EDCI 335 Blog

Month: June 2025

Assignment 1: Learning Design Blueprint

June 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Overview

Cyberbullying refers to the use of digital platforms like social media, messaging apps, and almost any online platforms to harass, threaten, or demean other individuals. This form of bullying can have profound effects on mental health, especially among adolescents.

Media, Society, Culture and You (Poepsel, 2018), discusses the influence of digital media on society and individual behavior. He states that the immediacy and reach of digital communication has the power to bring out both positive and negative interactions. The text highlights how online platforms can facilitate harmful behaviors like cyberbullying, leading to significant psychological impacts on victims.

Also further supporting this perspective, is a YouTube video titled “Cyberbullying and Mental Health: Unseen Consequences of Social Media” which deeply dives into the psychological consequences of cyberbullying. The video presents real-life accounts and analysis by experts, illustrating how victims are often experiencing anxiety, depression, and some senses of isolation. It highlights the importance of awareness and being proactive in taking measures to fight against cyberbullying and to be able to support affected individuals.

Common Misconceptions: 

  1. “Cyberbullying is just like schoolyard bullying.” 
  • In reality, The fact that cyberbullying is permanent, all day accessibility and its potential for public humiliation make it uniquely damaging, especially to the adolescent mind. 
  1. “Victims can just log off.”
  • In reality, disengaging with cyberbullying is ineffective in most cases and often impossible due to: (1) Permanent digital traces, (2) Fear of missing out (FOMO), and (3) Offline spillover (most victims know their aggressor offline).

Rationale for Development

We chose cyberbullying as our topic because it has a significant and profound impact on Canadian teens. They are very active on social media such as TikTok, but this also makes them more likely to face bullying and feel scared or sad (Giumetti & Kowalski, 2022). Our group is passionate about mental health and education, so we aim to understand how online behaviors affect teens’ emotions and design learning resources to help them respond effectively, such as learning to set privacy, identify harmful content, or report abusive behavior. Therefore, through this interactive resource, we hope to help teens explore the digital world safely. 

Learner Description

Our target learners are Canadian teens. They spend a lot of time on social media but don’t know much about cyberbullying risks. Since they may come from different cultural backgrounds, their learning needs also vary. To support accessibility and engagement, the resource will use simple language and visuals. Additionally, they may be interested in the platform rules and online interaction. We will integrate this and design a resource to make them willing to participate, learn how to protect their mental health, and promote respectful online behavior.

Essential questions

  1. What forms does cyberbullying take, and how do they differ from offline bullying?
  2. How does persistent exposure to toxic online behavior affect mental health, especially in adolescents and young adults?
  3. What roles do social media platforms and algorithms play in enabling or preventing harmful online behavior?
  4. What are effective ways individuals and communities can promote healthier online environments?
  5. How can digital platforms be used to support positive mental health? 
  6. How can learners recognize and respond to harmful online content in real-time?

Lesson Design Planning Template 

Big Idea   What is the big idea that the learner will walk away with at the end of the lesson that is critical for learners at this stage of their learning path? Learning Outcome(s)What specific things will the learner know or be able to do by the end of the lesson? Evidence of LearningWhat does learning look like for this objective? (e.g., accurate performance of a task, correct use of terminology)AssessmentsWhat will learners do to provide evidence of their learning? (e.g., a presentation, a test, a project)Learning ActivitiesWhat learning activities will allow learners to acquire and practice the skills necessary to demonstrate their learning and complete the assessment successfully?

How online interactions have real-world psychological consequences 
How social media platforms can affects mental health through their design and culture 
1. Learners should be able to distinguish between types of cyberbullying and understand their psychological impact 
2. Analyze the relationship between online behavior and mental health outcomes 
3. Evaluate the responsibilities of social media platforms in mitigating cyberbullying and promoting mental well-being 
4.Develop actionable strategies for healthier digital communication 
 1. Learners identify cyberbullying types 





2. Learners explain impacts using personal or online examples 

3. Learners critique platform policies






4. Learners create a wellness resource 		 1. Short Quiz: Learners identify forms of cyberbullying and their effects 



2. Discussion Post: Reflection on how online behaviour impacts mental health 
3. Discussion Post: Reflection on how platforms should balance freedom of speech vs. user safety  


4. Mini-Project: Fill in Canva template to create an infographic regarding tips on actionable strategies 
1. Interactive scenario simulation: Animated care study with reflection questions 


2. Video Engagement: Watch and critically reflect on video content 

3. Platform Policy Review: Analyze TikTok or Instagram policies and share critiques 



4. Brainstorm activity: Brainstorm what tips/tricks to include on the infographic

Resources 

  • Textbooks & Scholarly Articles:
    • Kowalski, R. M., et al. (2014). Bullying in the Digital Age: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin.
    • Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying.
    • Barlett, C. P., & Gentile, D. A. (2020). Cyberbullying, bullying, and victimization: Are they the same or different? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 51, 101395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.101395 
    • O’Reilly, M., Dogra, N., Whiteman, N., Hughes, J., Eruyar, S., & Reilly, P. (2018). Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 23(4), 601–613. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104518775154 
  • Grey Literature & Media:
  • Technology Tools:
    • Padlet or Moodle forums (for discussion)
    • H5P or Google Forms (for quiz)
    • Jamboard, Canva, or Miro (for project creation)
    • YouTube (for curated video content)

Project Plan 

Who What
Devin“Overview” Section: 
– Definition of topic, citing at least two academic sources 
– Description of learning context and learners 
– Your plans for designing for the inclusion of diverse learners using UDL and CAST principles 
– Rationale for your technology choices 
Sam“Overview” Section: 
– Description and rationale for the learning theory behind your design choices. Why is this theory a good fit for your topic? 
– A description and rationale for the learning design you chose. Why is this learning design effective for this topic and context? 

