Adam's home stretch

I read a study about project-based learning in a Web 2.0 environment and, as usual, I found myself wondering about how I could apply that concept to corporate training. In the study, the researchers compared self-guided, peer-led, and instructor-supported group reflections in student teams. Results showed that teams showed more collaborative skills when their feedback was scaffolded through guided questions and timely feedback. In corporate training, you often create project-based or scenario-based learning opportunities that simulate what scenarios you may encounter on the job. I don't think I've ever seen a lesson that included built-in, structured group reflection. The study makes a strong case for group reflection, and I can imagine the benefits in a corporate training setting. Especially as a means to recap project or scenario-based lessons. Implementation wouldn't be too difficult since shared digital whiteboards (Miro or Padlet) exist. But the key isn’t the tool th...

I did this exercise with Miro, where I did a bit of digging to see how people are using a specific tool in an educational context. Let's do it again with Padlet! Digital Portfolios Use Case: In a personal Padlet, the learners upload reflections and projects, creating a "collage" of what they learned over the term. Icebreakers and Community Building Use Case: Basic Day 1 stuff -- students upload a photo in response to a fun prompt, serving as a way to introduce themselves to the class. Collaborative Brainstorming Use Case: At the start of a new training/class, learners can contribute ideas or prior knowledge to a Padlet wall in response to a prompt. Something like, "What do you know about X?" Asynchronous Discussions Use Case: Students post reflections or questions after watching a video or reading. They reply to their peers and continue the discussion. Reading Response Shelves Use Case: In a Shelf layout, the instructor posts some readings and has the learners r...

As a designer, I’ve learned that tools can be inspiring at best, a siren's song at worst. Sometimes, just exploring a new app or platform sparks ideas for how I might enhance an activity or rethink a learning experience. That said, I try not to let the tool lead the design, which can be an easy trap to fall victim to. I've made that mistake before, and it takes a certain amount of restraint to not get starstruck by tool features and functions. My process typically starts with determining the learning goals, which is a best practice in the industry. Before I open any software, I ask myself what the learner should be walking away with. What skills or knowledge should they build? And then I can think about the right tool for the job based on that outcome. This requires me to ask myself even more questions: Is Tool X helping learners engage with the lesson better? Will it help create a deeper connection to the concepts? Will it promote reflection and collaboration? Are there featu...

Some of my peers have been chronicling their digital detox experiences and how they felt after a day of intentionally avoiding prolonged screen time. After some reflection, I've come to the conclusion that I could probably, definitely, possibly be able to do a detox, maybe.  Technology, for better or worse, is ingrained into nearly every part of my day. Hell, I work for a social media platform. And while it might be tough to pull off, I honestly understand the appeal of a detox. My peers spoke about being fully present and immersing themselves in whatever they were doing or whoever they were with. There’s something meaningful in that. My fiancée and I watch TV together, but one of us is usually on their phone, half-absorbed in scrolling. I do it too. We’re not trying to ignore each other or the show. It just happens. And maybe it shouldn't "just happen." So maybe a detox wouldn’t be the worst idea. Even if I don’t unplug completely, being more intentional about my sc...

Networked Knowledge Activities, developed by Dennen et al., is a framework for identifying learning-adjacent behaviors on social media platforms. A very interesting concept, if you ask me. As I was reading up on the topic, I received a random notification from Instagram, which sparked an idea: Let's apply NKA to Insta and write a blog post about it! As a disclaimer, I should note that I'm not heavily invested in Instagram, so my understanding of the features/functions likely isn't comprehensive. If I'm off-base, then please feel free to correct me. There are six learning behaviors that can occur organically on social media: collect, curate, share, broker, negotiate, and construct. Let's apply those to Instagram's affordances. 1. Collect: Easy enough. Instagram has options to bookmark posts and videos that can be organized into collections (if I'm understanding this properly). This makes the collection of information easy to achieve, and learners can bookmark...

I know a bit about Miro and other concept mapping tools. I've always felt like there was a ton of instructional uses for such a tool, and decided that today is the day I do some light research on the topic. In no particular order, here are my findings: 1. Miro boards can be pre-populated for group workspaces, which can be monitored in real-time. This beats the alternative of having to jump to and from breakout rooms in order to see what each group is working on. 2. Miro can support ongoing learning. Students can have their Miro boards act as an idea hub that they revisit over time, allowing them to revisit and build upon existing ideas or jot down new ones. 3. Miro supports engagement through accessibility. I came across a neat story about Georgetown's CALL program, which used Miro as a way for students who couldn't physically attend class to engage with every class activity! 4. Miro is pretty flexible and feature-rich. I came across this website  that outlines several uniq...

