Learning Scenario Description
Lesson Title: Biomes of the World
BC Curricular Links:
- Science 4: Biomes as large regions with similar environmental features.
- ADST 4: Use familiar tools and technologies to extend their capabilities when completing a task.
Project Duration:
- 4 weeks – 2x 1-hour block per week (after Block 5, students can work at their own pace)
Environment & Context: This project took place at Holy Cross Elementary in Burnaby, BC in a classroom of 31 Grade 4 students using Chromebooks. Students have ample access to technology in the classrooms as it is an independent school with private funding. Due to this, the students are very familiar with the technology.
Objective: Students chose one of the six major biomes of the world and created a poster using the digital image creation tool, Canva. They researched their chosen biome and created a poster that contains specific criteria. This project was completed in the classroom during school hours.
Detailed Description:
- Block One: Introduction to the Project
- Students were introduced to the project with a handout containing the instructions and criteria for the project.
- Students brainstormed which biome they would like to choose for their project. They could pick any of the six biomes (grasslands, deciduous forest, taiga, tundra, tropical rainforest, or desert).
- Students began researching their chosen biomes. Students were allowed to conduct research individually or could partner up with someone who had also picked the same biome. Students used a Google Doc to document their research using a provided template and could share this document with their partner to collaborate.
- Block Two: Continued Research
- Students were given another block to continue their research.
- Block Three: Introduction to Canva
- I showed the students how to use Canva by creating a quick biome poster. They were introduced to the basic tools by showing what they did and how they would be used to make a poster.
- Students participated in a Kahoot! Game with their classmates to correctly select the names of the Canva tools and their usage. The top three students were awarded a prize.
- Block Four: Animal Poster Contest
- Students were put into groups and tasked with designing a poster of any animal. They worked together to figure out which tools to use and how to best design their poster. Through their shared knowledge and collaboration, they submitted a poster at the end of the block. The posters were judged, and a prize was awarded to the group that won.
- Blocks Five-Eight: Creation of Poster
- Students were given these four blocks to create their posters during class time. Students could ask their peers or a teacher for help.
Assessment: The posters created by each student were assessed using a rubric that followed the BC Curriculum guidelines. Students were assessed on their accuracy of animals and plants, overall design, creativity, and the quality of the information gathered. Students were graded using a scale that consisted of emerging, developing, proficient, and extending.
Learning Scenario Analysis
To begin this analysis of the learning scenario detailed above, I will focus on the theory of behaviourism. Behaviourism is a theory of learning that states humans learn through interaction with their environment (Mcleod, 2023). Specifically, humans learn through a process of stimulus and response, and the consequences of their behaviour determine if they will repeat it in the future (Orey, 2010). Although at the time I did not realize that I was using factors of behaviourism in my teaching pedagogy, it became quite evident that I was. The usage of behaviourism in this learning scenario is clearly shown through gamification. Gamification and behaviourism are related, as using gamification provides immediate feedback for humans through positive or negative reinforcement and increases engagement through the possibility of rewards at the end of the game (Figueroa-Flores, 2016). Gamification occurred through the usage of Kahoot!, an online quiz game, during the teaching of Canva. Students received positive reinforcement when answering a question correctly by gaining points, and they received negative reinforcement when answering incorrectly since they did not receive any points and could lose their answer streak. My reasoning for using Kahoot! to supplement my teaching was to find a creative way to increase student engagement while also providing them with another opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of the digital tool. The usage of Kahoot! is further tied to the principles of behaviourism using rewards for positive behaviour. Positive reinforcement was used, as the three students who completed the Kahoot! with the highest score were awarded a prize.
Reflecting on this experience, I believe that the use of gamification and positive reinforcement had a positive impact on most students. Students were engaged in the lesson, and I noticed an increase in their knowledge of Canva immediately following the Kahoot!. I would consider increasing the usage of gamification throughout my lessons in subjects where it would benefit my students. However, one negative aspect I found was some issues with motivation during the Kahoot!. The use of positive reinforcement did benefit the students who won the Kahoot!, but discouraged some students who did not win. This is an issue that is well documented, as some students were demotivated to continue the lesson as they did not like being penalized for losing their answer streak and then gave up since they did not think they could win (Toda et al., 2018). Furthermore, the usage of gamification also created an issue relating to the quizzing of knowledge as students became more interested in selecting the right answers instead of relying on their past knowledge. Some students focused on viewing the answers that their peers selected rather than recalling their knowledge. Although these issues occurred during this phase of the learning scenario, the overall benefit to the students was positive.
The use of social cognitive theory is also evident in the learning scenario. A key component of social cognitive theory is learning through the observation and imitation of others (Bandura, 2011). This connection is shown through my teaching process of showing the students how to use Canva and then having them imitate my usage. Specifically, it is evident through their observations, as I created my biome poster before asking them to create their own.
