Jingwei Viola Liu
Digital Age Learning Culture Indicator A
Indicator A: Ensure instructional innovation focused on continuous improvement of digital-age learning.
Artifact:
Artifact & Course Description:
Course Title
GDIT 704: Professional Studies in Instructional Technology
Course Description
This course focused on a human-centered approach to instructional design with an emphasis on the interaction and experience of the learner. This course teaches how to incorporate considerations about a variety of potential users such as teachers, students, staff and parents into design. Students were exposed to the lifecycle of interaction and experience of design, and were involved in testing methods and evaluating benefits and impacts.
Project Description
This artifact includes both a link to a design for the Afterschool App in an online design platform, as well as a video describing the app. This app is specifically designed for iPhone or Android size screen, and aims to help students complete and keep track of their homework, especially when not in school. It has the following main sections:
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Homework: This area displays the homework so the student can access it anytime.
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Due Dates: This graphical display updates the student on the current status of homework assignments – when they are due, and which are past due.
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Assistance: This section facilitates students connecting with other students or possibly teachers to chat about the homework so they may work on it together.
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Gradebook: This displays grades as well as feedback from teachers.
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Game: This section provides a gamification approach to learning the principles in the homework.
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Study Help: This area provides more practice questions for the student to use in learning.
Reflection
Although, when I came to this course, I had already designed different prototypes, I really benefitted from learning the design process. I used the questionnaire approach to gather information about the design, and I also learned to use the storyboard process for planning the app. These tools made design much easier, and after learning about the lifecycle of design, I see where they could be useful in maintaining the software.
An app like this could become very population, and would require continuous improvement. The use of the development platform software promotes planning for continuous improvement of digital-age learning. This innovation involves digitizing homework assignments and tracking them electronically; however, future innovations could be added if the app is adopted by many users. A solid, deliberate and organized design process using appropriate online tools is necessary for facilitating continuous improvement of the learning app.