EDCI 337 Fall

Twine

Here’s the story script I create by twine:

Here’s the link to my Twine branched story. It is short branched story on a newbie’s choices of artifacts to solving a supernatural case. Can you make the right choices? Newbie Supernatural Case

Learning video

The following link is to my learning video on a tutorial to make a origami paper bird: Origami Tutorial

Here is the storyboard to my video above:

Reflection

In one of my electives, a philosophy class that I took, the professor told us a story about how six blind men were made to touch different parts of an elephant. They each argued about what it was – a wall, a snake, a tree trunk, etc. While each were correct about their own parts, they were wrong as a whole. This helped me connect the impirtance of condensinsing multiple perspectives to see the whole picture in problem solving.

This story helped change how I approached problems, no matter if it was course related, disagreements, or team projects. It taught me to take and try to understand everyone’s persepective and every part of a problems value, even if they appear to contradict at first.

This particular story of touching an elephant’s trunk, legs, ears, etc envoked and effected my sensory cortex responsible for touch, as I felt my brain trigger false senses such as texture of an elephants skin.

The following are the storytelling techniques I found in the elephant story:

1. Immersion of audience in the story: Envoked by the sensory descriptions of the elephant’s rough skin.
2. Create suspense: The escalating debate and argument about what the thing touched actually was , the gradual build up to it and how it would be resolved.
3. Showing, not telling: Rather than stating the lesson outright, the professor let the story unfold naturally, allowing me to piece the meaning together.

Overall I really enjoyed this week’s content and use of multimedia techs. I had never used or heard of Twine before and I found it really fun to use it to create branched story’s. It really helped stir my creative juices on a narrative. I hope you enjoyed the short hodgepodge of a story that I created. As for the video, it was definately a little out of my compfort zone as I tried not to involve screencasting in it. Not having a tripod to created quite the hassel of creating the tutorial where I needed to use both hands, so I could only build a makeshift one. It was also the first creative/learning content that I filmed by myself.

After running the WAVE accessibility report, I got the above. We can observe that there are 0 errors but 30 contranst errors, 8 alerts, 18 features, 40 structural elements, and 2 ARIA labels.

I actually expected there to be contrast errors and I was right as it can be seen that the gray fonted text in a white background of the default opened.ca site is a little lacking in contrast. I was suprised to see no accessibilty errors at all and just some alerts for potential errors as I hadn’t created my posts with acessibility in mind.

It can be seen that my posts are quite accessible, so they are only lacking when it comes to some design choices. Moving forward I will try to change the color theme of the site a little to improve contrast. I’ll also review the alerts to understand and make necessary improvments to avoid potential accessibility errors.

The above is an infographic I created using Canva on the topic of Fire Safety. I used the following design principles:

1. Alignment: I have maintained a clear alignment between text and the corresponding visual elements, which aids readability and visual flow.
2. Hierarchy: The main parts such as ‘Fire Extinguisher’, ‘Fire Alarm’, and ‘Make a Plan’ stand out as section titles, with larger font sizes and bolder colors. This hierarchy helps direct the viewer’s eyes through the infographic logically.
3. Contrast: I have made the constrast significantly visible through my color choices. Here, text colors are in bold white which differ significantly from the darker shades of background colors of each element.
4. Repetition: I have used a consistent color scheme consisting of shades of orange, red, and a trailing green and icons across each section that strengthens cohesion.
5. Proximity: All related elements of a section such as text and relevent images are kept together, signifying to viewers the proper segmenting of standalone data.
6. Balance: I have balanced my design with proper spacing of sections, icons, and text blocks. With each section occupying similar space with consistent margins and spacing, creating a harmonious and stable layout.

