Designing an interest-driven challenge-based learning and alternative assessment method for an educational technology undergraduate course

Abstract

This paper centers on illustrating the design process of a challenge-based learning and alternative assessment used in the Educational Technology course at undergraduate level at Universiti Putra Malaysia. The learning and alternative assessment design of this course was framed by the two anchoring loops of the Interest-Driven Creator Theory, namely the Interest Loop and the Creation Loop. Each loop was utilized at a different point and time of the course, spreading throughout 14 weeks of the semester. The Interest Loop was implemented in the first half of the semester, overlapping with the Creation Loop which was implemented in the second half of the semester. Several nudges were creatively designed as a mean to stimulate and scaffold learners throughout the course. Every week during class, the learning activities started by applying the Interest Loop. This was done by inviting learners to participate in the challenges, at the same time making sure that the learners can extend the input from the activities to their final project. The objective of such design was to let students learn by doing or completing the weekly challenges given to them during class. Then, the students were guided to complete their final project through a series of workshops and personal group consultation with the course instructor. By designing the course using the Interest-Driven Creator Theory, it was found that the Interest Loop was specifically useful in designing the learning activities at the micro level of the Educational Technology course, while the Creation Loop was specifically useful in designing the alternative assessment at the macro level.