Social cognitive theory is present in many aspects of my lesson plans. In essence, I start all my lessons by using examples that the students observe me completing. This was the reasoning for completing a quick biome poster while the students observed so that they could not only see what the tools in Canva did but also how they were used in the context of the poster project. One aspect of my usage of social cognitive theory that I believe could be improved relates to the speed at which I conduct the actions that the students are observing. I believe observation is only meaningful if it is done at a pace at which students can process and make connections with what they are observing.
Social constructivism is at the heart of this learning scenario analysis, as it has become an increasingly important aspect of modern curriculums such as the new British Columbia curricular connections and competencies. Vygotsky’s social constructivism explains that learners are active participants in their learning as they construct their understandings through interactions with the environment and other people (Powell, 2009). An environmental factor that allows social constructivism to work especially well at my school is the socioeconomic conditions of the students. Since the school I work at is an independent school, parents need to pay tuition to send their children there. Due to this, many students come from families with high household incomes, which in turn directly relates to their access to technology. Since many students have access to technology at home, their technological abilities are quite developed upon their enrolment and continue to grow outside of the classroom. Furthermore, the school raises a substantial amount of funds through fundraisers that go toward the technology department. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the school has an almost 1:1 device ratio, which means students develop their technical skills as early as kindergarten.
Social constructivism is used throughout this learning scenario because it emphasizes collective learning. Specific examples of social constructivism occur when the students are allowed to complete the research of their biomes in pairs because “cooperative learning is a part of creating a social constructivist classroom” (Powell, 2009). The pooling of knowledge is also evident when students create a poster in groups of any animal of their choosing. The reasoning for this assignment is to allow students to collaborate and share their knowledge of Canva in a way that fosters shared learning experiences, which also aligns with Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (Powell, 2009). Students are put into groups to equalize their collective knowledge, which means students with strong technological abilities may be paired with students with lesser technological abilities. During the final phase of the project, when students are completing their posters, they are encouraged to ask for help from their peers and teachers to further strengthen their knowledge of Canva.
I believe that social constructivism has the largest positive impact on this learning scenario. The reasoning behind this is that it causes the most engagement with the students and allows them to form their connections through personal and shared experiences. Students would go beyond the assignment through their increased effort, the excitement of exploration, and the abilities that they gained from sharing their knowledge with others. In comparison to behaviourism, social constructivism aligns with the BC Curriculum as it heavily emphasizes exploration and inquiry-based learning to promote a deeper understanding of concepts (British Columbia Ministry of Education, n.d.). Although the use of Kahoot! helped to strengthen the students’ initial understanding of Canva, it was not as useful in deepening their understanding. Furthermore, it caused some issues with motivation, as certain students believed that they wouldn’t win and therefore did not try. While comparing social constructivism to social cognitive theory, it was a bit less clear which impacted students more. Personally, I believe they complement each other and can be used to create a well-rounded learning experience. For this learning scenario, it was beneficial for students to observe me creating the poster so that they could see the expectations of the assignment while also learning to use Canva at a basic level. Where social constructivism shined was in allowing students the opportunity to explore and share the new features which they learned that furthered their understanding of Canva. I was very impressed with the students, as they completely surpassed the basic instructions that I shared with them and made use of features at an advanced level. I did not teach them any of these advance features directly, and they instead learned from exploration and each other.
I feel a lot more confident in my abilities as an educator after completing this learning scenario analysis. Knowing that aspects of my lesson plans align with well-developed theories is comforting. Furthermore, I now feel like I have the tools to make changes to my lesson plans across all subjects because of my better understanding of the positive and negative impacts that these theories have. I can also adapt my lesson plans for learners that would benefit from certain aspects of these theories to personalize their learning experience. Overall, taking the time to reflect and make my connections has given me peace of mind that I am on the correct path as I grow as an educator.
References Bandura, A. (2011). Chapter 17: Social cognitive theory. In P. A. M. van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychological Theories (pp. 349-373). London: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446249215 British Columbia Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Curriculum Redesign. BC Government. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/rethinking-curriculum Figueroa-Flores, J. F. (2016). Gamification and game-based learning: Two strategies for the 21st-century learner. World Journal of Educational Research, 3(2).507-522. http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/wjer.v3n2p507 Mcleod, S. (2023). Behaviorist approach to psychology: Definition, history, concepts, and impact. SimplyPsychology. https://simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html Orey, M. (2010). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf Powell, K. C., & Kalina, C. J. (2009). Cognitive and social constructivism: Developing tools for an effective classroom. Education, 130(2). 241-250. Toda, A., Valle, P., & Isotani, S. (2018). The dark side of gamification: An overview of negative effects of gamification in education. Springer International Publishing AG. 10.1007/978-3-319-97934-2_9
