Course Shell and Lumi

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Let me just begin my saying, holy workload Batman! I certainly underestimated how long it would take to create a course shell and single module for my blended math course. This is something that I can see many of us are experiencing! Understandably, the initial creation of an online or blended course would be quite tedious and time consuming, but once completed, would be able to be used again and again with future groups of students. Still, there is a lot to think about – a lot more than I thought.

Meme Think GIF on GIPHY

A few weeks ago, I decided that Canvas would be the LMS I would use to host my fractions, decimals and percent course. Canvas was (is) entirely new to me, but after exploring it, I decided it looked promising enough to give it a go. I created an account, looked around a little bit, and left it at that. I veered over to Lumi to create my H5P content for my course. You can check this out here. Let me explain a little bit of my rationale for this creation:

  1. First of all, and this might come as quite a shock to some of you, but teaching about terminating and repeating decimals is actually not very exciting! In my course I am trying to employ an inquiry foundation in earnest and try to foster curiosity and enjoyment in the learning process. The video I found and added interaction to is one that I found was a good “bridge” between my module’s initial inquiry task and the more traditional approach to converting fractions to terminating and repeating decimals (long division).
  2. The video I chose (from Infinity Learn NEET on YouTube) shows an alternative way of identifying if a given fraction is going to convert into a terminating or repeating decimal without doing long division. I thought this was pretty neat, and I even wondered if this “method” might be something that students would discover during the initial inquiry task (uh, perfect!). Except… the terminology in this video was different than the terminology I was using. What I mean is, for the decimal number that repeats, I was using the term “repeating”; in the video, this number is referred to as “non-terminating recurring”. I was annoyed, quite frankly, because this seems to happen in so many situations where, as a teacher, I am scouring the internet for a video that will work to reinforce or introduce concepts to students and can’t find one that is juuuust right. But then, I thought about how it might be more valuable for students to hear a different term and learn that these different terms can mean the same thing. I decided that, instead of creating my own video teaching the same thing, I would just add interactive content to help assist students in learning that these terms are referring to the same thing. This might not seem like that big of a deal, but remembering myself as a younger math learner, there were many times where I was confused about something because it did not follow the prescribed step-by-step method that was shown or explained to me. It is far too easy when teaching (and learning) math to fall into the habit of imitating the instruction and applying that to drill and practice questions without actually developing a deeper understanding, and this is something I want to move away from in my course.
  3. After finishing up with that video, and as I continued developing the shell of my course, I realized that I was going to need another video to review long division of numbers resulting in a decimal. I included this video by Khan Academy as an option for student who need it. As I’m sure many of you who also teach math can attest to, teaching new topics often results in having to go back and review or reteach prerequisite concepts. The “learner personas” for my course (you can see my ADDIE template here) include two students who are working at a grade 4 level in math and could certainly benefit from this additional support, but all students have the opportunity to access it.

I found that with Lumi and H5P, I could only do so much; my lesson also includes an inquiry task (activity), discussions and an assignment directly in the LMS for formative assessment (see below for links to these). For students who are completing the course entirely online, though, H5P content comes as close as it can get to being there in-person for instruction and interaction.

Inquiry Task

Khan Academy assignment

Canvas Assignment (“quiz”) – formative assessment

Journal About Math (JAM) – formative assessment

My first module and the shell of my course is complete, and you can view it all starting here. There are a few other odds and ends I’ve included if you care to take a look, such as a discussion etiquette rubric and sample video/written journal entry which I’m sure I’ll elaborate on in the coming weeks.

Planning and creating this course has been a labour of love. I’m thoroughly enjoying it and wish I had a couple more hours in the day to dedicate to it (rather than trying to utilize every single minute during nap times and whatever other spare time small children allow…but such is life). I am looking forward to watching it all (hopefully) come together.