When I set out to observe two PC-building communities across both Reddit and Discord, I felt like I knew what I was getting into since I'm no stranger to either community. There would be the lost souls trying to resurrect their computer from whatever they did to break it, the posts showing off obnoxiously professional-looking PC builds from people claiming it's their first time building a computer, and endless posts debating what the proper  strategy for airflow is. This time, though, I was engaging with each community to gauge how one could learn from them. On Discord, I jumped in as an active participant since lurking on Discord has always felt strange to me, like watching from behind as your friend texts someone else. The server’s real-time chatrooms move quickly enough that contributing with small messages didn't feel like much of a time investment. I asked a few quick questions, got a few quick answers, and went about my day. It was all very human, and the fast pace o...

Let me put this out there: I didn't originally head to South Korea because I always wanted to become an English Teacher. I wanted to travel, see the world, and mainly just get out of Arizona and try to figure out my life a little bit. The best way to do all of those things was through teaching ESL. I was far from the only person adventuring, and over the years, I met all sorts of people from different countries who were teaching ESL for some such reason. These people, for the most part, weren't career educators. I know I wasn't; All I had was a degree in Journalism. But for some reason, we were allowed in the country to teach, and that is what we all did, to varying degrees of success. Since a few expats teaching ESL in South Korea had an educational background, we often drew a blank on what to teach (assuming we weren't being supplied with lessons by our schools). This led to the natural formation of Facebook groups and email chains where expats would share lessons and...

When I landed my job at TikTok, my friends and family congratulated me. A half second later, the jokes started. “So you're a spy for China? Does it pay well?” “Guess I better watch what I say around you.” “Are you wearing a wire?” I expected the comments to be preludes to political conversations, but the more I heard them, the more I realized that they were really commenting on data security. And honestly, I get it. I'm a private person. Well, I am now,  but it wasn’t all that long ago that I was posting Facebook updates with regularity. Stories that ranged from dorm room antics to reflections on living abroad in South Korea. I don’t regret most of what I posted. Well... I don’t regret about 90% of it. Everyone has a 10% digital footprint they’d prefer didn’t exist. But I digress. Despite my preference for lurking more than posting, I now find myself working for a company that profits (at least in part) from the data users freely give it. That irony isn’t lost on me. Reading...

When I design learning experiences in a corporate setting, I'm doing so with certain expectations in mind. The foremost one being that if I build it, I expect participation. This represents a fixed mindset. Every aspect of my lesson needs to be experienced, otherwise the learner won't succeed. Optional content often feels like wasted effort, or at the very least, something that won't yield consistent results. But this course (and the articles I've read along the way) challenge that mindset. Dennen et al. (2024) examined a system of optional embedded microlearning challenges (OEMCs) designed to promote self-directed learning. The findings showed that the learners who opted in reported high levels of enjoyment and perceived value. What stood out to me was that these low-stakes, optional activities encouraged deeper engagement despite not being mandatory. In fact, learners engaged in these optional challenges because they wanted to! The rewards weren't mind-blowing (a...

Gamification isn't only for children. That was my response to a peer the other day when I mentioned strategies that might motivate the staff at our company. She heard the word gamification and wrote it off, saying that "making a point system" or creating "silly badges" will be a drain on resources and won't do much to drive engagement. And to some extent, she's right. Gamification is more than slapping points and badges onto a course. But even the most carefully designed gamification strategy can be a non-starter in a corporate setting. The challenges are many: time, attention span, cost, leadership buy-in, etc. But is it truly impossible to gamify corporate training? Sousa-Vieira et al. (2022) performed research proving that blending gamification with social learning significantly boosted engagement and performance. In a workplace setting, collaboration happens regularly, and gamifying collaborative challenges and scenario-based simulations with clear p...

Before reading Collins and Raman (2017), I never seriously considered whether or not hashtags could enhance the online learning experience. In truth, I hadn't considered the academic potential of hashtags at all since I’ve never engaged with hashtags in a particularly meaningful way. I’ve always understood their purpose and appeal on social media, but I never saw how they might serve in an academic setting. What the article helped me realize is that when students use hashtags in discussion posts, they’re essentially creating navigational breadcrumbs. A hashtag can highlight a key idea, theme, or even a question, allowing others to follow that trail to related content. Instead of sifting through discussion threads, students can search or scan for specific tags and quickly connect with relevant conversations. Collins and Raman observed that graduate students used hashtags not only to stay engaged but also to organize their ideas and strengthen their sense of connection with peers. Th...