Historia is a learning system that is based on gaming. It encourages active learning through group discussions, which guides students to research history on their own instead of relying on the instructor. This learning system satisfies both student-centred learning (UDL) and problem-based learning (Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction) systems, but it mainly focuses on student-centred learning, as students have reported positive experiences from this approach.

Although the scenes from the video show that students use books and computers to research history, it is unclear whether using a computer is the primary method of researching historical knowledge. One significant issue that requires further improvement is the organization of group members. Each student has a fill-in-blank handout for group discussion, but other group members may be unable to view written responses from each other.

The majority of the courses I have taken in the past have utilized passive learning methods. Nevertheless, after enrolling in EDCI337 this semester, I have realized that the teaching techniques employed in this class are primarily active learning. Each week, we are introduced to new software or strategies and are given the opportunity to explore how to use them on our own. I have found that this type of learning environment has allowed for a more profound and lasting retention of the course material.

To improve the group assembly process, multimedia tools that allow access to more than one person would be beneficial. For example, Mattermost could be used so that group members can discuss their opinions on the research topic and report their status. Planning the content for the project is also crucial, and multimedia tools for conceptual mapping could be used to facilitate this process. This would allow students to share their research information in a template, making it easier for group members to see and review.

I have also created a simple H5P Activity :

References:

[1] University of Victoria: Educational Technology. (2022, October 29.) W9: Active and Passive Learning. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci337/2022/10/29/w9-active-and-passive-learning/