Share a story about your best learning experience (could be a formal course or something more personal). Why did you enjoy it?
My favorite course so far at UVIC is ECON 180 – Introduction to Economics and Financial Project Evaluation. Interestingly enough, it surpasses all computer science courses I’ve taken, even though I’m a software engineering student!
About the Course:
What made this course so enjoyable was that the professor taught it using a project-based model, with asynchronous lecture videos. The projects were highly personal and applicable. We started by conducting quick research on the average incomes of the occupations we were planning to pursue post-graduating, as well as the average housing costs in cities where we wanted to live, and so on. Over the four main projects, we applied economic concepts to examine how the dollar values of our incomes would evolve year after year. We explored what would happen if we invested a certain amount of money over 20 years, factoring in inflation. We also analyzed how mortgages grow and why paying off the principal instead of the interest can lead to significant savings.
Personal Motivation:
The professor had skillfully tapped into our personal motivations by incorporating projects that were directly relevant to our post-graduation plans. Seung Won Park had also explored the correlation between motivations and learning experience extensively in the article titled Motivation Theories and Instructional Design. In this ECON 180 course, we were able to see the tangible impact of economic decisions on our financial futures. This personalization and relevance created a sense of intrinsic motivation, driving us to actively participate in the course. Personally, I have never feel so engaged with the course materials than ever before; I even had all the projects saved so that I could revisit them in the future!
Applications of the major learning theories:
Furthermore, this course effectively integrates principles from two major learning theories: Cognitivism and Constructivism. An example of Cognitivism is the use of asynchronous lecture videos, which accommodated our individual learning preferences and allowed us to process information at our own pace. The curriculum’s emphasis on project-based activities fostered critical thinking as we were required to analyze the economic impacts in depth. Besides this, Constructivism is evident in the course’s personal and applicable projects, empowering us as learners to construct our own understanding of economics and how it plays a role in our lives. By combining these theories, the course greatly enhanced our overall learning experience.
In conclusion, this course demonstrated the power of combining principles from Cognitivism and Constructivism to create an enjoyable and effective learning experience. By incorporating personal motivations and real-life applications, the course engaged students and helped us understand the course materials better. I believe that it is very important for professors and educators to recognize the transformative potential of this teaching approach and implement it more widely, ensuring that students can enjoy and benefit from effective learning in different subjects.
By: Julia
References:
- Park, S. (2018). Motivation Theories and Instructional Design. In R. E. West (Ed.), Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. EdTech Books. Retrieve from: https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/motivation_theories_and_instructional_design
8 Responses to “Blog #1 – Learning, Motivation, and Theory 📚”
Hi Julia! I wanted to reach out and commend you on your impressive experience in ECON 180! Your discussion on Cognitivism and Constructivism was truly insightful and well-supported. I appreciate that you highlighted the importance of integrating principles from Cognitivism and Constructivism or various theories to create a dynamic and engaging educational environment. It’s also fascinating to see how motivation can play such a pivotal role in our learning experience. By incorporating real-life scenarios and personal motivations, the classes are able to effectively engage students and deepen their understanding of the subject matter. Great job!
Hi Anastassiya, thank you for reading the post, and I appreciate your feedback! The ECON 180 course was truly an amazing experience. I also find that the way how you are structuring this EDCI course with these blog posts is also very fun and engaging. I’m excited to be in this course!
I have also taken ECON 180 with the same structure and professor. I agree with what you have said and think the way the course is laid out and the use of Cognitivism and Constructivism in the course is done well.
I am curious if you think that if the lectures were done in person as well as recorded, it could have made the experience better for you, or over all, for other students that must take this class.
Thanks for your comment, Chloe! I think that the interactions and discussions in the classrooms surely help shed more lights on the topics than what the professor typically presents in the pre-recorded videos. That said, in the case that the in-person lectures don’t have active discussions (which can happen), I would prefer async lectures, as I won’t miss out much, and I can also adjust the video speeds to optimal pace. The best of both world would still be having both in-person and pre-recorded lectures provided!
Hey Julia – I love your blog! Interestingly, the reason you loved the course so much was because of the project-based model! Having hands-on learning experience (rather than lectures and exams) seems to be a favourite of many people while also being more effective! Having the assignments directly connected to your personal motivations must have been nice. I am sure that would have helped with engagement throughout the semester. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for commenting, Natalie! It could be just personal preference, but I feel like project-based courses are hands-down the best teaching model 😆. Without doing the projects, I find it a bit challenging to make the connection between textbooks and real-life applications myself. I really much hope that many, if not all, courses can adopt this model in the future.
Hi Julia! Im glad you had a positive economics course experience. I have taken only one economics course and quickly learned that it is not for me. I really struggled but I think that it was due to the “reverse classroom” layout. I find that that type of course is not very engaging, and engagement and instruction is how I preform best. Would you say that without the 4 main projects being based on something applicable in the future, you would have done as well?
Thank you!
Thanks for your comment, Kate! I think that having the 4 projects being so personal and applicable was definitely the key to my overall enjoyment of the course, and I could see myself wouldn’t have done so well without it. This also says a lot about how incorporating personal motivations into the curriculum can have a significant impact on a student’s learning experience. I have also had courses with “reverse classroom” model, and I agree that it could be quite challenging to stay engaged while just watching playbacks lectures; we really need a fun way to apply the theories!