Hey everyone! I’m back with our third post for EDCI335. This time, I’m thrilled to share our group’s “Learning Design Blueprint” project: “Ensuring Your Pet Lives a Long, Happy Life.” Our comprehensive exploration of topics like preventative care, nutrition, and pet dental hygiene (who knew bad breath isn’t actually normal for pets?) was incredibly eye-opening. As devoted pet parents, we recognize our furry companions are true family members, and our mission is to equip owners with scientifically-grounded insights that enable pets to not just survive, but truly flourish.
During our design process, addressing the diverse needs of all learners emerged as a critical challenge. Our approach embraces accessibility and varied learning styles. For visual learners, we’ve crafted engaging “Myth vs. Reality” sections, particularly around dental health, featuring eye-catching infographics and compelling side-by-side comparisons of healthy and unhealthy gums. Auditory learners will appreciate embedded audio summaries and captivating TED Talk excerpts exploring pet longevity. Kinesthetic learners can dive into interactive quizzes and reflective journaling prompts that encourage direct, personal engagement. By blending multiple media formats, we ensure effective information absorption, catering to individual learning preferences.
Recent global events have underscored the critical need for educational adaptability. Our blueprint anticipates unexpected scenarios, such as a pandemic necessitating home-based learning. Activities like the “Walk a Dog, Lose a Pound” program can seamlessly transition to dynamic online forums featuring shared reflections and virtual exercise challenges. For hands-on topics like pet dental care or FDA dishwashing protocols, we envision learners submitting concise video demonstrations, thereby cultivating a sense of community. Critically, providing clear online platform tutorials and readily accessible technical support would guarantee successful home-learning experiences.
Ultimately, designing this resource has illuminated the profound significance of flexibility and empathetic design in education. It’s fundamentally about constructing a resilient framework for high-quality, impactful learning, even when confronted with unforeseen circumstances.
References
- University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. (2025, July). The myth of learning styles. Retrieved from https://onlineteaching.umich.edu/articles/the-myth-of-learning-styles/
- Education Next. (2018, Summer). The stubborn myth of “learning styles”: State teacher-license and prep materials debunked the theory. https://www.educationnext.org/…/stubborn-myth-learning-styles/
Your post does an excellent job of highlighting the significance of adaptability in teaching, particularly during unexpected disruptions like the pandemic. I genuinely appreciate how you not only focused on transitioning content online, but also emphasized providing comprehensive support through tutorials and diverse submission methods.
The concept of “soft deadlines” is particularly insightful, as it demonstrates empathy by reducing stress for students navigating complex personal challenges beyond their academic life. Your example of utilizing Padlet to foster collaboration is compelling, effectively illustrating how digital platforms can still facilitate meaningful interaction and peer feedback. What resonated most with me was your commitment to accessibility by offering both online and offline alternatives, which reflects a truly inclusive approach to education.
This design ensures that every student can remain engaged and supported, regardless of their individual circumstances. Ultimately, your approach strikes an impressive balance between maintaining academic structure and embracing flexible, student-centered learning strategies.
Hi Chad, thanks for your blog. I agree this topic is so interesting and a great way to bring empathy into the education system because so many pets have impacted our lives in such a great and positive way. Therefore, every pet owner wants our pets to thrive, living long, fulfilling lives full of joy and happiness. I also like how one of the sources mentions that the dog owners also benefit from fresh air and exercise, therefore encouraging both party’s to be more active, fit and healthy.
Incorporating a nice balance of visuals, immersed audio abstracts ( ie Ted Talks) and kinesthetics (quizzes and promoted journals) for inclusivity to serve those with various learning styles is a great idea. You made me want to jump right in and try the quizzes already! Thanks for your interesting and insightful post.
The only thing I would comment give feedback for improvement, is that the references should be placed in alphabetical order. Also, one of the major changes in 7th edition of APA form is that the ‘ retrieved from’ is no longer required – unless it is sourcing a website where content could change since it was retrieved, in which case we write a retrieval date (since we are in this group together, I changed it in our assignment, but its good to keep in mind for future projects). Great work!