I have the following promising infographic design practices incorporated:

1. Limited color palette (Orange, Red, Green(trailing))
2. Simple imagery (Straigtforward Icons)
3. White space (Proper white space between components)
4. Font quantity (Only used Open Sans font)

Reflection

I found this module about inclusivity and design principles related to it very eye-opening. Also to enhance my knowledge on practical implementation of inclusivity and universal design, the WAVE report was every useful tool. It’s report helped me assess what what were considered a good contrast for proper readability and also its potential accessibility alerts helped me better my inclusivity design skills. It was my first time using Canva and I found it to be very intuitive, feature and customization extensive. It was very fun and almost to easy to create high quality infographics. I look forward to exploring it more. I created my infographics about ‘Fire Safety’ with a design that helps lead the viewers eyes through a linear progression of steps/information to better prepare people in case of a fire. I designed it in a way that confirms to many of infographics good practices while also making it eye-catching. I hope hear from the viewers about their initial impressions of it.

I have made my learning design on the topic of cell-counting features in Microsoft Excel.

This is a tutorial on some of the cell-count variations available in Excel:

Now following your study and walkthrough on Excel’s cell-count functions, the following is a question set to test you on it.

Reflection

I really enjoyed using H5P to create the question set for this post. It was a first for me in terms of using such a comprehensive tool. Not only was it very user-friendly, it was also varied in its repository. I personally have used multiple different websites or tools on the internet such as SurveyMonkey, Google forms and Kahoot to create only some of the activities in H5P’s expansive repository. As such I fould it really engaging when H5P as a free tool could cover them all.

I personally really like the drag and drop activity and would definitly utilize it extensively if I were to use it in a teaching context. For example, as a computer science student (as a teacher in this case), similar to how I constructed a question for an Excel worksheet, I could leave blanks in sections of code and have learners drag and drop the correct code line out of multiple options for specific outputs.

Some of the H5P activities are definitely more resource-intensive to create than others, typically because of their multimedia and interactivity requirements. Personally I think interactive videos are expensive to make. These usually involve embedding questions, pop-up notes, and links within videos, which requires the need for sourcing or creating high-quality video content and also carefully planning the interactions for enhanced learning.

Module 5: Storytelling and Creating Video

Blog Post #4: Design Principles for Effective and Accessible Multimedia

Module 3: Principles of Learning Design and Active learning

Blog Post #2: Generative AI and Evaluating Content and Tools for Learning

Module 2: Generative AI and Evaluating Content and Tools for Learning

Module 1: How do We Learn?

AI generative image

“A jumping cat” prompt, Stable Diffusion Online, 11 Oct.2024, stablediffusionweb.com/app/image-generator/.

“A blackhole raven” prompt, Stable Diffusion Online, 11 Oct.2024, stablediffusionweb.com/app/image-generator/.

When given the option to generate anything using an Generative AI tool, I went with an image generator tool, Stable Diffusion. It was my first time working with this tool but thankfully the interface was very intuitive and user-friendly. As for what to generate, I wanted to work with a simple and an abstract image prompt. I followed this with description prompts for the generated images in ChatGPT.

The prompts I settled on and their description are as follows:-

1. A jumping cat (simple):
   The image shows a cat mid-jump, appearing to be airborne with all four paws off the ground. The cat has a focused expression, with its eyes wide and ears slightly back, as if it’s leaping towards something. Its fur is a mix of white and tabby stripes, and the background appears to be indoors with tiled flooring and a neutral-colored wall.
   
2. A blackhole raven (abstract):
   The image features a black raven in a surreal, cosmic environment. The raven is perched in front of a swirling, dark vortex or portal-like structure, with space and stars in the background. The lighting casts a soft glow from behind the raven, emphasizing the bird’s glossy feathers and creating a mysterious, otherworldly atmosphere. The overall mood is dark and ethereal, blending natural elements with cosmic and abstract designs.
   
   “Give me a short description on the images attached.”, prompt, ChatGpt, version 4.0, OpenAI, 11 Oct. 2024, chatgpt.com/

Reflections (Image)

When regarding image accuracy, I found the simple prompt to generate a very accurate image of a jumping cat with not much noise or deviations compared to my personal idea. As for the blackhole raven, it did differ quite a bit from my idea with it just being a raven and a black circle in the same image. However, that was to be expected since it was a very abstract or fantastical term. From this it can be seen that the LLM (Stable diffusion) has a knowledge bank that is heavily cluttered with existing ideas (bland and formulaic) from the internet but lacks the capacity of creativity.