Course Module Using Lumi

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After pondering my initial first try at Lumi, I decided to go with a different activity! Like I mentioned in my previous post, Lumi is quite time consuming when it comes to making a longer length video. I decided to use it to make my first module of my course, which would be a pre-reading task. This includes:

Watching the movie trailer to make predictions and check viewing comprehension using Lumi (link here)

Completing an anticipation guide posted on Google Classroom (student activity)

Pre-reading research to get students familiar with the plot (formative assessment)

Link to Google Classroom

Module 1 in Lumi

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The Before

I created my online course to help students attain a recovery credit in Math 10WA. Module 1 focuses on Trigonometry which can be a difficult unit for grade 10 students. To view my course prototype, click here.

 

The Now

Over the past 10 days, I have spent countless hours creating a “shell” for my first module. To say the least, I underestimated the amount of time it would take setting up an asynchronous course online. I found myself asking the same question “how will this actually work?” My head was spinning thinking of all the things I still needed to create (syllabus, rubrics, instructional videos, assessments, etc.), and I quickly became overwhelmed. I tried visualizing how my students would access all their materials without getting confused or missing important information. With a few extra cups of coffee this past week, I figured out a solution I “think” will work.

 

I ended up creating a “daily agenda” for my students to follow. Everything is in one document; including links to all their instructional videos, assignments, assessments, course syllabus, intro videos, extra assignments, practice tests, and more. I made the document into a checklist so they can mark off their completed tasks and stay on schedule. The students just have to click the links! Should be easy peasy (I hope). To view my course agenda, click here. **NOTE: This took a very very very long time! 

To keep things consistent, I chose to create all my instructional videos in a similar format. I ended up recording all my lessons through Annotate, then edited each one in iMovie, and finally uploaded the files to YouTube. After this very long process, I copy and pasted my YouTube links into Lumi and added interactions to each one. This was the first time I used Lumi and I really enjoyed the template. The first video took me a while to figure out, but by the time I finished my 8th video, it only took me a few minutes. I integrated True/False statements to check for understanding multiple times throughout my lessons. I used Multiple choice questions for students to check their answers (before) viewing the solutions on the video. *This way they are not watching the video and becoming bored/distracted with other things around them. It forces them to pay attention to the material and practice the example questions “with” me. I added additional links into my lessons to help students navigate their calculator skills (for example: helping students reset their calculator to degrees). I also used the Crossroads feature which allows students to skip to the next question if they are feeling confident with the content. At the end of each instructional video, I added a link to their daily assignments and a link to their ‘check for understanding quiz’ via google forms. Everything they need can be accessed through the instructional video. It’s amazing what technology allows us to do! Overall, I was very pleased with Lumi and I will most likely continue using this platform for future modules.

The first video I created in Lumi was a Calculator Escape Room activity. This is a short activity I like to do on the first day of classes with my students so they feel comfortable navigating different buttons on their calculators before starting course content. Please give it a try (if you want). You will need a calculator, pen and paper! NOTE: It doesn’t work well on your phone screen so I suggest using a computer/laptop. Here is the LINK.

 

The other 7 videos I created in Lumi are my instructional videos for each lesson I teach. These are not as fancy or fun as my first video, but if you want to check them out, here are the links:

Lesson 1 – Pythagorean Theorem

Lesson 2 – Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems

Lesson 3 – Intro to Trigonometry

Lesson 4 – Using Trig to Find Unknown Side Lengths

Lesson 5 – Using Trig to Find Unknown Angles

Lesson 6 – Solving Right Triangles

Lesson 7 – Trigonometry Word Problems

 

My thoughts about assessments…

 

I am trying to think realistically about this course. My time is limited and I need my students to stay engaged and motivated. I have no idea if this will work or not, but some big decisions I made were:

 

  1. Keeping all my formative assessments online. At the end of each lesson, students will complete questions via Google Forms (Quizzes) and receive immediate feedback. All their answers will automatically be sent to me afterwards. Since I am teaching full-time, this seems like the easiest and most convenient way to see how my students are doing.
  2. Keeping all my summative assessments in-person. I want my students to be present during summative assessments and have an adult supervise to support them if they need clarifications on questions and to ensure they are completing their own work. Students will also be encouraged to draw pictures and show their work (step-by-step) to receive full marks (similar to my in-person classes). 
  3. Incorporating an online communication piece to my course breakdown. Having my students check-in daily through Discord will (hopefully) motivate students to complete work in a timely manner and hold them accountable to communicate with others throughout the course. I have created two simple online assignments for the students to complete during the course as well. These took very little time to plan and organize.

