This orientation workshop takes a holistic approach to preparing undergraduate freshers to navigate their college experience safely. Students learn about society and sexual safety by building presentations in groups and practicing their communication skills in AI-enhanced safe simulations. By the end of my learning experience, I want the cohort to grow closer by establishing understood norms and conduct within the peer community.
I designed my project with the following pedagogies in mind:
- Project-Based Learning: Learners will build their knowledge through building group projects and presenting their perspectives and understanding.
- Homogeneous Grouping: To establish a sense of safety and support, learners will be grouped according to their similar experiences.
- Universal Design for Learning: Content will be as inclusive and accessible as possible. It will be designed with all learners in mind.
- Constructivism: When learning about social aspects, learners will construct their own knowledge by engaging in class discussions.
- Simulation and Deliberate Practice: With the help of a trained AI chatbot, learners will practice their communication skills so that they may be prepared for future scenarios. Students get to perform their understanding.
This project helps us understand that learning design is not a transfer of information because learning is not just about information acquisition. To design learning that is truly valuable, we need to understand how learners build skills, opinions, and habits. This process takes time along with a clear understanding. If we want to change the trajectory of students, we need them to get on the same page of WHY we are doing what we are doing.
