China to study at the University of Victoria in Canada. This international learning method changed my previous learning environment. I entirely agree with the discussion of the instructional designers in the article. Professional economic knowledge should be utilized in reality. Personally, I can apply the knowledge of business related to multiple cultures, basic economic principles, and management behaviors to my life experience through part-time jobs. 

In the context of the teacher’s discussion of climate change issues in high school, the teacher’s teaching methods will be divided into three forms of doctrine. First, behaviorists will focus on the importance of performance consequences, such as the melting of glaciers due to climate change, frequent natural disasters, and many unpredictable threats to human life in the future. Second, cognitivism will focus on guiding students to process and interact with the instructional design system. For example, we should pay attention to the protection of the environment in our daily lives. Using environmentally friendly and low-carbon shopping bags, advising parents to use public transportations rather than frequently driving cars. Third, constructivists are communicators who can equate learning with creating meaning from experience, such as paying attention to the causes of climate warming and combining the teacher’s own experience to make students think about innovative possible solutions.   

I consider myself a constructivist. Based on my past three years of study at UVIC, I have constructed my own knowledge base in the fields of economics and business. For example, I concluded that finance and sales are full of a rigorous approach during my second-year business courses, such as Com220, Com250, and Com240. Besides, I realized that cultural differences and risk management awareness must be combined to maintain a continuous learning mentality. 

Reference

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42.

Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2008). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly. 6, 50-72.