 

The Future

In the near future, I plan on creating 6 more modules so I can have all my Math 10WA units online for students to access. I find that high school students do better when they have a set routine and know what to expect. I plan on creating similar videos and following the same template for my other units. I am optimistic that next module will be easier to create and upload, because I have found what works best for me.

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Module 1 in Lumi

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The Before

I created my online course to help students attain a recovery credit in Math 10WA. Module 1 focuses on Trigonometry which can be a difficult unit for grade 10 students. To view my course prototype, click here.

 

The Now

Over the past 10 days, I have spent countless hours creating a “shell” for my first module. To say the least, I underestimated the amount of time it would take setting up an asynchronous course online. I found myself asking the same question “how will this actually work?” My head was spinning thinking of all the things I still needed to create (syllabus, rubrics, instructional videos, assessments, etc.), and I quickly became overwhelmed. I tried visualizing how my students would access all their materials without getting confused or missing important information. With a few extra cups of coffee this past week, I figured out a solution I “think” will work.

 

I ended up creating a “daily agenda” for my students to follow. Everything is in one document; including links to all their instructional videos, assignments, assessments, course syllabus, intro videos, extra assignments, practice tests, and more. I made the document into a checklist so they can mark off their completed tasks and stay on schedule. The students just have to click the links! Should be easy peasy (I hope). To view my course agenda, click here. **NOTE: This took a very very very long time! 

To keep things consistent, I chose to create all my instructional videos in a similar format. I ended up recording all my lessons through Annotate, then edited each one in iMovie, and finally uploaded the files to YouTube. After this very long process, I copy and pasted my YouTube links into Lumi and added interactions to each one. This was the first time I used Lumi and I really enjoyed the template. The first video took me a while to figure out, but by the time I finished my 8th video, it only took me a few minutes. I integrated True/False statements to check for understanding multiple times throughout my lessons. I used Multiple choice questions for students to check their answers (before) viewing the solutions on the video. *This way they are not watching the video and becoming bored/distracted with other things around them. It forces them to pay attention to the material and practice the example questions “with” me. I added additional links into my lessons to help students navigate their calculator skills (for example: helping students reset their calculator to degrees). I also used the Crossroads feature which allows students to skip to the next question if they are feeling confident with the content. At the end of each instructional video, I added a link to their daily assignments and a link to their ‘check for understanding quiz’ via google forms. Everything they need can be accessed through the instructional video. It’s amazing what technology allows us to do! Overall, I was very pleased with Lumi and I will most likely continue using this platform for future modules.

The first video I created in Lumi was a Calculator Escape Room activity. This is a short activity I like to do on the first day of classes with my students so they feel comfortable navigating different buttons on their calculators before starting course content. Please give it a try (if you want). You will need a calculator, pen and paper! NOTE: It doesn’t work well on your phone screen so I suggest using a computer/laptop. Here is the LINK.

