Welcome to my final course prototype! At the end of this post, you will find a video walking you through my course prototype.
Course Prototype Overview
This journey of designing and refining my final product has been rewarding and enlightening. From the outset, I wanted to develop something practical and meaningful in my teaching practice. My primary goal was to create a course that adopted a blended learning model, enabling students to engage with material in the classroom while providing them access to online resources and coursework. This guiding principle shaped the entire development process.
I chose to develop my course prototype using Canvas. While my school division currently operates within Microsoft Teams, I have found several limitations, particularly in course design and interactive content. Exploring Canvas allowed me to discover what else is available and experiment with a platform that could offer a more user-friendly experience for students.
In terms of content, I decided to focus on English Language Arts 20 (ELA 20), a course I am currently teaching but had not taught in five years. This made it the perfect subject for my prototype, allowing me to revisit and modernize my existing materials. Specifically, I focused on the first unit of the ELA 20 curriculum, titled “Starting Out: Beginning and Becoming.” This unit explores the journey of personal growth and self-discovery, emphasizing how childhood and youth lay the foundation for our future. Given this theme, I chose fairy tales as the central literary focus. Fairy tales provide rich, symbolic narratives and serve as an excellent medium for exploring key literary concepts such as satire, the hero’s journey, character archetypes, and allusions.
To facilitate student learning, I incorporated a variety of instructional strategies designed to maintain high engagement and accommodate diverse learning styles. My modules include PowerPoint lectures, knowledge checks using H5P, and review activities using Kahoot!. Additionally, assessments are varied to ensure students can demonstrate their understanding in multiple ways, whether through written responses, recorded reflections, discussion forums, or creative projects.
Ultimately, this course prototype represents a significant step forward in my teaching practice. It has allowed me to explore new digital tools, refine my instructional approach, and develop a resource I can confidently implement in my classroom.
For a more detailed breakdown of my course structure and methodology, please refer to my Course Profile, which can be found here.
Development Process
One of the aspects of my job as an educator that I love most is creating new learning materials, so this project was right up my alley. Although there was a slight learning curve with the Canvas platform, as it was entirely new to me, I found it relatively easy to navigate. This ease of use is one of the program’s most significant advantages. Educators already have a lot on their plates, and adopting new platforms can be overwhelming. However, Canvas’s intuitive design makes it a more accessible option for teachers who may be hesitant about integrating new technology into their classrooms.
The development of my first module went smoothly for the most part. However, I did encounter some challenges when working with H5P. While I am typically somewhat familiar with most educational tools and concepts, I had never heard of H5P before, which resulted in a significant learning curve. It took multiple attempts to understand how to use the program effectively, and even now, I would not consider myself an expert. Embedding the H5P content into my Canvas page was another challenge. Initially, I struggled to determine the correct method, but after a few Google searches, I resolved the issue. Despite these initial difficulties, I believe H5P is an excellent tool for student learning. It provides low-stakes assessments, allowing students to check their understanding in a way that reduces stress and encourages self-assessment.
After submitting my first module, I received valuable feedback, which I discuss in more detail in my blog post on this topic. Overall, the feedback was very positive. However, it encouraged me to explore ways to make my course more accessible. One key improvement I implemented was providing additional resources for students who may struggle with using a new platform like Canvas. From my own experience, I know that half the battle of completing a course is simply learning how to navigate the required technology. Trying to absorb new content while simultaneously figuring out how to use an unfamiliar system can be overwhelming. I believe this challenge is just as relevant for secondary students. To help mitigate this, I created a module at the beginning of the course that provides clear, easy-to-find resources to help students become comfortable with the platform. By removing potential barriers, students can focus on what truly matters: learning the course material.
With these considerations in mind, I began developing my second module. Having already gone through the process once, I found the second module much easier to create. This time, I incorporated additional learning techniques, such as audio recording assignments and multiple H5P knowledge checks, to further enhance student engagement. Overall, I am proud of the content I have produced and see it as a valuable asset in my classroom. This project has not only allowed me to explore new digital tools but has also strengthened my ability to design engaging and accessible learning experiences for my students.
