Zhe Xu's Portfolio (peer review)

I used to be a communication student, for education has always been a field I would like to try. In my domestic undergraduate four years, I seriously attended classes to complete the teacher's homework, but I found that I learned very little; the teacher instructed me to use the obsolete textbooks, page by page, to the contents of the book into a ppt, and then he reads page by page. The four years of university seem to be a waste of their years. We need to change the model to arouse the youngster to learn new and good things. So, I chose to come to MSc Digital Education when I got another admission. Future changes in curriculum design will significantly improve the motivation of students and teachers, and I would like to continue to promote the reform of curriculum design in higher education through technology. Although I am tiny, this thing makes me full of motivation.

Key theories and concepts

The course extensively addressed a variety of educational concepts, such as project-based learning, immersive learning (which includes augmented reality, virtual reality, and extended reality), game-based learning, and both asynchronous and synchronous learning. Learning these theories and concepts activates my learning interest and cultivates my critical thinking skills. I started to make a comparison and contrast for each theory, which deepened my understanding. Additionally, Dr. Lina strongly emphasized the significance of design thinking and regulations in creatively and appealingly presenting novel ideas. We can deeply realize that excellent design should be user-friendly, user-interesting, user-attractive, and innovative (Smith et al., 2018).

Furthermore, the course underscored the importance of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle and LMO in successfully designing digital curricula. By learning the development of VLE and LMS, I can learn the good ideas or designs in the education system and find a way to assimilate their good ideas in curriculum design. In Lectures 3 and 4, Dr. Lina introduced the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as frameworks to systematically evaluate and pre-test the level of acceptance of new digital educational products among people. Moreover, Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions were employed to investigate and clarify social phenomena systematically (Taras et al., 2010). This is the first time I encountered the theory of quantifying socio-cultural factors, which has changed my notion that culture can only be researched by the qualitative method. In conclusion, these concepts build a solid foundation to explore digital curriculum design and give me more opportunities to process deep thinking about education in the digital age.

Design thinking cultivation

The course emphasizes recognizing diverse learning styles, as identified in assessments like MBTI and VARK, to acknowledge how students process information. My MBTI is ENFP; socialization of learning and group learning would have helped me improve my learning outcomes. Through discussions and communications, I focus on the topic and gain more exciting opinions from group members, which help me better understand the knowledge.

Additionally, my VARK test score is K, related to my MBTI. I need to practice and mimic these body movements to deepen my memory, but due to some group pressure, I would not say I like to do more interactions in public to deepen my memory (Odendaal, 2013). Furthermore, designing digital education should ensure that the curriculum is accessible and engaging for a broad spectrum of learners. I need to conduct a preliminary survey of the students enrolled in the course to understand better and design a curriculum that caters to their learning styles. Additionally, the course introduces a feedback system on LMO, which is instrumental in understanding learner needs. This insight paves the way for more personalized learning experiences, where technology is tailored to meet individual requirements, enhancing learner engagement (Sun et al., 2020). Furthermore, an exemplary user interface or good layout of educational PPT makes it easier for students to access the information (Chen et al., 2020). I searched for some good layouts in Little Book for game interface design.

Valuable experience and evaluation of existing curriculum

The most impactful experience for me in EDS431 is the digital escape room, an innovative digital education method. It required us to follow a series of steps focused on learning objectives to find the key to escape the room. The innovative educational approach can be applied to various subjects, from maths problem-solving to English language learning (Makri et al., 2021). our group uses the notion of a digital escape room in digital educational game design. This experience was engaging and enjoyable and carried a sense of urgency. The sense of urgency in these activities added a layer of excitement and challenge, pushing me to apply my knowledge more effectively and think critically under pressure.

Using the ABC and Fishbone course design methodology, I acquired the knowledge and skills to methodically tackle conceptualizing and organizing a course. This approach emphasized the significance of harmonizing learning activities with educational goals, guaranteeing that every element of the course serves a meaningful purpose in the broader context of the learning journey  (Robinson & Malhotra, 2005).

I will evaluate the existing curriculum design regarding critical theories, design thinking, and valuable experiences of EDS431. Viewed from a learner-centric perspective, the existing curriculum was evaluated using Bloom's Taxonomy to examine whether it meets the six learning objectives for cognitive development. Additionally, I will participate in the course as a learner, assessing the appropriate utilization of the educational software and the clarity of content. Furthermore, focus groups and interviews were conducted to gather more specific feedback and better understand the learners' needs. Considering learners ' perspectives, the course will be comprehensively evaluated for its design, objectives, and innovations.