 

The other 7 videos I created in Lumi are my instructional videos for each lesson I teach. These are not as fancy or fun as my first video, but if you want to check them out, here are the links:

Lesson 1 – Pythagorean Theorem

Lesson 2 – Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems

Lesson 3 – Intro to Trigonometry

Lesson 4 – Using Trig to Find Unknown Side Lengths

Lesson 5 – Using Trig to Find Unknown Angles

Lesson 6 – Solving Right Triangles

Lesson 7 – Trigonometry Word Problems

 

My thoughts about assessments…

 

I am trying to think realistically about this course. My time is limited and I need my students to stay engaged and motivated. I have no idea if this will work or not, but some big decisions I made were:

 

  1. Keeping all my formative assessments online. At the end of each lesson, students will complete questions via Google Forms (Quizzes) and receive immediate feedback. All their answers will automatically be sent to me afterwards. Since I am teaching full-time, this seems like the easiest and most convenient way to see how my students are doing.
  2. Keeping all my summative assessments in-person. I want my students to be present during summative assessments and have an adult supervise to support them if they need clarifications on questions and to ensure they are completing their own work. Students will also be encouraged to draw pictures and show their work (step-by-step) to receive full marks (similar to my in-person classes). 
  3. Incorporating an online communication piece to my course breakdown. Having my students check-in daily through Discord will (hopefully) motivate students to complete work in a timely manner and hold them accountable to communicate with others throughout the course. I have created two simple online assignments for the students to complete during the course as well. These took very little time to plan and organize.

 

The Future

In the near future, I plan on creating 6 more modules so I can have all my Math 10WA units online for students to access. I find that high school students do better when they have a set routine and know what to expect. I plan on creating similar videos and following the same template for my other units. I am optimistic that next module will be easier to create and upload, because I have found what works best for me.

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Module Introduction through Lumi

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Hello!

I am designing a blended learning course for adult learners to refresh and strengthen their knowledge of CT anatomy (also called cross-sectional anatomy). This means finding anatomical structures on images that were acquired with a CT scanner. Looking at images this way is quite different than what we think of as regular X-rays. I am using the LMS Canvas which has impressed me with its clean, simple, intuitive design and has many of the features of robust LMS. I organized the course content into modules, and embedded H5P content created in Lumi.  The first couple of modules of this course focus on refreshing the learner’s knowledge of CT images and 2D radiographs. Being comfortable with orientating oneself to the various views available and understanding anatomical directional terms that are used to describe locations provides a strong foundation for learning cross-sectional anatomy.

After the foundation is set, subsequent modules focus on identifying anatomical structures within the different body cavities. Each module will cover a different body cavity: thorax, abdomen, and pelvis. By the end of the course, the learners should have a solid understanding of cross-sectional anatomy. The learners will be able to explain the significance of this knowledge as it is applied to Image Guided Radiation Therapy, which I discussed in my course profile post.

All the didactic learning and assessment will be delivered online with weekly synchronous “class meetings”. This is a flipped classroom model, where the weekly class meetings will provide some context for the didactic material. I divided the course into weekly sections, and then put each week of work into its module. Completing one module each week should help the students group the learnings and help with retention. When designing the modules, I aimed to have each of them a copy of themselves to keep the structure simple and predictable. Each module includes a course presentation which includes the didactic information in the form of an interactive video, some activities to reinforce the learning (instant feedback), and an assignment worth a small number of marks. I included the assignment at the end of the course presentation so that the learners see it right away and they do not need to click around inside the LMS to access it. I will encourage collaboration on these written assignments, as they usually do anyway. Each module will contain the course presentation, an assignment, a short quiz (to show independent learning), and a weekly discussion. An exception is Module 1 which contains two course presentations. Module 1 Session A and Module 1 Session B can be viewed by clicking these links. After our readings last week, I have realized the importance of building community inside the virtual classroom. I have also witnessed this happen with this class, as we communicate with each other via Discord. Elements to the class that I will add to foster community are collaboration on assignments and discussion boards, providing a forum for a Q&A space as Katia did for us, and encouraging discussion in our weekly synchronous class meetings. We will also have weekly lab sessions when we meet together within the clinical environment to practice the image-matching software.

