Portfolio

Erb, R. Technology Resources[image] canva

Designing Impactful Learning: A Showcase of Innovation

Welcome to my professional portfolio, a curated collection of work showcasing my expertise in instructional design and educational research. This showcase invites prospective employers to explore my achievements and abilities in these two vital areas of education.

The first category, Instructional Design, features lesson plans, curricula, and instructional strategies I have developed to create engaging and effective learning experiences. This section highlights my ability to design educational content that meets diverse learning needs and reflects best practices in pedagogy. A significant aspect of my approach is the purposeful integration of educational technology, which I employ to enhance interactivity and personalize learning experiences.

The second category, Educational Research, presents my contributions to the field through various studies and analyses conducted to inform and improve educational practices. This section demonstrates my commitment to evidence-based approaches and continuous improvement. Here, too, I leverage educational technology to gather data, analyze results, and disseminate findings effectively.

By exploring these categories, you will gain insight into my approach to education, characterized by innovation, inclusivity, and a commitment to integrating technology to enrich learning and student performance.

Design Thinking

In my practice, I use and teach the engineering design process, which involves the steps of Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, and Improve, repeated iteratively. However, one vital component often overlooked in this process is empathy. Good design begins with empathy, as it involves understanding the user's needs and challenges from their perspective. By entering the user's world, we open ourselves to truly understanding their unique challenges. Experiencing a situation from another's viewpoint enables us to develop or design solutions that genuinely meet their needs.

I created this graphic to demonstrate how the Why-How Ladder is an invaluable tool in instructional design. This process allows educators and curriculum designers to deeply understand and address learners' needs.

In my programming classes, I applied the Why-How Ladder to explore the challenges students face in understanding functions. By investigating why students struggle with abstract concepts, I identified that step-by-step interactive, game-based learning could effectively alleviate these difficulties. The Ladder guides the design of a curriculum that is both engaging and accessible, ensuring that instructional strategies address the root causes of learning challenges and support students in building foundational programming skills effectively.

Designing Computational Solutions for Real-World Problems

This artifact demonstrates how I designed a lesson utilizing backward design methodology, ensuring alignment with the CSTA Computer Science Standards. Students were tasked with designing a basic app, using personal expression to address a real-world problem or educate others on a cultural issue. This project required students to use the engineering design process ensuring their apps were user-friendly and impactful.

Throughout the development process, students iteratively improved their computational artifacts based on feedback, enhancing their usability and accessibility. This iterative approach not only reinforced their understanding of computational thinking but also emphasized the importance of refining and evaluating their work.

The lesson also explored the broader impact of computing, encouraging students to evaluate how their apps could influence personal, ethical, social, economic, or cultural practices.

Performance-based assessment was used to gauge student understanding and application of these concepts, allowing them to demonstrate their learning through practical application.

AppTravis.mov

Student Artifact, App [video]

Link To Lesson

Skills Acquired and Demonstrated:

By integrating app development with the design process and performance-based assessment, this lesson creation highlights my skills and ability to create a standards-based curriculum that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills among students.

Student artifact (2024). CTE Pathway Poster{image]canva

Multimedia Instructional Design Project

Link to Webpage

Career Research and Pathway Student Project:

Throughout the school year students explore 16 career clusters. For this module students create a Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathway based on their own interests and choose corresponding high school classes they can take that will prepare them for further training, higher education or to work in the career.

While designing this unit, in addition to integrating multimedia educational technology, I am simultaneously teaching Computational Thinking concepts by making connections to data analysis and patterns through real-life scenarios. I designed this module to increase student engagement by teaching vocabulary through an interactive video platform, promote student creativity, interest, and choice in demonstrating their knowledge.

Skills Acquired and Demonstrated:

This design project demonstrates how I create a comprehensive learning experience that highlights my ability to blend educational technology with core teaching concepts, showcasing my skills in curriculum development and innovative teaching strategies.

Showcasing Instructional Design Animation Lessons

Welcome to my collection of animation lessons, designed to inspire creativity and foster deep understanding through hands-on educational practices. These lessons demonstrate my ability to integrate technology and multimedia tools to engage students in interactive and meaningful learning experiences.

Link to Webpage

Highlights:

Dynamic Learning: Each lesson utilizes animation to transform complex concepts into visually engaging content, making learning both enjoyable and accessible. Students delve into character modeling, enhancing their understanding of animation fundamentals.
Active Participation: By incorporating technology platforms like TinkerCad, Scratch, and Piskel, students engage in hands-on activities, actively creating their own animations. This practical approach allows them to apply computational thinking skills, reinforcing their understanding through tangible projects.
Creative Expression: Students are empowered to express their understanding and creativity through personalized animation projects, allowing them to explore topics in depth. By engaging in these activities, they internalize vocabulary and concepts, facilitating a deeper understanding and ability to articulate their creative visions effectively.

Explore the Lessons:

Access each lesson directly through the provided links to discover how animation can revolutionize classroom learning.

Reflection on Impact:

These lessons have significantly boosted student engagement by implementing high-leverage practices such as content explanation and modeling, collaborative learning, and technology integration. By incorporating animation and computational thinking, I've developed a dynamic learning environment that promotes creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the material. The hands-on activities and personalized projects empower students to take ownership of their learning, ensuring these lessons leave a lasting impact on their educational journey.