Knowledge and responsibility for future career development

I want to be an educational curriculum designer in the future. The knowledge I acquired from EDS431 is constructive for my career. First, understanding the learning aims for the module and setting a measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) learning outcome. Second, I learned the ABC and fishbone design methods to break down each learning outcome into smaller goals for each stage, which makes the curriculum logic clear and feedback more timely. And I will incorporate digital educational technology such as H5P, escape room, and Articulate into the traditional curriculum, which make the curriculum more exciting and attractive. The previous course, EDS431, taught me the correct concept of educational curriculum design, and I learned a lot of practical design skills in the Lab course.

While the effectiveness of digital curriculum design has become significant, it still has yet to diminish social justice issues. The economically disadvantaged areas and some persons with disabilities still do not have access to equal resources for education. We should actively work to make digital resources widely available and accessible to students from all areas and backgrounds. Indeed, we design digital platforms equipped with tools and buttons that enhance learning accessibility for disabilities. This includes integrating screen readers for visually impaired students, subtitles for those with hearing impairments, and alternative text for images to ensure content is comprehensible for all students. Additionally, we are responsible for continuously assessing the effectiveness of digital educational resources and receiving feedback. Through evaluation, they need to adjust and renovate to ensure the effectiveness of digital educational resources.

EDS431 course activity

Badge

The corgi badge is one of the reward badges in ‘Magic Island’ games. It serves as a recognition of learners achievement when learners receive five lost suitcases, which represents learners dedication, perseverance and mastery of the challenges during this magic journey.

SDG

During my SDG program guest lecture, I learned that many individuals around the world lack basic literacy skills and access to education. Good quality of education should encompass education equity, inclusive education, and quality education. Through this lesson, our digital curriculum design should consider both educational equity and quality education.

AR/VR

During the VR/AR experiential class, I have experienced several educational games developed in VR/AR. These games include visiting space station and famous monuments, learning about blood flow in the human body and applying to acupuncture. I believe that VR/AR can provide new knowledge with low cost by creating an immersive environment. This type of learning combining theories and practical skills give us more comprehensive learning experience.

In last class, we experienced the AR robot and AI robot and with Dr. Lina's guidance, consider integrating the development of robotics into the K-12 curriculum to enhance students' cognitive and practical abilities.

During Dr. Sarah's class, a game was presented that teaches users about proper food preservation through cartoon educational games, creating a stress-free environment. This inspired me for my later course design projects.

Articulate and H5P

During my self-study journey with H5P, I tried to play the examples by H5P and chose the simple content type which I interested to searched for the guidance and material on the H5P official website. I mainly learned how to design a H5P interactive videos. I used example video from the official website for practice and did simulations of my own curriculum design.

I learned about the functions and effects of articulate in Lan Luo lab course and I practiced some simple exercises such as dragging images, adding captions, and navigating between logic lines. However, using the basic function of Articulate may not show better logic and visual effects and not fulfill the requirement of Magic Island design. We have resorted to learning through YouTube to enhance our skills. Through self learning and group discussions, we have acquired the function of interaction such as click-to-trigger, drag-and-drop activities and hyperlinks. Finally, we accomplished the environmental design, narrative of storyline and integration of game elements.

AI chatbot

I recruited and participated in an experiment on AI emotional chatbot to alleviate academic stress. I learned experimental investigation methods. While this experiment suggests that AI chatbot may be able to address some emotional needs, it still need strong arithmetic support and cannot effectively address complex emotional problems.

Digital escape room

I played a captain Bird waiting for students to find the code in the digital escape room to rescue me. It was hot during this period, but with the encouragement of students, I stuck it out.

AI Pair-programming

I participated in the AI pair-programming experiment, where I was responsible for pre-literature reading, scale finding and the post-interview portion of the experiment. Through reading numerous literatures on challenges of HCI shortcoming of human-human pair programming, I learned some theories and the logic of the paper to get the point. Due to the time limitation, this experience push me to read quickly and practice quickly find the desired content. It also taught me the importance of teamwork and real-time feedback. Additionally, I was the interviewer for the experiment and went to interview my classmates to gather their experiences and drawbacks of AI pair programming. As a first-time interviewer, I aimed to create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage students to share their experiences. This laid the foundation for my subsequent interview research.