Working within Lumi was a fun yet time-consuming process. This is my first exposure to H5P, so a little research beforehand was also required. I loved the creativity involved, yet learning this new platform and its limitations took more time than I would have expected. I am still unsure if I completely understand, and I put a lot of things down to “user error”.  I look forward to feedback from the class about the 2 Lumi Course Presentations created for my course prototype.

Module 1: Cree Language Instruction

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My prototype project module 1 will be presented in 2 lessons that include: instructional material, student activity in the form of video and Cree language apps, and assessment worksheets. The lessons will demonstrate an effective model to use Land Based Learning to teach Cree language in context of home, community, and culture. Technology supports Indigenous land based learning by giving students access to tech tools and applications that assist with language learning.

Module 1: Lesson 1 “Winter: pipon”

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SAsQ1VaEsRTyB-VYh-dF-UEB_k2OL5z26QFX4JprepM/edit

Module 1: Lesson 2 “Tracking in the Winter: Animal Tracks”

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10ag2o8eEA6VySJNxR_UGxN3tnleYhQ8qmvzBGD8VrZo/edit

Lesson 2: Photo Essay template

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Px9RRAOlkTf1avywDOyp03I13G5jYQ5i1pRhsGjrQs4/edit

Cree Language Instruction prototype created on the Lumi LMS. Content creation is a task that has proven to be a challenge for me with learning a new LMS program. I am diligently task focused and should have that up and running on the next assignment. Thank you for understanding and being patient with me!

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Building Community and Cooperation: Improving Regina’s Immigrant Orientation Workshops

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Creating a welcoming learning atmosphere that encourages community involvement and cooperation is crucial when planning orientation programmes for new arrivals to Regina. Various student-teacher and student-student interactions can enhance the educational process and encourage cultural assimilation. Let’s examine the criteria for guaranteeing the effectiveness of these encounters and how they might be put into practice.

STUDENT INTERACTION TYPES

LMS Discussion Boards:
Discussion boards in the Learning Management System (LMS) give students a place to communicate asynchronously, participate in insightful conversations, ask questions, and exchange experiences. These forums foster peer-to-peer interactions and a feeling of community within the learning community.

Video conversations

Students and teachers can communicate in real-time through live video chats or online office hours. These interactive sessions improve student engagement and collaboration by providing individualised support, quick feedback, and in-depth conversations on course material.

Sessions with Guest Speakers

By inviting guest speakers from the neighbourhood or pertinent organisations, instructors can give students firsthand knowledge, a range of viewpoints, and useful guidance on things like integrating into the local culture, finding work, and gaining access to necessary services in Regina. These classes enhance the educational process and provide learners with connections to resources and networks of support.

Neighbourhood Tours and Field Trips:
Arranging virtual tours or field visits to nearby businesses, historical landmarks, and community organisations exposes students to the local environment and promotes cross-cultural understanding. These opportunities for experiential learning foster interpersonal relationships, the development of useful knowledge, and a stronger feeling of community involvement.

 

GUIDES FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERACTION

Stated Expectations

Clearly state the intent, frequency, and standards for student interactions in your guidelines. To establish a welcoming learning environment, promote polite conversation, engaged engagement, and helpful criticism.

Organising Questions for Discussion
To encourage thoughtful discussions and critical thinking, provide structured discussion starters that are in line with the goals of the course and actual situations. Motivate pupils to investigate other viewpoints and actively participate in the course material.

Facilitation by the instructor

Engage in lively debates, offer prompt comments, and encourage deep connections among students. Dispel myths, promote inclusive engagement, and recognise the importance of various perspectives to enhance the educational process.

Peer Criticism and Introspection

To encourage group learning and self-awareness, include chances for peer feedback and reflection. Students should be encouraged to assess their work, consider what they have learned, and pinpoint areas where they may improve.

Evaluation of Interaction Quality

Evaluation criteria for student interactions include involvement with peers’ views, depth of analysis, and relevance. Give pupils helpful criticism to help them improve their social skills and create a welcoming learning environment.