Regarding description accuracy, I found the description for the cat to be very accurate if not excessively informative since I myself was only described it as “a jumping cat”. Whereas the blackhole raven description didn’t use the term blackhole at all. I believe this is due to the simple black circle with white interiors depicted in the image which can almost be described as a cosmic phenomenon.

AI generative text

Using ChatGPT to create a SAMR analysis on use of a generative AI tool (Perplexity) for learning

I have written down the analysis provided by ChatGPT below:

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To create a SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) analysis on the use of Perplexity, a generative AI tool, for learning, we can break down the tool’s application across each level of the SAMR model. SAMR is used to analyze how technology integrates into learning and can transform educational practices.

Here’s how we can analyze Perplexity in this framework:

Substitution

At this level, technology acts as a direct substitute for traditional tools without any functional improvements.

• Traditional Method: Students would typically use textbooks, notes, or perform manual searches in libraries or on the web to answer questions.
• Use of Perplexity: Instead of searching manually or referring to books, students ask Perplexity directly to get answers.
• Example: A student asks Perplexity a factual question like “What is the capital of France?” and gets the same answer they would have obtained by searching online or looking in a textbook.
• Impact: Perplexity simply replaces the conventional information retrieval method (manual search) without adding any functional benefit beyond speed.

Augmentation

At this level, technology provides direct tool substitution with some functional improvement.

• Traditional Method: Students search multiple sources, evaluate each one, and synthesize information.
• Use of Perplexity: Perplexity not only provides an answer, but also generates concise summaries from various sources, improving the efficiency and depth of information retrieval.
• Example: A student asks Perplexity for a summary of a complex concept like “quantum computing” and receives a coherent, synthesized explanation that includes definitions and applications, saving time and effort in synthesis.
• Impact: This improves learning by speeding up the process of obtaining reliable, synthesized information and offers a clearer understanding of complex topics.

Modification

Here, technology significantly redesigns the task, enabling learners to achieve outcomes that were previously impossible or difficult.

• Traditional Method: Students manually read articles and synthesize multiple viewpoints, which can take considerable time.
• Use of Perplexity: Students can interact with Perplexity to ask follow-up questions, request clarification, and even seek different perspectives in real time.
• Example: A student working on a research project asks Perplexity for different viewpoints on climate change, and then asks it to explain the scientific consensus vs. dissenting opinions, refining their understanding in an interactive and dynamic way.
• Impact: The tool modifies the learning experience by providing interactive and iterative learning, where students can continuously adapt and deepen their research based on evolving needs and follow-up questions.

Redefinition

At this level, technology allows for the creation of new tasks that were previously inconceivable.

• Traditional Method: Learning is largely limited to searching for information and writing reports or essays on a specific topic.
• Use of Perplexity: Perplexity can be used to create entirely new learning experiences, such as personalized learning paths, creating adaptive content that evolves based on the student’s responses, or generating simulations to explain abstract concepts.
• Example: A student asks Perplexity to simulate different economic models and how changes in policy could affect real-world markets. They are not just learning passively but are engaging in predictive learning models.
• Impact: This transforms learning by enabling students to engage in real-time simulations, personalized content generation, and the creation of unique, interactive learning scenarios that were not possible without the AI tool.

This SAMR analysis shows how Perplexity can progress from simply replacing traditional tools to transforming the learning process entirely.

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“help me create a SAMR analysis on the use of a generative AI tool Perplexity for learning” prompt, ChatGpt, version 4.0, OpenAI, 11 Oct. 2024, chatgpt.com/

Reflections (Text)

Regarding the things that are the hardest to assess from the above generated information would be regarding limits of Perplexity’s features and it’s impact on long-term learning. While it provides information on a few of it’s features clearly, it shouldn’t be the limit. Similarly, it only provides it’s immediate effect or transformations on learning, while having limited insight on long-term learning. The model tells us that this tool has the ability to enhance (Substitution & Augmentation) and transform (Modification & Redefination) learning. As for what it missed, it would be regarding ethical or bias concerns which depends on the knowledge bank used by the tool. It also doesnt give any information on it’s generation and information accuracy.