“Your Learning Resource should include” Section: 
– An assessment plan (formative and summative assessment activities, etc.) 
Cassis â€śYour Learning Resource should include” Section: 
– Learning objective 1: Creation of interactive learning activity (for each learning objective/subtopic) 
– resource(s) that prepare students for the related  assessment activity 
Munashe“Your Learning Resource should include” Section: 
– Learning objective 2: Creation of interactive learning activity (for each learning objective/subtopic
– resource(s) that prepare students for the related  assessment activity 
Sharidyn â€śYour Learning Resource should include” Section: 
– Learning objective 3: Creation of interactive learning activity (for each learning objective/subtopic
– resource(s) that prepare students for the related  assessment activity 
Bingchun“Your Learning Resource should include” Section: 
– Learning objective 4: Creation of interactive learning activity (for each learning objective/subtopic
– resource(s) that prepare students for the related  assessment activity 
Everyone â€śYour Learning Resource should include” Section: 
– Bibliography 
– Final Edits

References:

Barlett, C. P., & Gentile, D. A. (2020). Cyberbullying, bullying, and victimization: Are they the same or different? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 51, 101395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.101395 

Poepsel, M. (2018). (n.d.). Media, society, culture and you (Chapters 4 & 5). Open Textbook   Library.https://collection.bccampus.ca/textbooks/media-society-culture-and-you-an-introductory-mass-communication-text-rebus-community-243/

TED-Ed. (2020, September 15). Cyberbullying and mental health: Unseen consequences of social media [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye0h1rjS_Qw

O’Reilly, M., Dogra, N., Whiteman, N., Hughes, J., Eruyar, S., & Reilly, P. (2018). Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 23(4), 601–613. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104518775154 

Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2014). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1073–1137. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035618 

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying.

Blog Post 2: Learning Design 1 & 2

June 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Direct Instruction (DI) works to shift the focus from personal experience to student-generated data through a highly structured approach (Mason & Otero, 2021). It encompasses the following characteristics, which have been derived from Mason and Otero (2021): (1) Overarching Theme: Structured/Scripted lessons, (2) Goal: Teaching Core Concepts Directly, (3) Activity: Choral Responding and Error Correction, and (4) Assessment: Measurement of Student Behaviour. 

  1. Overarching Theme: Structured/Scripted Lessons
    1. DI takes a highly structured approach in which lessons are pre-made and carefully sequenced to ensure students understand a concept before moving to the next (Mason & Otero, 2021). 
    2. This structure would be good for teaching about cyberbullying and its effects on mental health because it provides a clear outline for such a sensitive topic, ensuring all students receive the same foundational understanding; however, its limited flexibility does not leave room for the emotional responses students may have to the topic. 
  2. Goal: Teaching Core Concepts Directly
    1. The structure of DI is made to ensure learners understand overarching concepts (i.e., big ideas) not just isolated facts. Therefore, learners should be able to apply a concept across a variety of examples (Mason & Otero, 2021). 
    2. Learning overarching concepts such as digital citizenship (and traits such as empathy or respect) would serve learners while in their education and lives. It could help students to recognize bad patterns in their behaviours before engaging in harmful activities on or offline. 
  3. Activity: Choral Responding and Error Correction
    1. DI is applied through using techniques such as choral responding and error correction (Mason & Otero, 2021). Choral responding is when students respond to a question on a teacher’s cue all together and generally in response the teacher will immediately correct any errors (error correction) (Hill, 2023). 
    2. These activities promote immediate participation and feedback which may not be great for a topic as heavy as cyberbullying and its effects on mental health. Additionally, this style does not leave room for much personal reflection which is important when dealing with conversations surrounding mental health. 
  4. Assessment: Measurement of Student Behaviour
    1. DI puts an emphasis on direct measurement of student behaviour through the production of relevant outcome data and systematic measurement practices (Mason & Otero, 2021). 
    2. A direct measurement of the learner’s understanding can be helpful in determining whether or not they are grasping the concept at surface level; however, it does not capture possible shifts in empathy, respect, emotional awareness, etc. 

Resources 

Hill, M. (2023, June 22). Why Unison Response Works in the Classroom. Inspired Ideas. https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/why-unison-response-works-in-the-classroom-1c867e53acf3 

Mason, L., & Otero, M. (2021). Just How Effective is Direct Instruction? Perspectives on Behavior Science, 44(2), 225–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-021-00295-x 

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