Orientation seminars for immigrants in Regina can establish inclusive learning environments that foster cultural integration, collaboration, and empowerment by incorporating various modes of student interaction and enacting efficacious norms. These workshops are vital to the successful adaptation and integration of students into the Regina community because they provide meaningful relationships and encourage student engagement.

LUMI

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Lumi

CLICK HERE to access my module on Lumi.

Arkin and I decided to both create introductory courses for our prototype. Lumi was a helpful tool for this, because it allows you to create interactive lessons and videos to quickly introduce new concepts.

For my module, I focused on introducing Foley artists and the art of creating sound effects. For our prototype, students will eventually make radio plays and will be responsible for creating their own Foley sounds; therefore, it is important for students to have an understanding of the world of Foley. Using an interactive video is an effective way to introduce this new concept (which, for the majority, ‘Foley’ is a new term entirely!) while also assessing understanding. Meanwhile, Arkin created a complementary lesson and introduced the elements of soundscapes, something that students will also incorporate into their final project.

Using Lumi, I was able to use our own grading scale for formative assessment. As students watch the video and answer the questions, their results show their grade on that set of questions; immediate feedback for students is known to be beneficial.

I used a ‘kick-off question’ where students make inferences – a skill we work on a lot in middle years ELA! – and used a combination of multiple choice and fill in the blank to reiterate important information from the video. These questions will help students remember this information as it will be a big part of their future project (e.g. the term ‘Foley artist,’ using unlikely objects to create everyday sounds, creativity involved in Foley artistry, and the uniqueness of the profession). 

There are also some accessibility features such as closed captions, translations, and allowance for spelling mistakes in fill in the blank questions. Generally, extra supports such as these are beneficial for all students; however, as identified in our ADDIE model, we have a large percentage of EAL students; these features would be especially helpful for them.

 

Pros and Cons of Lumi

Pros

Cons
  • Allows for immediate student feedback
  • Easy assessment for teachers and facilitators
  • Database to access lots of resources made by other educators
  • Shareable link for completed projects
  • Accessibility features to meet the needs of a variety of learners
  • Time consuming to create interactive resources
  • Limit on length of videos/size of files in the free version
  • Would work better for older students; while there are features conducive to younger grades, it would be more difficult for early learners to use this tool

Because I only made the one module, this pros/cons list is not extensive; it’s only what I found while working through for the first time. I have used platforms to create H5P content before, and I found Lumi much more difficult to use in comparison. However, the other platforms didn’t have nearly as many options nor accessibility features as Lumi.

Arkin and I look forward to feedback on our modules and to hear what others liked/didn’t like when they were working in Lumi!

Course Prototype – LUMI!

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Meagan and I worked together to create introductory lessons for our blended course prototype. For our prototype, Meagan and I are having our students create a radio play. Our prototype design combines in-class instruction with digital components, and Lumi was used as a tool to contribute to an engaging and interactive introductory digital lesson for our students.

You can find my Lumi module here.

My colleague and partner Meagan (please find Meagan’s blog here) focused on introducing Foley Artists and the art of creating sound effects, and I focused on a complementary introductory lesson on the elements of soundscapes. Students will be working toward creating radio plays and will be responsible for creating their own Foley sounds and applying the elements of soundscapes within their work; therefore, it is important for students to understand the world of Foley and the three distinct elements of soundscapes. Lumi allowed Meagan and I the opportunity to create short, interactive launch lessons to introduce both concepts. In addition to using the Lumi platform, we used YouTube and Canva to assist in our final Lumi lessons.

The idea behind my lesson was to introduce the three elements of soundscapes (soundmarks, keynotes, and sound signals), provide the opportunity to identify soundscapes in the classroom, and explore examples of each element in a concise video. I utilized an open-ended question to begin the lesson to gauge what students knew about soundscapes before the lesson. Throughout, I used both multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions as an interactive formative assessment for understanding. For my summary task, I posed the following question to close my lesson: what makes an effective soundscape? This will then lead to further exploration and dialogue on the topic.

