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Microsoft Sway for example-based learning?

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Design for Delivery
TIPS Blog
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Example-based learning (EBL) is a successful and time-efficient instructional strategy to introduce new content to learners. The learners are provided with various examples along with problem solutions provided by an expert to illustrate the new content and has a lesser cognitive load on the learners. Multimedia learning based worked examples amplify the benefits of EBL creating a smooth transition from example study to problem-solving. In this article, I reflect on the use of Microsoft Sway (MS) to integrate example-based learning with multimedia (EBL-M) to enhance student engagement. 

What did you do and why did you do it?

Example-based learning consists of three stages:

  • Stage 1 – the principles or theories are introduced.
  • Stage 2 – several worked examples are presented to demonstrate how the principles or theories are applied to solve the related problems.
  • Stage 3 – the learners start to solve the problems once they acquire some understanding on how to apply the principles or theories effectually.

According to empirical studies, the use of multimedia to present worked examples has proven greater impact on achieving learning outcomes. The combination of both verbal (spoken or printed text) and pictorial (static [pictures, graphs, diagrams, photos] or dynamic [animations or videos] illustrations) forms can improve student engagement and enhance the understanding of the material in worked examples. The effectiveness of the EBL-M depends on its design and hence, I used Microsoft Sway (MS) as a platform to present the worked examples in an MSc module in 22/23 academic year. MS is an easily accessible web-based story-telling app that can embed different content and media types. 

I used the BOPPPS framework to constructively align my EBL-M material in MS as follows. For further information, refer to this infographic on using Microsoft Sway for example-based learning aligned to BOPPPS. 

Bridge in: I used a case study utilizing a video and images to link with the field application.  

Outcomes: Setting subgoals has enhanced learning during EBL and hence I included a couple of learning outcomes to achieve at the end of the MS. 

Pre-assessment: I used a quiz prepared in Microsoft Forms (MF) related to the previous lesson and to inform the students regarding the required prior knowledge to efficiently go through the examples. 

Participatory learning: I used this section to cover 1st and 2nd stages of EBL. A pre-recorded short video with the relevant principle was embedded with the links to the learning resources folder of the related lesson in Minerva. Next, one static and two dynamic worked examples were integrated. An incomplete example prepared using MF was incorporated enabling students’ active engagement with the Sway and to promote deep learning. The students were required to provide an answer to each section to progress to the next question of the MF. A sample answer with concise feedback was made available via a link embedded by customizing the thank you message of MF to self-evaluate their answers. The students were allowed to receive the responses in MF after submission. 

Post-assessment: The 3rd stage of the EBL was facilitated by linking to the problem to solve in the summative assessment of the module. 

Summary: Finally, the key points were highlighted and linked with the “Bridge in” section to appreciate how the EBL activities tie in with real-world applications. 

An average user can complete this MS in 1 hour, except for the post-assessment task.  

What was the impact of your practice and how have you evaluated it?

The impact of the activity was evaluated by the student responses to the MF in pre-assessment, and participatory learning and their solutions to the summative assessment question. All 16 students in the cohort attempted the MS. They obtained an average of 94% for the incomplete example and an average of 89% for the summative assessment question. This is a 16% increase in the marks compared to another question which was only covered with two static worked examples made available in Minerva. The quality of the solutions was also improved after EBL-M, and students attempts at the questions showed a deeper understanding. Furthermore, the “analytics” tab of MS can be used to measure student engagement with the Sway. According to MS analytics, 75% of the students have deep-read the worked examples. The anonymous survey conducted at the end of the EBL-M indicated favourable responses from the students e.g., for the easy navigation, structured presentation, and interactive nature of the EBL-M with Sway. 

How could others benefit from this example?

A combination of MS, EBL-M and using a scaffolding framework such as BOPPPS has proven for me an effective way to increase student participation, engagement, and performance. EBL-M with Sway can be delivered virtually or in person to varied sizes of cohorts. Using the BOPPPS framework with MS can guide the self-paced learning experience of the students in EBL-M while facilitating different learning types such as acquisition, investigation, practice and production. We can use worldwide examples or case studies to offer an inclusive learning environment for students with multicultural backgrounds in the “Bridge-in” section. We can link the post-assessment task to a formative assessment using Gradescope with automated feedback to ease the workload in marking. This approach has proven useful for STEM disciplines; however, with some experimentation to align the participatory learning material based on the cognitive activity it could prove useful for many other disciplines. 

Additional Reading

Atkinson, R.K., Derry, S.J., Renkl, A. and Wortham, D., 2000. Learning from examples: Instructional principles from the worked examples research. Review of educational research, 70(2), pp.181-214.  

Centre for Teaching and Learning, Western University, 2016. Planning Online Lessons. Retrieved 31st January 2023, from https://teaching.uwo.ca/curriculum/coursedesign/planning-online-lessons.html. 

Renkl, A., 201). The Worked Examples Principle in Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning, Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 391-412, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.020  

How to Sway - https://sway.office.com/dJQCjmsXgGNXhl9g  

Author

Ashani Ranathunga, a.s.ranathunga@leeds.ac.uk, School of Civil Engineering

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