Helping other groups with filming

I was asked by Bowen Li to assist Group 4 with a filming assignment on X-rays. Following the script, I communicated with each main actor. To achieve a more realistic effect for the filming of the interactive game, I used more first-person follow-up shots to improve user experience. The filming was satisfactory to all members involved. Through this experience, I gained new inspiration for educational game design and understand that enhancing more technological skills for digital curriculum design is critical.

Design Specification

The ‘Magic Island’ is an educational game for teachers in higher institutions to help them realize and learn how to use the educational information system in colleges. The ‘Magic Island’ set up the immersive environment where a man called ‘Ultraman’ who encountered an air crash was stranded on ‘Magic Island.’ He needs our help finding his lost suitcases on the island and getting home. Additionally, the ‘Magic Island’ is divided into four parts, and each part has different types of learning, including annual registration, academic, timetables, and quick reference, which is based on the XJTLU e-bridge system. Teachers should learn four parts of knowledge, and exercises will be provided to help consolidate knowledge after completing each area. If the answer is correct, a lost suitcase will be received. If the answer is incorrect, a coconut will be awarded. This game is not designed to set punishment mechanisms, aiming to set a relaxed and enjoyable environment for teachers to do self-directed learning (Knowles, 2013).

Why We Choose the Way

Preliminary tests indicated that teachers in higher education institutions face the challenge of using the educational information system correctly and effectively. Additionally, teachers in higher education institutions prefer process direction study in an informal and relaxed learning environment, which they can do at their own pace, and interactive learning methods associated with Malcolm Knowles’ Andragogy theory.

The selection of 'Magic Island' as the location for the educational game was an innovative choice. This fantastical setting is crucial in stimulating users' curiosity and creativity, vital in adult learning. I intend to design simple but exciting educational games compared with the conventional educational system, which can give adult teachers a relatively relaxed and immersive environment to learn the educational system effectively. This novel approach is designed to activate teachers' learning motivation by differing significantly from traditional educational settings. The task and plot in 'Magic Island' are entertaining and educational, transforming the learning process into an intriguing exploration. Each task is related to practical experiences with the school educational information system's functions, which ensure that teachers learn without coercion.
Furthermore, the game is embedded in a more subtle form of guidance if they need some guidance. In this way, step-by-step guidance for teachers facilitates the gradual development of their understanding of the educational information system. The game also integrated into the interactive tutorials, which teachers need to explore. It is possible to receive suitcases by learning from NPC through interaction. These features offer real-time assistance and reinforce key learning points to ensure they learn each key point (Sutton et al., 2011). After completing each task, teachers receive immediate feedback and rewards, such as a coconut or a suitcase. The suitcase symbolizes a correct answer, and the coconut means the answer is incorrect. This simple reward mechanism allows teachers to self-assess and adjust their understanding, leading to a deeper and more comprehensive grasp of the system. Thus, I intend to design the 'Magic Island' to let teachers in a low-stress environment learn the school information system. Indeed, the 'Magic Island' game bolsters their confidence in using these digital skills in pedagogical practices.

How to Achieve It

In my EDS431 course, I observed that technology such as AR and VR creates a deep, immersive environment, leading users to concentrate on their learning content and follow their suitable pace. Indeed, establishing an immersive environment may improve users' learning interests, increasing their motivation to learn (Georgiou & Kyza, 2018). Therefore, I plan to establish an environment to activate users’ interest. However, I did not establish an immersive environment in Unity 3D due to technological and time limitations. To address this issue, we find the Articulate Storyline to create a storyline combining virtual and natural, which uses a fascinating storyline to gather the users’ attention. Due to the needs of the storyline, I introduced a man called ‘Ultraman’ who encountered an air crash and was stranded on ‘Magic Island,’ he needs our help to find his lost suitcase on the island and get his home. The teachers will be residents of the ‘Magic Island’ to assist him in finding his lost suitcase on the island and facilitating his return home. This approach effectively engages participants in the role defined by the game and compensates them for not using Unity3D to create immersive environments.

Based on the fruit and vegetable classification game during Dr. Sarah's class, the kitchen was organized by placing different foods in different partitions, each corresponding to a knowledge point. This will make the whole learning process more transparent and accessible to users, and users can base their knowledge on their curiosity and need to learn (Mishra et al., 2020). I use this method to divide Magic Island into four parts: annual registration, academic, timetable, and quick reference based on the E-bridge system in XJTLU. Teachers can be either question-oriented or interest-oriented in using this educational game. Additionally, though we set up an immersive and relaxed environment, teachers may need more learning motivation. The fruit and vegetable classification game borrows reward mechanisms, interactive learning tasks, and role-playing to enhance the teacher's learning experience. To motivate teachers to learn continuously, we propose giving a suitcase as a reward for a correct answer and a coconut as a reminder to continue learning this part of knowledge, which aims to encourage ongoing learning and development.

