When I enrolled in EC&I 834, I had a basic understanding of digital tools from my own learning experiences—but I had never ventured into the world of designing online or blended learning experiences myself. As someone who works closely with young children, I often wondered: Can digital learning engage younger pupils meaningfully? Today, after completing this course, I can say with confidence—yes, it absolutely can!

Throughout the term, EC&I 834 pushed me to think beyond traditional classroom practices. I was introduced to frameworks like ADDIE which helped me design learning with intentional structure and clear outcomes. More than just theory, I had the chance to dive into practical tools like Lumi and H5P, which brought interactivity and creativity into my course prototype.

One of the most rewarding parts of this course was building a Grade 3 Science module. I used Canvas to design a visually engaging and age-appropriate course that prioritized simplicity and accessibility. Integrating interactive elements like quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, and videos allowed me to create a more dynamic experience for pupils—especially those learning English or navigating bandwidth challenges at home.

We want to pay particular attention to how we use Discord. It evolved into a support hub where helpful conversations occurred outside of the scheduled classroom, inquiries were promptly answered, and resources were freely distributed. Sometimes I was able to solve my problems just by reading what other individuals had posted. It acted as a reminder that community and connection can still be fostered through online education with proper design.

Upon reflection of this incident, a number of noteworthy points emerge:

• In addition to technology, inclusive practices, student-centered approaches, and thoughtful design are all important components of effective online learning.
• Equity and accessibility are very important. It is crucial to design with all learners in mind; it is not an option.
• Online community creation is both feasible and effective. From reviews from peers to informal
• Accessibility and equity matter deeply. It is essential that all learners be considered while designing. • Online community development is both feasible and effective. These exchanges, which included everything from informal conversations to peer reviews, enhanced my educational experience.

In the future, I can’t wait to apply this new understanding to my ongoing student work.  I want to hone my abilities in producing interesting and accessible information and keep learning more about Universal Design for Learning. My love for creating helpful digital learning environments has grown as a result of this learning.

Many thanks to all those who have shared in our trip! I’m happy of what we’ve all achieved and excited to watch how we develop as teachers going forward.

Check out my final summary video here

https://youtu.be/edYeaQBJyHA

Let’s continue to develop, communicate, and produce together. I wish you all the very best!

Overview

Hi everyone! I’m Gagandeep Kaur, and I’m thrilled to present my completed Grade 3 Science course prototype for EC&I 834. This course aims to make science interesting and approachable while encouraging young students’ curiosity and hands-on learning. My goal was to create an interactive learning experience that combined traditional instruction with digital tools, hands-on activities, and collaborative learning.

Course Overview

This course is structured to help pupils explore three key scientific concepts through interactive modules:

The Journey of a Plant

Natural and Man-Made Structures

Mass vs. Weight

The course integrates Canvas as the main LMS, using various digital tools like Padlet, YouTube, Google Classroom, and online plant simulations to enrich learning experiences. Hands-on activities, discussions, and quizzes ensure that pupils engage with the material in multiple ways.

In my course, I added three modules that related to grade three science.

The first module talks about the journey of a plant. The first module has four sections: the first one is an interactive video, the second is quizzes related to how seeds become plants, the third part is discussion questions, and the last one is student activity.

The first part of module one is interactive video. In this part, I added some interactions in the video on what seed germination is.

Second module

In the second module, I added the topic of natural and man-made things. Here, I also added four parts. The first one is an interactive video on natural and man-made things. In the second part, I added some quizzes for kids related to Natural and human-made structures. In the third part, I added one more video on structures, and I added some discussion questions for students. They will learn to tell the difference between natural structures (things found in nature) and human-made structures (things built by people). After that, I added an activity. I added here one Optional Extra Activity.

Third Module

The third module is related to Mass vs Weight: Fun Science Exploration for Kids!

In the third module, I have four sections. In the first part, i added an interactive video on Mass vs Weight: Fun Science Exploration for Kids! In the second section, I added quizzes related to Mass vs Weight.

In the third part, I posted discussion questions. Apart from this, I added a video so that students can get more deeply knowledgeable about mass vs weight. Understanding the difference. Here, I added more details about mass and weight. I added some Discussion questions and student activities. I added one more video about mass and weight.

In this activity, I motivate students to try to find two objects of different sizes.

walkthrough

Integration of Technology

To improve involvement, I used the following resources:

Canvas for course delivery and assessment.

Google Classroom for conversations and homework.

Plant growth under different situations can be observed through online simulations.

This project has expanded my understanding of instructional design and the use of digital tools in the classroom. I want to inspire young children to explore science with enthusiasm and curiosity through this course.

Thank you for reading, and do let me know what you think!

Reflection on Feedback and Accessibility in My Course

This week, I received helpful feedback from my classmates. I carefully read all the comments and suggestions about my module and prototypes. This blog will explain how I plan to use this feedback to improve my work and reflect on accessibility and equity using insights from our class discussion and the assigned readings.

