Simulations and Games (and how they enhance learning)

The inclusion of Simulations and Games can have a lasting positive effect on both the e-learner and of the material of the e-learning instruction. Simulations and Games can allow the learner not only to experience an element of interactivity and participation, helping to bridge synchronous learning into an otherwise asynchronous environment, but will help in deeper learning as the e-learner’s ability to be engaged can also allow for more of a learner-controlled environment by offering a participatory element to the e-learning instruction.

Learners are categorized in to having one of three learning strengths: Audio, Visual, or Kinesthetic. By incorporating the use of Simulations and Games, this offers an opportunity for all three types of learners to be engaged. In developing and implementing simulation or gaming components to the e-learning instruction, relevance is also an important aspect to consider.

By including Simulations and Games in to the e-learning instruction, this can also allow for the inclusion or implementation of Explanatory Feedback as well, where students would receive a lengthy and descriptive (and relevant) response based on the results of their selection choice. To help with making the asynchronous learning environment have a level of synchronous learning from within, students can receive automated response feedback (Explanatory Feedback) in relation to their choice selection. In Chapter 12 of E-Learning and the Science of Instruction, authors Ruth C. Clark and Richard E. Mayer state of Explanatory Feedback that it “provides a much better opportunity for learning because it incorporates an explanation. A missed question is a teachable moment. The learner is open to a brief instructional explanation that will help build the right mental model” (Clark & Mayer, pg. 263).

Based on the idea that the e-learning instruction is merely a virtual modeling of a real-life situation or learning component process, the inclusion of simulations and games will help to give an experiential element to the learning process for the e-learner.

Reference:

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumer and designer of multimedia learning (3rd ed.) San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.

Applying Research-based Guidelines (and how they Enhance Learning)

With consideration towards research-based guidelines and applying them to the storyboard process of building my e-learning instruction, I relied on the methods of incorporating Pretraining and Segmentation in to the design aspect, as well as to include the modeling of a worked example, for both reference and to enhance learning in the e-learning environment.

In implementing Pretraining, this allowed for me to establish a component that would focus solely on key terms and vocabularies that learners would need to be familiarized with before moving forward in the learning process with the instructional components of the proposed lesson. By designating an area along the lines of introducing learners to terms relevant to the instruction that would follow, learners would be given a virtual tool belt of terms that would have an engaging effect later in the learning process as they moved forward.

By allowing for Segmentation, learners would be able to see the process of the instruction unfold in a step-by-step process, and with the use of visual aids, could see the worked example modeled at each step of the process. This also allowed for a learner-controlled pace, in which learners could often use these chunks to help with comparisons in mimicking the modeling process for each step of the way.

The use of a worked example only helped to emphasize the need for enhancing learning through research-based guidelines. By designating an area to help with incorporating a worked example, this would again allow for learners to see the process at each step of the way. As in with keeping the environment learner-controlled, this would aid in benefiting learners by way of a comfortable pace, with ease of access, in learning as they work through the process.

Again, with the use of the principles mentioned in the previous post, and of the Contiguity and Multimedia Principles especially, such as the use of related graphics to incorporate with both textual and audio instruction, these guidelines would essentially help to enhance the learning process. By segmenting steps of the process, this enabled me to elaborate effectively on each step of the process, where specific attention and detail to each step could be given, eliminating the chance of having to condense (or even omit) relevant information that could pose as an absolute essential component to the overall learning process for the e-learner.

E-Learning Principles (and how they promote critical thinking skills)

In my storyboard presentation, I incorporated several e-learning principles that were used to propose enhancement of learning online, and enhance or apply the use of critical thinking skills. Because e-learning is primarily an asynchronous element, the use of applying e-learning principles was essential in making the learning experience as synchronous as possible for the e-learner. For this assignment, I looked to incorporate several principles. They were the principles of Multimedia, Contiguity, Modality, and Personalization.

With the Multimedia Principle in mind, I relied heavily on the use of visuals to enhance the learning setting of my instructional storyboard. From clip art to a tutorial video (used as a worked example), I felt that these visual aids would help to enhance the learning experience as they could be used both as a point of reference to relate terms to, and that they were key in offering a modeling situation that would help to show in real time (or by real life examples) how the process worked for the particular set of instructions. The idea to keep in mind was to enhance the learning setting by using graphics in relation to and with text, as opposed to merely text alone.

By the use of the Contiguity Principle, I made sure to make information easily identifiable by laying corresponding visuals alongside their designated textual counterparts. When designing an e-learning lesson or set of instructions in an asynchronous setting, giving the learners the information up front, both in text and visual, is essential in the learning success, as well as relevant acquisition of new information. If I made reference to a key term, I would make sure to label the visual that I used to represent (and refer to) the item, as well as include a textual description accordingly that defined both the image and its main purpose or usage.

Based on the proposal of my storyboard presentation relying heavily on visuals, the application of the Modality Principle was considered when the use of textual descriptions was seemingly irrelevant to the learning setting. In areas where visuals specific to a grouping or categorizing of items were used, the use of the modality principle in this meant that no more than the name of the item (in text) was needed for presenting (assuming that the learner had some previous working knowledge of the subject matter). This was essential in the idea of “labeling”, or simply no more than the naming of an item for reference or for defining. The goal of this part of the presentation was to do no more than introduce learners to key terms relevant to the proposed task set out to be learned within the e-learning presentation setting.

In applying the Personalization Principle to my storyboard presentation, I implemented the use of audio instruction as well, to enhance the learning by way of a conversational tone. Because the emphasis set on this process was with the individual e-learner in mind, I wanted to keep attention directed to the learner by referring to them as in first person, such as identifying them as “you” often. With the use of human voice, this was essential in adding a human element to an otherwise autonomous or automated setting, very robotic in nature. The hopes with consideration to incorporate these principles in to the storyboarding process would essentially help to create that human element necessary to make the asynchronous setting as synchronous as possible.