Early Ideas
In our analysis phase, we discovered that our learners are in need of an educational intervention related to identifying and avoiding scams, misinformation and conspiracy theories, however, our learners may maintain a false confidence when it comes to their critical media literacy skills. This gap in motivation is important for us to consider when establishing this educational intervention. Case studies and real world examples may be an efficient and effective way to enhance motivation amongst our learners and address issues of false confidence. Our learners share a wide range of levels of educational experience, so it is also important for our design to take this into consideration and create an educational intervention that is accessible to all.
Idea 1: Video and Description
Learners would watch a video of an older adult sharing their experience being harmed by misinformation and scams. This video would either already exist or we would interview and create video content for the learners to watch. After the learners watch the video, they would be paired with other learners to engage in discussions around what scams and misinformation look like, how easily they can happen to others, etc. This would allow learners to connect with someone like them who became a victim of misinformation and scams. Lastly, we would bring the discussion to the larger group to summarize main ideas from what the learners are taking away from the video and discussion..
Logic Model
Rationale
The theory of social constructivism “deepens our experiences in the world and aids our construction of new knowledge through the exchange of ideas with others” (McDonald & West). For our learning goals related to educating older adults on scams, misinformation, and conspiracy theories, and changing perspectives to better recognize individual vulnerability and risk, social constructivism encourages the sharing of experiences and ideas to build knowledge. Through watching the video of a real-world example of a scam/misinformation/conspiracy theory impacting an individual and then discussing and sharing experiences in small groups, learners will be able to exchange ideas with others and build new knowledge. Additionally, the art and educational use of storytelling has been recognized as a notable way to create memorable learning experiences. Our learners may struggle with motivation about how this learning experience directly applies to and impacts them. Through the use of storytelling via video, learners will be able to witness a heart-breaking emotional and memorable story that will hopefully help change their perspective about their perceived risk and impact of scams, misinformation and conspiracy theories on their lives. Storytelling is also an easy to understand method because of the story arc which could make it more accessible to our audience who have a range of different background knowledge on the topic and education levels.
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Video will be a very impactful medium for the initial story of an older adult who has experienced a scam, misinformation, and/or a conspiracy theory because learners will be immersed in the story. Video content helps the learners by providing context that can help them identify as a “character” or relate to the individual. A concrete example shown through the use of video will aid in learners' understanding of scams, misinformation, and/or conspiracy theories which can often be difficult to understand without a concrete example as they can be seen as abstract in nature.
Pros/Cons
Pros: This video and discussion activity will hopefully address one of the main challenges that we have with this project which is learner motivation.
Cons: There are no assessments. The discussion is more open-ended, so there is not a clear way to ensure that the learners are taking away what we want them to from the activity.
Questions
Do we need an assessment for our learning activity?
Is there something more that we can add to this learning activity?
Idea 2: Social Media
With the permission of learners, instructors will help learners create a social media profile on Facebook (though it’s possible that learners may have existing accounts). Instructor will create a private Facebook group and invite learners to join so that a community is built outside of class hours. This group can serve as a place for learners to engage with each other by sharing questions, reflections, etc. with each other. Learners can also freely share content that they create and/or encounter.. Ideally, we want learners to develop their digital literacy skills while engaging with a real digital space. While completing the course, learners will be expected to post specific things in the group as directed by the instructor. Additionally, this group can remain open after the formal course ends to encourage and support continued learning. A class message board similar to the one we use in Brightspace can also be used as an alternative if learners are resistant to engaging with social media.
Logic Model
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Rationale
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The use of social media directly aligns with social constructivism. Social constructivism states that learning and knowledge exist in minds together. The focus is on interaction with another person. People construct knowledge together (McDonald & West, 2020).
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Situativity states that learning requires social interaction and collaboration and that knowledge should be presented in an authentic context. These are features of social media (McDonald & West, 2020).
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Based on the affordances of social media, learners will be able to build a community of practice and an online learning community in a real world setting (in context learning) and apply their skills to create and share their own content (Bates, 2015).
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A social media platform also allows learners to practice their skills “on the go,” something that was important to the learners that we surveyed.
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To determine the effectiveness of social media in our learning design, we can use the questions attached to TAM (Dirksen, 2016)
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Is the new behavior genuinely useful?
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Yes, many adults are already using social media in one way or another. Digital literacy is a critical skill.
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If it is useful, how will the learner know that?
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Social media has become a primary form of communication for many people. Increased engagement and connection with others allows for people to become more productive members of their communities.
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Is the new behavior easy to use?
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Using social media may be easier for some than others. Those brand new to social media may have a steeper learning curve, while those who already regularly use social media may feel very comfortable.
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If it’s not easy to use, is there anything that can be done to help that?
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Explicit instruction and models will be provided.
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Pros/Cons
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Pros: Learners are interacting with a real-world environment/context; free; allow for online collaboration; allow for increased autonomy in learning (Bates, 2015)
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Cons: Lack of quality control; absence of structured supports; no formal assessment (Bates, 2015)
Questions
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Are there any scaffolds that we can put in place to support learners who may not be familiar with social media?
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How can we provide structure that supports initial learning?
Idea 3: Handouts Activity
Learners will use the handout to practice identifying misinformation and scams. On the handouts, we will include common examples of misinformation, scams, and credible contents that our learners may encounter in real life. Learners are expected to work collaboratively in groups. They will determine why each given scenario is a type of misinformation, scam, or credible information. We plan to do this activity in the beginning to check for our learners’ previous knowledge on identifying misinformation, scams, and credible information.
Logic Model
I’m a paragraph. Double click me or click Edit Text, it's easy.
Rationale
Social constructivism is the key learning theory for this activity. Social constructivism emphasizes the collaborative nature of learning. The learning theory was developed by Vygotsky and he argued that learning did not simply happen through assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge, but was the process by which learners were integrated into a knowledge community (1978, 57). When learners are deciding whether or not a scenario is a type of misinformation or scam collaboratively, they are building the knowledge together. Some learners may have lots of pre-existing knowledge, while some may have none. When they are working together, they are helping each other to achieve shared goals.
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The handout is a type of printed materials that include pictures and text. Printed materials are ideal for older adults because many of them may not be familiar with or comfortable with using technology. Printed materials like handouts can be easily manipulated and annotated.
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Pros/Cons
Pros:
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Handouts are easy to manipulate and share.
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Handouts can help us make check for learner's understanding easier when learners annotated and write their thoughts down.
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Handouts can be used as a kind of assessment.
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Cons:
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There could be too much information presented on handouts that may make our learners overwhelmed.
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They are likely to be destroyed or learners may lose them.
Questions
Beside real world examples of misinformation, scams, and credible information, what else can we include on the handouts?
References
Bates, T. (2015). Teaching in a Digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. BCcampus Open Publishing.
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Dirksen, J. (2016). Design for how people learn (Second Edition). New Riders.
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McDonald, J. K., & West, R. E. (2021). Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, & Praxis. EdTech Books.
Vygotsky, Lev (1978). Mind in Society. London: Harvard University Press.