I will be honest; it took me a little bit of time to get the hang of using Lumi, and I had many frustrating, and at the same time, AHA! moments. I feel that I have just got started with Lumi and acknowledge that there is so much potential for further exploration and further opportunities for student engagement. I reflected on other interactive options that I could have or should have used, as there were so many options! However, I was satisfied with the product for my first go with Lumi!

One of the features I appreciated about using Lumi was creating our own grading scale, which was relatively reflective of the grading scale that Meagan and I indicated in our initial ADDIE profile. The immediate feedback to students is outstanding and provides an opportunity for formative assessment of this unit. 

Another benefit of using Lumi was the accessibility features that are present on the platform. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed that there were options to translate and allow for spelling mistakes (fill-in-the-blank questions). As identified in our ADDIE model, we have a large percentage of EAL students; these features would be especially helpful for these students.

Pros Cons
– Allows for immediate student feedback.
– Easy assessment for teachers and facilitators.
– Database to access lots of resources made by other educators.
– Shareable link for completed projects.
– Accessibility features to meet the needs of a variety of learners.		– Time consuming to create interactive resources.
– Limit on length of videos/size of files in the free version.
– Would work better for older students; while there are features conducive to younger grades, it would be more difficult for early learners to use this tool.

This pros/cons list is based on the limited and my first-time use of Lumi, and I am sure there are plenty more to add! Meagan and I look forward to hearing back from our colleagues on our respective modules, and we look forward to hearing about your experiences with Lumi as well!!

Lumi Tunes

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Ladies and gentlemen, you’re about to witness…

I have to admit that I was a little nervous going into this week’s activities.  I had never heard of Lumi, or H5P, let alone used them before.  Turns out H5P stands for HTML5 package; essentially it uses JavaScript to create interactive elements that we can share on our websites.  Since my online course uses a lot of video elements I thought it would be most fitting to add interactions to several of them.

There was only one small problem – I didn’t have any videos yet.  So I decided to create a few from scratch.  But isn’t that placing the cart before the horse?  My course would certainly need a syllabus.  Right?  Okay, no problem I can put one of those together.  What about a teacher introduction?  A quick start guide?  How about several sleepless evenings of feverishly creating content so I could get back to adding interactive elements to the videos?

I forgot.  I hadn’t made them yet.

Cue the internal screaming.

On your mark, get set, CREATE!

If you didn’t get a chance to read my ADDIE profile (if you didn’t I don’t blame you – its longer than the manifestos of some political parties) here is my course in a nutshell: I am making a unit on leasing and buying vehicles for students who failed grade 12 workplace mathematics (in my province workplace mathematics focuses on on practical day-to-day applications).  My grand scheme is to eventually create several units so students with attendance issues can earn a credit in the course.

Before I could create my nifty videos I needed to set the stage and create the shell of the course in Google Classroom.  I apologize for not linking to it directly, but my school division has created an electronic walled garden of sorts, and outsiders aren’t allowed past the gates (to be fair we did suffer a massive ransomware attack – so the paranoia is somewhat justified).

The preliminary work is below.

Boring Teacher Stuff

  • The aforementioned ADDIE profile

Getting Started

  • A quick start guide
  • Meet the instructor
  • Introduce yourself – this is the first assignment for my students.  They will create a short video introduction (under 30 seconds) including their name, an interesting fact about them, and why they took workplace mathematics.  I have provided an example of what I am looking for.
  • A course syllabus – I included a code of conduct to set my expectations for student-to-student online interactions

H5P content, assessment, and my rationale

Have you ever been shopping for jeans and you can’t seem to find the right pair?  The pair that are the correct size aren’t the right colour.  The ones in the right colour are way too big, etc.  This is how I felt about the videos I found on YouTube comparing buying and leasing cars.  Some hit on several key points, but left a few out that I wanted to discuss.  The ones that were comprehensive enough went way too long.  So I rolled up my sleeves, fired up PowerPoint, plugged in my microphone, and made my own video.

