Week2 : learning HTML & CS

I majored in electronics engineering and have been working in the IT field for many years. Most people can expect to be able to do all sorts of coding if they work in the IT field, but that's not true. IT is a huge field and there are too many sub-fields. It is the same that being able to speak doesn't mean they can speak all languages. I knew a little about HTML & CSS, but I haven't coded them properly until the present. Self-study of HTML & CSS gave me a good opportunity to actively interacting with learning content, searching for more resources, merging my previous knowledge of HTML & CSS into the newly acquired knowledge, and applying the new knowledge to creating web-based instruction. I reviewed multiple websites and watched several videos to better understand how basic elements of HTML & CSS were implemented into the web formats, and learn how to design my instruction in the website. I will not master web development, but I will be able to what HTML & CSS are, how they work on websites, and how to apply their elements to the web-based learning content. 

The intended tutorial is to teach how to create a mobile app for education, and the target learners will be anyone who wants to use a mobile app for their educational purposes with no technology background. Some students wanted to use the mobile app for their thesis project, but there was a gap between students and hired developers, so the final product doesn't come out as intended. I planned a full tutorial of creating a simple app, but it did not fit 1-hour tutorial, so I split the original tutorial into multiple small tutorials, and the target tutorial will cover the lessons of converting ideas into the design of a mobile app. I am redesigning the lesson and looking for some videos used for this tutorial. 

Merrill et al.'s (2007) first principles of instruction can apply to any type of learning environment, and in particular, offer useful guidelines when planning this hands-on tutorial. The intended tutorial will be provided online, and it will require the potential users to actively get involved in the learning process. The task-centered approach (Merrill et al., 2007) is well aligned with the objectives of the planned tutorial which requires learners to complete the series of tasks to fully understand the overall process of mobile app development and design the layout and interface of a mobile app for education. Engaging learners in online learning is required, but it is not easy. Merrill et al. (2007) mentioned that learning is enhanced when learners trigger their previous or relevant knowledge regarding the new knowledge, it is the activation principle. It is the same vein in attracting learners’ attention to the topic of learning, and let them be active in the learning process. I would consider the way of applying the four-phase cycle, activation-demonstration-application-integration (Merrill et al., 2007; Merrill, 2008) to the intended tutorial. I am working on the way of keeping learners from stopping learning after starting the tutorial because technology seems difficult for those with no technology background. Avoiding difficult tech terms and showing an easy example using images and videos and step-by-step would be one of the approaches I think. But, I am not sure about how to provide interactive feedback which makes learners feel connected to peers and instruction in an online setting. 

The web is a good learning environment that is available to many people by providing various benefits, such as running at the major types of Operating System, easy content updating, and easy to learn compared to other types of IT. I need to deeply understand HTML & CSS, and more JavaScript, and study designing efficient, effective, engaging web-based instruction. I hope to learn more about web-based instruction from this course. 

References

Merrill, M. D., Barclay, M., & van Schaak, A. (2007). Prescriptive principles for instructional design. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. J. G. van Merriënboer, & M. P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology, NY: Routledge, 173-184.

Merrill, M.D. (2008). What Makes e3 (effective, efficient, and engaging) Instruction?.