Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNING

Final Reflection on Learning in MEDT 7490

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNING

Introduction
When looking at the plan of study for the Instructional Technology program, I saw the
name of this course and really didnt know what to think about it. I decided to take it during the
summer along with two other classes. Those other two classes are Research and Leading and
Managing Instructional Technology Programs. I really wasnt prepared for the workload that
was about to be asked of me. Of the three courses, I really enjoyed this one the most. I feel like
the material that we learned was very relevant and actually taught me how I can improve my
classroom. I now have six project ideas that I didnt have before that I can use with my students.
I want to discuss what I learned, issues that I have discovered, how to apply what I have learned,
differences in my perception on the subject, challenges, what I enjoyed, and suggestions for
improving the course.
What I Learned
I feel that I learned the importance of using visuals and video in the classroom. I usually
do not show videos in my classroom. My students tell me that videos dont help them learn.
Well, these students are kids and they really dont understand how they learn. This class has
taught me about the dual-coding theory and how important it is to helping students learn. Videos
provide two avenues to learning. Our eyes can send signals much faster to our brains than our
ears can. So, including a visual component already increases the capacity for student learning.
Couple that with audio and that provides students with two different avenues to process and
retain information from.
I have also learned about the principles and elements of visual design. The first
assignment really helped me understand each principle and element. We had to use our skills in
analyzing visuals to do a few other assignments. Doing this taught me how beneficial this can be

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNING

to student learning. Having students create these visuals can help them organize and retain
information. I think I enjoyed the video commercial assignment the best. I did state that it didnt
take as much creativity to analyze something that has already been created, but I did enjoy
analyzing it in the context of visual literacy. I might tweak this assignment and my STEM
students do something similar.
Issues
An issue that I have discovered about visual and media literacy is that many teachers are
not aware of the importance of it. Many times, mathematics teachers skimp on providing
students with quality visuals for explaining concepts. We have graphic organizers, but this really
isnt the same concept. I have created visuals in the past that I thought were great. However,
after taking this course and learning what makes a good visual great, I can see that my creations
do have some downfalls.
Another issue that I have discovered is how easy it is to create good visuals. Assignment
5 had us recreate some instructional materials utilizing what we had learned so far in the course.
This assignment didnt take me very long at all and I was surprised at how easy it is to redesign
materials that adhered to the concepts we have learned in the course. I think that my redesigned
slides are much easier to follow and leave a lasting impression with the reader.
Applying What I have Learned
I want to incorporate assignments that ask students to create visuals. In teaching
mathematics, it is easy to focus on the algebraic thinking skills of students and not focus on the
visual skills of students. However, many standardized test questions utilize visuals. If I havent
focused on interpreting visuals in my classroom, then it is possible that students do not know

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNING

how to interpret the visuals on the exam. I liked the cartoon assignment and may actually tweak
it to suit the needs in one of my classes.
Difference in Perception
My initial perception of visual and media literacy is that this is something intrinsic to our
human nature. When we see a visual, we can process the meaning of the visual. This is not the
case at all. I recently read a short online article regarding the hidden meaning behind famous
company logos. It is really interesting to see the little details included in logos. For example,
FedEx has an arrow formed between the E and the x to emphasize moving forward.
Amazon has an arrow going from A to z that also seconds as a smile. I think students would
really enjoy creating their own logo after reading about some of the hidden meanings behind
those famous logos. My perception has changed to be open to including these activities in my
classroom, which I wouldnt have been as open to before taking this course.
Challenge
The most challenging thing in this course is assignment 8. This goes along the same lines
as analyzing the video commercial, but now we have to recreate the material using the skills
learned in this course. My creativity is just about drained after taking three classes this summer,
but I was able to create a lesson utilizing the material learned in this course to create a lesson that
will invoke dual-coding theory as students learn the material.
What I Enjoyed
I really enjoyed being able to see everyones assignments. I think that having each
student create a website to showcase their assignments is a fabulous idea. This can also second
as a portfolio for us to display how we can incorporate visual and media literacy in education. I
liked having feedback on my assignments to let me know about the quality of my submissions.

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNING

Having that timely feedback is essential. It allows me to improve and create higher quality
future assignments.
Improving the Course
I dont have any suggestions for improving this course. I think that the workload is
completely appropriate and I really liked being able to see other students assignments. I do have
a complaint regarding assignment 2, phase 3. My sequence of images that I created never got a
story written about them. The student that was supposed to review my images reviewed the
student that was above him in the class list rather than below him. I didnt have an issue
interpreting your instructions, but it seems that at least one person did. Perhaps send out a
message telling which persons sequence of images each student is to review for clarification.