EME 801: Energy Markets, Policy, and Regulation deals with a number of complex datasets that are traditionally displayed in a tabular format. To help students visualize the data contained in the tables, Flourish was used to create interactive multi-level pie charts. Students can interact with the pie chart by clicking on the chart to see the distributions within subcategories.
The R Shiny Parametric Hypothesis Testing tool, shown above, is used in METEO 815 to help the students understand the complicated statistical mathematics behind hypothesis formation and testing. The lesson materials provide the mathematical equations used for hypothesis testing and include a few static images to help illustrate the process.
Microlearning is an educational strategy wherein an educator “breaks down” complex tasks and behaviors into meaningful pieces that become powerful building blocks for learning. For instance, Darby notes in Small Teaching Online (Darby & Lang, 2019) that “successful coaches worked (with athletes) on small, fundamental skills that had powerful effects” on their learning. This intentional focus can be supported with an educator’s attention to delivery mode and timing.
Interactive videos are an excellent choice for providing an active learning experience for students. Instead of a video that positions the learner as a passive listener, interactive videos engage the viewer and demand certain forms of interaction. In fact, students have reported that interactive videos can be fun and allow them to learn the content better compared to videos without any forms of interaction (Kim, Glassman, Monroy-Hernandez, & Morris, 2015; Neo, Neo, & Yap, 2008).
When it comes to learning, there is no “one size fits all” approach. So for your online, hybrid, or residential course, it is important to incorporate a range of modalities so that students have multiple ways to engage and learn. For example, in addition to lectures, group discussions, and other collaborative activities, leveraging videos to explain complex material is especially effective.
Multimodal Instruction is just what its name suggests; it provides multiple modes of instruction, including verbal, graphic, numeric, or multimedia, to expose students to the same concept repeatedly. Multimodal instruction enhances learning in two ways: first, by allowing students to experience learning in the way they are most comfortable, and second, by challenging students to experience and learn in other ways (Picciano, 2009).
Everyone knows the expression, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Consider how much more value can be added to a picture if you can interact with it. Research indicates that “Although useful, static visualizations may still fall short of being able to engage students in exploratory activities that are conducive to positive learning experiences” (Sedig et al., 2010).