How I Will Use the Feedback

I received helpful suggestions from both reviewers on how to improve my module. Among the main points they brought up were:

• Clarifying my directions so that students know what to do.
• Improving the layout and design to make it more user-friendly.

I will focus on these topics in my second module. To avoid confusion for students, I will make sure that my instructions are straightforward and understandable. In addition to reading and watching, I will include other activities that children can participate in. Finally, in order to make the content easier to navigate, I will better organize it.

Revising My Prototypes

Both reviewers also suggested changes to my existing prototypes. They said I should:

Improve the flow of my lessons so they connect better.

Check if all links and media work properly.

I will use different types of content (videos, text, and interactive tools) to support different learning styles.

I will go through my prototypes carefully and make the changes that they suggested to me. This will help my course be more effective and interesting for students.

Accessibility and Equity in My Course

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/9-2-the-sections-model/

In class, we talked about how important accessibility and equity are in education. To understand this better, I also read Teaching in a Digital Age (Bates, 2019). It helped me think about ways to improve my course so that all students can learn comfortably. Here are some key ideas that I found useful:

Different media promote learning in different ways. According to Bates, text, images, audio, and video all help to learn in different ways. The majority of my course right now is text-based, but not every student learns best in that manner. I will add videos and images with descriptions to make it more approachable so that learners can participate in many ways.

https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/part/9-pedagogical-differences-between-media/

Using the SECTIONS Model for Course Design-Bates suggests a framework called the SECTIONS Model, which helps in choosing the right technology for online learning. Considering this, I will make the following adjustments:

Make it easy for students to find their way around so they do not get lost.

Use interactive activities like quizzes and discussions to keep students interested.

Give students a variety of content formats (text, audio, and video) so they can choose what works best for them.

Ensuring technological access and equity:

Not all students have access to fast internet or expensive devices. Bates emphasizes that online courses ought to be accessible and usable on mobile devices. To make my course more accessible, I will test it on mobile devices and ensure that it doesn’t require high-speed internet.

Final thoughts

I appreciate the feedback I received, and I will use it to improve my course. I will focus on making my content understandable, engaging, and accessible to all students. Teaching in a Digital Age also taught me that accessibility involves not only providing information but also how it is presented. I want to make learning more inclusive by implementing these ideas into practice.

I appreciate everyone who looked over my work.

Interactions between learners and teachers in the course

The teacher and students will communicate in a variety of ways to make the online course on plant growth more interesting and exciting. pupils will be able to collaborate, form relationships, and learn in ways that best relate to their needs because of these interactions.  Based on good practices in online learning, I have selected various methods to motivate meaningful participation.

Ways Learners Will Interact

1. LMS Forums (Google Classroom/Canvas): A place for students where they can discuss, share ideas, and receive instructor updates.
2. Padlet: This collaborative platform allows learners to share their images and thoughts regarding the development of their plants as well as leave comments on those of their peers.
3. Flipgrid: On this platform, students share observations, reply to peers, and film brief video updates on the growth of their plants.
4. Video discussions (Google Meet/Zoom) are used for peer discussions, final project presentations, and synchronous question-and-answer sessions.
5. Students are motivated to interact with a wider learning community and share updates by using hashtags (#MyPlantJourney) on social media platforms or within their learning management system (LMS) in the classroom.

Reasons for These Forms of Interactions

• Promoting Collaborative Learning: Peer interactions in online collaborative learning enhance understanding, claims BC Campus (2020). Students can use Padlet and LMS forums to have informative conversations regarding plant growth.
• Creating a Sense of Community: Building relationships in an online course boosts engagement and motivation, claims JHU (2020). Flipgrid and video chats make learning livelier by enabling personalized interactions.
• Encouraging Diverse Learning Styles: While hands-on learners use Flipgrid and Padlet, visual learners benefit from movies and visuals. Verbal learners participate in conversations (LMS forums, video chats), while hands-on learners interact through plant
• Enhancing Engagement Beyond the Classroom: Hashtags encourage students to document learning experiences in real-world settings and interact beyond the LMS.

Guidelines and Grading for Interactions

1. Clear Expectations

• Students must participate in discussions at least twice a week (one post and one reply).
• Flipgrid videos should be short (under two minutes) and include a response to a classmate.
• Padlet posts should have a reflection and a comment on a peer’s work.

2. Respectful and Helpful Feedback

• Students will use a simple feedback model: “I noticed…, I wonder…, I suggest…”.
• Emphasis on respectful, supportive engagement.

3. Instructor Presence & Support:

• Weekly video check-ins and LMS announcements to clarify expectations and provide feedback.
• Individualized support for students needing extra guidance.

4. Assessment Criteria:

• Participation will be graded based on engagement, depth of responses, and peer interactions.
• Self-reflection assignments to evaluate how interactions contributed to learning.

By integrating these interaction methods, the course ensures active participation and a meaningful learning experience.

Online collaborative learning

Building Community in an Online Course

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