eLearning: Full Scale High School ESL Course
As the lead designer for this ESL online course aligned with Ontario Ministry of Education guidelines, I spearheaded the ideation, design, and development of a comprehensive course framework, instructional content, and assessments. This 110-hour course, designed for asynchronous independent use by high school English language learners at UMCA Rich Tree Academy and beyond, included producing and editing eLearning content, gamified exercises, and instructional videos to ensure end-to-end program delivery. Collaborating with a Subject Matter Expert (SME), I ensured the content was accurate and relevant, resulting in a robust and effective asynchronous learning experience.
Audience: High School English Language Learners
Responsibilities: Curriculum Development, Storyboarding, Visual Design, eLearning Development, SCORM Implementation
Tools: Articulate Rise, Canva, WordWall, H5P, GitHub, Twee, Midjourney, ChatGPT
Problem & Solution
The challenge was to create an engaging online course that would not overwhelm students' working memory. It was essential to avoid information overload while ensuring the course was meaningful and conducive to effective language learning.
The solution was an asynchronous ESL course that included:
Curriculum-aligned authentic assessments: Designed assessments that aligned with the curriculum and reflected real-world applications of language skills.
Authentic end-of-lesson tasks: Included tasks that mimicked real-life scenarios to make learning more relevant and practical for students.
Gamified language exercises: Developed interactive and gamified activities to make learning fun and engaging, helping to reinforce language skills.
Short Instructional Videos: Created concise instructional videos (under 3 minutes) to provide clear and focused content delivery without overwhelming students.
Process
The project followed the ADDIE process:
Needs Analysis: Conducted a thorough analysis based on Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum guidelines to identify the needs and goals of the course.
Design and Ideation: Collaborated with an SME to design a course framework using backward design principles (UbD) and meaningful assessments to ensure curriculum alignment and compliance with Growing Success policies. Developed detailed unit plans, lesson storyboards, content, and video scripts.
Development: Created lessons on Articulate Rise, recorded and edited instructional videos. Leveraged AI tools to create language content, audio, video scripts, and visuals, ensuring high-quality and engaging material.
Implementation: Uploaded the course onto the LMS (Schoology), ensuring it was accessible and user-friendly for students.
Evaluation: The first version of the course will be launched in September, 2024 to collect initial user feedback, which will be used to make iterative improvements.
Results & Takeaways
The first version of the course will be launched in September 2024 to collect initial user feedback, which will be used to make iterative improvements.
Currently, tests from individual users and educators reveal that the course is well-aligned with learning sciences, language acquisition theories, and the best instructional design practices. It is well-paced and learner-centred, providing a holistic and well-rounded learning experience where language work is presented through context.
All curriculum strands are integrated and intertwined, offering a non-fragmented learning experience. Additionally, the course incorporates retrieval practice and language recirculation. While emphasizing task-based language instruction, it also includes interactive games and drills in every lesson to reinforce language retention effectively.
This strong prototype has the potential for further redevelopment given future funding increases and changes in time constraints, allowing for more detailed development. Enhancements could include remaking the instructional videos and adding animations to further elevate the learning experience.