Dr. Benazir’s lecture showed us that a well-designed interface in a digital game could influence users’ initial attitudes. Designing interfaces should cater to the needs of different user groups (Peters, 2014). Teachers in high educational institutions may prefer a simple and practical interface design (Szymkowiak et al., 2021). Therefore, we set a straightforward interface, visualized essential features, and applied a consistent style. According to the SDG lecture, we realized that equity and inclusion in the education field are essential. Considering accessibility for all users, we use clear and easy accessibility words and ensure sufficient contrast between the text and the background to facilitate easy reading. Additionally, each proper image or video is accompanied by text to aid in understanding the content. This design aims to be convenient for teachers to use and solve the problem in an actual scenario.

Reflection of Project

When I finished the educational game design, I proceeded with the reflection.
Strength:
Drawing on the knowledge of the EDS431 course, we designed the game by setting the immersive environment to bring teachers a suitable and relaxed way to study. The game skillfully intertwines educational content about educational information systems with engaging storylines, effectively sparking teachers' interest and engagement in learning. Additionally, we incorporated the game's reward mechanisms and gamification elements to encourage teachers to continue exploring.
Furthermore, building upon the insights gained from the preliminary analysis surveys and user feedback, we improved our design to enhance user-friendliness and easy navigability, ensuring that teachers can quickly proceed with the self-learning process without any stress. By assigning tasks within the game, we encourage them to practice in the visual environment, activating their learning passion.
Weakness:
We initially planned to use Unity 3D to create the game environment. However, we encountered technical challenges with modeling and visual coding, leading us to reconsider our choice of Unity 3D as the primary design software. Fortunately, our team members had a timely discussion and revised the production plan. Furthermore, the initial design drafts were not internet-connected, and some computers were incompatible due to the software version.
Our game platform's absence of internet access impeded the game's continuous processing renovation. Indeed, the game's feedback system could not provide real-time responses, which could diminish their learning motivation, as the problems and queries could not be solved promptly.
Broader application insights
Firstly, the concept of immersive learning, exemplified by the 'Magic Island' scenario, extends far beyond mere instruction in educational administrative systems. It holds potential applicability across a broad spectrum of digital educational content. For instance, 'Magic Island' can invigorate traditionally dry subjects like mathematics. This approach effectively addresses the monotony often associated with conventional math courses by introducing mathematical concepts within a designated part of the island, followed by problem-solving activities that yield rewards. Like a digital escape room, the 'Magic Island' is a good framework for other digital curriculum designs.
Secondly, the design method focusing on interactive functions and learner-centered aims can be used more extensively. Indeed, interactive functions can strengthen the user's learning impression and ensure that users feel valued (Honeycutt et al., 2020). Learner-centered design allows users to experience greater autonomy and motivation (Begum, 2019). These design methods can significantly enhance users' sense of achievement.
Lastly, a real-time feedback system is an indispensable component of a digital curriculum. It is crucial to understand students' needs and preferences, thereby allowing for the continual refinement of the digital curriculum to augment its educational impact (Caena & Redecker, 2019). This feedback mechanism ensures that the curriculum remains responsive and adaptive, enhancing its efficacy in meeting the diverse learning requirements of students. Therefore, a real-time feedback system should be incorporated into the essential elements of digital curriculum design.

In EDS 431, I had four significant gains:

I gained a comprehensive understanding of educational theories and models on curriculum design.

I gained the critical thinking skills to evaluate case of curriculum design.

I developed proficiency in utilizing a range of digital tools and platforms for curriculum design including Articulate Storyline 360, H5P and a little bit Unity 3D.

I discovered a profound interest and meaning in the intersection of digital tools and education. The current curriculum needs to design, and curriculum design needs to integrate with technology.

Digital education design is an interesting exploration combining with theory and practice. There is no standard answer, only continuous exploration, continuous correction, continuous progress. Our team collaborates to do improved digital curriculum design. As we encounter challenges, we work together to solve them and make progress. I am grateful for my groupmates’ contributions. Look forward to next collaboration!

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