Co-authored by Marko Antic and Florence Borbe.
Completing the final subject for the Graduate Diploma in Psychology within the Faculty of Health has been a benchmark collaboration journey. Spearheaded by Learning Designer Marko Antic, Educational Media Assistant (formerly Assistant Learning Designer) Florence Borbe and Subject Coordinator Aaron Veldre, we aimed to design a subject that educates and actively engages students in cognitive psychology.
Early stages and co-design process
We started with strategic planning sessions, establishing a clear and thorough workflow. Aaron took the lead in sourcing materials. Florence and Marko also added and curated content, focusing on presenting information and creating an interactive and accessible learning environment. We paid particular attention to the subject’s presentation look and feel, ensuring it was utilised consistently throughout the course.
We initially observed that the content overlapped with other subjects, so Marko decided to adapt and develop these existing materials. This process involved integrating learning sequences with ‘hook’ activities – engaging tasks that pique students’ curiosity without immediately revealing their educational purpose.
Engaging through ‘Hook’ activities and games
Here’s an example of this learning technique: in Module 1, students encounter five questions that initially seem unrelated but are later revealed to be pivotal to understanding critical psychological studies. This method engages students in active learning and allows them to see how their responses align with scientific data on the subject matter. Research from Carnegie Mellon University supports this approach, showing that active learning, which positions students at the centre of their educational experiences, leads to significantly better learning outcomes than traditional methods.
Similarly, the team developed other innovative methods to gather and display student responses. We decided to have students answer pre-test questions and present these answers in real-time further along in the module. After some experimentation, Florence identified that Menti surveys could be embedded twice, first allowing students to input their answers and then displaying live results in a later page.
We also used games to enhance learning. Unable to find suitable resources online, we created our own games using the online platform Genially, ensuring they matched the aesthetic of our subject. These games were interactive in nature, allowing students to flip, drag and draw, which encouraged active learning.
Multiple studies find that learning environment, including the cohesiveness of learning materials, plays a crucial role in improving student outcomes. That is why we consistently included hook activities and interactive games.
Collaborative growth and development
The inclusion of Florence from the early stages of planning was instrumental. She gradually took on more responsibilities and acquired new skills, eventually leading the learning design meetings. This progression allowed for a seamless professional development process, where Florence developed her design, coding, project, and stakeholder management skills. It also allowed Marko to mentor Florence and further develop his leadership skills.
Additionally, Aaron’s detailed instructions and open communication fostered a productive environment where creative solutions could flourish. Our goal was to execute his vision and explore and suggest alternatives that would enhance the learning experience.
Looking forward
This subject exemplifies collaborative design in education. Merging existing materials and engaging methods with solid teamwork, we’ve crafted a subject that promises to be a cornerstone of the Graduate Certificate in Psychology. We’re eager to see how this subject will educate and inspire future psychologists.
As a full review is essential to the overall assessment of this project, we look forward to writing again in a few months once we’ve received end-of-course feedback to further reflect on our work.
Reference list
Aupperlee, A. (2021, October 4). New research shows learning is more effective when active. Carnegie Mellon University. https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2021/october/active-learning.html