Next it was time to add H5P content throughout.  But what to add?  Interaction for interaction sake defeats the purpose.  In other words I wanted my tools to enhance the lesson in some sort of meaningful way.  For starters I wanted to keep obtrusive pauses to a minimum.  Every time I threw out a factoid I placed an optional link for students to click on if they wanted to see the source material.  Secondly I used text to summarize the main points made in major sections (again, an optional button rather than something that would kill the pacing of the video).  At several key intersections I placed quizzes to provide formative assessment to students so they could gauge their understanding.  These do stop the video so I tried to keep them spaced apart.  Due to my crippling need to organize everything I placed chapter markers throughout.  This allows students to jump to specific parts of the video when they complete their first written assignment (more on that in a second).  Lastly, there is a summary quiz to wrap up.

Here is a link to my first H5P enabled video created with Lumi.

As my first video is fairly neutral in terms of leasing and buying vehicles I then have students watch a video from Dave Ramsey (an internet finance advice guru) lambasting leasing and an article from a popular driving website defending the decision to lease.

For an assessment I provided the following written assignment (to be submitted through Google classroom).  My priorities where for students to engage in critical thinking and application of the content.  Understanding terminology is important, but I am really interested in how they apply this new knowledge.  The assignment description is below:

For this assignment you will answer the following questions:

1) Why is Dave Ramsey so strongly against leasing (which he refers to pejoratively as “fleecing”) vehicles?  Cite 3 reasons that he directly addresses in his video.  Your answer should be 3-4 sentences long.

Example: Dave Ramsey is strongly against leasing vehicles.  Firstly, he notes that when you lease a vehicle ________________________.

3 marks

2) In his article Benjamin Hunting describes why he ultimately decided to lease a new vehicle for 2 years.  Explain why he reached this decision noting two of his strongest arguments.  Your answer should be 2-3 sentences long.

Example: Although Benjamin Hunting didn’t initially want to lease a vehicle he came to this decision for several reasons.  First, when he ______________________.

2 marks

3) Based on the video in lesson 1 (part 1) and video/article in lesson 1 (part 2) which do you feel is a better option for you, buying or leasing a vehicle?

You cannot “sit on the fence” i.e. you must make a decision.

Example: Given my circumstances and preferences I think it would be best to…

You need to give a minimum of 4 reasons to support your position that should be specific to you and your context.

Example: One of the reasons I chose to lease a vehicle is that I intend to teach English in Korea for two years after graduation.  If I lease a vehicle then I won’t have to worry about selling it when I return home at the end of my contract.

2 marks for clearly stating your position (buying or leasing)
8 marks for your 4 reasons (2 marks each)

15 marks (Assignment Total)

You may submit your assignment as Google Doc, or if you are more comfortable speaking, as a short video on your cell phone (you may have to speak to your instructor on how to do this).

And then I made a bunch more stuff…

I then made several more lessons linking videos and articles.

I made another Lumi video for my second module which you can view here.  It pertains to reading window stickers on new vehicles.  As this is heavily focused on terminology I felt it was appropriate to assess this knowledge using a multiple choice quiz.  Multiple choice quizzes are not always the best – but the worlds of finance and car dealing have a lot of jargon (I think intentionally to confuse the consumer) that needs to be understood.

My Final Thoughts on H5P and Lumi

I like it.  But like all web tools like WordPress it omits the fine granular control that you get from writing your own JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.  It makes the tools accessible to all, but when something doesn’t work the way you want it to, you aren’t left with a lot of options.  As long as you are okay with some of the baked in limitations I think it is an excellent way to enhance content.

But be warned, all the neat interactions cannot compensate for the weak base content.  If the underlying video is inaccurate, biased, or poorly created all the interactive quizzes in the world won’t make it better.