I have been using AI tools, especially ChatGPT for quite a while now. With enough frequency to know its strength and weaknesses. I have seen it’s usefullness and higher accuracy mostly when I prompt shorter questions or for shorter sections of code. I mostly use it when I dont understand some terms or I want it to go through my code to check what I did wrong. But I also know that it is really bad when it comes to heavy mathmatical calculations. For example, when working with boolean algebra simplification problems, it sometimes downright gives a wrong answer when the equation is to long or complicated.

I think that AI technology has especially bloomed over the past few years and we have seen constant development around it. So, while 2-3 years seems short when we talk about innovation, I believe that these tools will only become more comprehensive in their generation, be it from updating of their knowledge bank or stronger machine learning technology. I also know the growing fear of AI tools replacing human labour, but I believe that on a more positive note that AI tools will focus more on enhancing human creativity rather than replacing it.

In the past week, I created a multimedia learning content in through screen casting. I used PowerPoint screen recording to record a video on “Introduction to HTML” explaining basics of HTML and how to create structure of a web page. It aslo describes some important but basic terminologies used in HTML. The following is my screencast:-

Principles of Cognitive Theory of Mutumedia utilization :-

I have presented my screencast in a way that minimizes extraneous overload while also streamlining the intrinsic overload of information. I followed the redundancy principle where I avoided unnecessary texts for the knowledge I provided. Other than labels (e.g tag names or key terminologies), everything else was explained through only visuals and narration. I only utilized the signaling principle, where I utilized either a laser pointer, mouse cursor or labels to pinpoint the key information. All of the above help learners avoid use of avoidable cognitive resources to find essential materials or discern important information.

To streamline intrinsic or novel knowledge, especially for first time learner for the topic of HTML/web page creation, I applied pretraining and modality. For new learners to handle new novel information, I allocated certain time to explain terminologies (e.g. tags, elements, attributes) that may be used in the following content. While I also utilized images (i.e HTML scripts) and narrated their use in creating a web page while avoiding showing words and sentences of definations.

I actually found segmenting more difficult to implement for this particular screencasting. Although my initial idea was show the code line by line from a blank state to completion while sxplaining them, it was much harder to implement it in a way where I could speak clearly, concisely and confidently without stuttering. Hence, I opted to show almost the full code while explaining them line by line.

Impact of audience for the screencast

I imagined my audience to be students from Highschool level to undergardauate that never got into web developement or HTML. Imagining this, I tried to implement my screencasting in a way that I felt I myself would have found easier to understand. Hence, I tried to keep it conscse and focused more on visuals and practicality (HTML coding) than theory. My only dissapointment was a lack of proper segmenting technique.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this activity was an interesting endevour for me as I learned how challenging it could be to utilize the principles of Cognitive Theory of Multimedia to create effective learning content for new learners. But it was also very interesting and mind-opening how complex knowledge gathering and processing could get.

Please answer the following questions in this document for your first introductory blog post in preparation for your initial team meeting with your Learning Pod. This information will allow your team members to get to know how you work best so that the group can make team agreements that work for all.

What is your preferred mode of remote communication?

I prefer using discord or instagram

What are your communication strengths?

I can speak English clear and concisely

What are your communication weaknesses? Where would you like to grow?

Although I have no problem with speaking and understanding English, as it’s not my first language, I sometimes do mess up pronunciations.

I would love to increase my proficiency in word pronunciations.

Do you consider yourself an introvert or extrovert?

Somewhere in between. I don’t like to be too active or take initiative for activities but I do like to make friends

What time zone are you in?

I’m in the Pacific Daylight Saving Time zone

What time of day do you prefer doing academic work?

During the evening or before midnight

When you are upset do you tend to share this with others or keep it to yourself?

If it will affect my health or thinking ability too much, then I would refer to others. Otherwise no.

What do you like about group work?

Having the chance to exchange ideas and recieve feedback

What don’t you like about group work?

I dont like it when any of the groupmates can’t complete their work before the due dates (i.e if they dont have any relevent excuses).

What else would you like your team to know?

I’m excited about working with all of you and I hope we can communicate and co-ordinate well during assignments.