Applying Educational Research in Teaching My Practice:

Improving My Teaching Practices
- I use research to identify effective teaching strategies and methods that I can implement in my classroom. By staying informed about studies on differentiated instruction, I am able to tailor my approaches to meet the diverse needs of my students.
Enhancing Student Learning
- I rely on educational research to gain insights into how my students learn best. Understanding cognitive development helps me design age-appropriate curriculum that enhances student learning experiences.
Informing My Decisions
- When I make decisions related to classroom policies or teaching methods, I consult educational research. Data from studies on assessment techniques guide my approach to evaluating student progress.
Guiding My Professional Development
- I use research to guide my professional growth and development. For example, studies on classroom management techniques have helped me create a more effective and conducive learning environment.
Developing Curriculum
- Research informs my approach to curriculum development. By integrating findings from studies on STEM education, I incorporate more hands-on science and technology activities into my lessons.
Addressing Classroom Inequities
- I use research to identify and address disparities within my classroom. Data on achievement gaps help me design targeted interventions for students who may be underserved or struggling.
Evaluating My Teaching Programs
- I evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching programs and initiatives through research. Longitudinal studies help me understand the impact of various classroom activities on student success.

Erb, R. Visual Literacy [ image] canva

Kyles Game Recording 2025-02-28 #2.mp4

Student Programming Artifact. Game Dev [recording] Godot

Unlocking Visual Literacy Educational Research:

There is a wealth of research on information processing and reducing cognitive load, highlighting similarities between computers and humans—both have limited working memory. Through my exploration of research on "how we learn" and "how we process information," I found that visual literacy plays a crucial role in reducing cognitive overload by enabling us to quickly grasp complex information through visual representations. Inspired by this, I created a graphic representation on visual literacy and integrated it into my teaching approach. These artifacts demonstrate my knowledge and application of visual literacy methodologies, showcasing my ability to create content that promotes active learning and concept retention. In the following example, I demonstrate how I connect visual learning with gamification to enhance educational outcomes.

Gamification Strategies for Active Learning

In my classroom, I've embraced gamification as a strategy to enhance visual literacy, drawing on the research by Miguel-Ángel Marzal, Sara Martínez Cardama, and Anna Hansch. By integrating game-based learning, I've created an interactive environment where students actively engage with visual content. This approach incorporates game elements such as storytelling, level design, and visual design, which not only captivate students' interests but also enhance their creative and analytical skills. Through technical skills like programming and 3D modeling, students gain hands-on experience that reinforces their learning. The iterative design process through playtesting encourages problem-solving and critical thinking, while collaboration fosters teamwork and communication skills. These elements combine to create a rich, engaging learning experience that results in improved comprehension and retention. The success I've seen in my students validates the power of combining gamification with visual literacy to create an effective and inspiring educational environment.

Impact of Educational Research

As an educator committed to continuous improvement, I embrace action research as a transformative tool to effect change in my teaching practice. Conducting action research empowers me to systematically investigate the effectiveness of various instructional strategies, such as cooperative learning, process recordings, and structured teacher-led instruction, in meeting the diverse needs of my students. By engaging in this iterative process, I can design lessons that are not only more engaging but also aligned with the latest technological demands and pedagogical insights. Action research provides me with the data-driven insights necessary to refine my teaching methods, ultimately increasing student engagement and learning outcomes. Through this reflective practice, I am better equipped to adapt and innovate, ensuring that my students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for the complexities of the modern world.

Action Research Plan

I embarked on an action research journey to explore the effectiveness of various instructional strategies in programming education. By investigating the impacts of cooperative learning, process recordings or video tutorials, and structured teacher-led instruction, I sought to identify methods that best support student engagement and learning outcomes. This research not only enabled me to adapt my teaching to the varying degree of student prior knowledge but also empowered me to integrate technological advancements into the classroom effectively.

These artifacts, including my Action Research Plan and Research Report, highlight the diverse skills and abilities I have acquired. They demonstrate how I actively conduct and apply education research to strengthen my teaching practice. This process has led to improved student outcomes by identifying effective strategies and addressing classroom challenges. My research journey demonstrates a deeper understanding of learning processes and has informed my decision-making, allowing me to design better lessons. Furthermore, it has fostered innovation in my practice and contributed to the advancement of educational knowledge. By systematically examining and applying research findings, I've been able to meet the needs of my students and adapt to technological demands.

Image Credit: CAIA IMAGE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Link to Research Report

Abstract

This research explores the educational benefits of cooperative learning, process recordings, and structured teacher-led direct instruction in programming education. The study aims to identify which teaching methods most effectively enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, feedback from 40 students was analyzed to assess preferences and experiences across different instructional strategies. Results indicated that cooperative learning significantly boosts student engagement and enjoyment, while process recordings offer flexibility for self-paced learning. Teacher-led instruction was valued for its clarity and structured guidance, particularly benefiting beginners. The findings suggest that a blended approach, incorporating elements of all three strategies, may best address the diverse needs of students in programming courses. This research provides actionable insights for educators seeking to optimize instructional methods and improve classroom management.

All content unless otherwise credited is Intellectual Property of Rochelle Erb

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