This document provides an analysis and redesign of lessons on Alan Paton's novel "Cry, the Beloved Country". The original lessons were not engaging for students and lacked technology integration. The redesign aims to make the content more appealing and engaging for high-achieving students through the use of interactive technology like web quests, PowerPoint with animation and audio, and collaborative projects using VoiceThread. The redesign is supported by learning theories around graphic design, multimedia learning, social learning, and scaffolding information.

1. My Big Redesign Analysis An Evaluation of
Design
EducationalTechnology
Mary Lanham-Bates
April 29, 2013

2. My Big Redesign Analysis An Evaluation of
Design
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Analysis
Learning Problem : The lesson that was previously used did not engage the students. It was not appealing and
did not allow the students to expérience technology. The lessons would consist of the following :
1. Explore the historical context of Cry, the Beloved Country
2. Listen to a Powerpoint lecture and take notes using the Double Journal Entry format
3. Discuss in Small groups and react that discussion by creating a VoiceThread
Goals and Objectives
Prior Knowledge: The students in the Honors English II class have completed a brief author study of Alan
Paton in order to gain some relevance for the upcoming three lessons.
Audience Needs: The high interest of the Honors English II students must be maintained so that these high-
achieving students do not become unmotivated and lose valuable content necessary for Honors English III and
Advanced Placement English.
Constraints: Since these are high-achieving students, it is far easier to lose their interest if the lesson is not
appealing.
Timeline: This will be a three-day lesson that will be taught in the second semester.
Learning Environment Factors: There are two classes of Honors English II students; one class consists of 25
students and the other class consists of 11 students. Each student in the class has access to a computer at
home. They will be completing the Voice Thread at home as an extended assignment.
To engage students within
their learning environment
in order to comprehend
new content.
To integrate technology in
order to make the content
more appealing to each
student.
To enhance the design of
the lesson to produce a
greater interest and lasting
effect upon the learner.

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Design
Learning Objectives: Students will be able to analysis the connection between the historical context of Cry, the
Beloved Country to the novel’s thematic development.
Day 1: Students will be able to understand the historical context of the novel by completing a Web Quest of
South Africa.
Day 2: Students will be able to connect the author’s background to the novel by viewing a PowerPoint.
Day 3: Students will be able to extend their new knowledge through discussion and collaboration using
VoiceThread.
Targeted Learning Processes: Students will gain knowledge of the prescribed content by examining graphics,
maps, and textual evidence. They will gain this knowledge through interaction and collaboration using
technology.
Graphic Design and User Interface: The old delivery method consisted of a mundane PowerPoint that lacked
specificity and did not appeal to the students. The new delivery method consists of an appealing PowerPoint
that creates connection to interactive and appealing integration of technology.
Content:
1. South Africa
2. Alan Paton
3. Historical Context
Rationale Justification
1. Principles of Graphic and Design encourages
designers to choose colors that enhance PowerPoint.
1. Use color wisely: I changed the blended
background to a solid, light purple. I also changed the
black type to white to create a better color contrast.
2. Transformative Learning is connecting lessons to
real life so that students make personal connection
and meaning.
2. The students used VoiceThread to seek true
meaning of what racism and religious beliefs mean to
them and how it ultimately affects the vulnerable
areas of South Africa.
3. Cheating Death by PowerPoint states that one
needs to Reduce number of words: You do not want
to clutter your presentation with too much text,
3. I created an animation to isolate each bulleted
sentence. This would force the students to pay
attention to each point as the teacher lectures.

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4. Cheating Death by PowerPoint states to add
animation.
4. I added animation to create a visual to reinforce
the lesson and to tap into the students’ memory.
5. Cheating Death by PowerPoint states to add
interactive components.
5. I helped students need to have multiple ways to
learn the material.
6. According to 25 Principles of Learning students
retain information when presented in multiple
modes.
6. I added video components: The teacher needs to
present the ideas in various modes to tap into
multiple intelligences.
7. Use VoiceThread as integration of technology. 7. Students created collaborative projects using
VoiceThread.
8. Use Web 2.0 Tools. 8. Students created collaborative projects using
VoiceThread to establish appeal to the high-achieving
students.
9. Dr. Mayer in Multimedia Learning states that
adding audio impacts memory.
9. I added audio to the slides to help students
remember historical context of South Africa.
10. Transformative Learning creates a connection to
the students’ lives.
10. When they interacted with each other through
VoiceThread to gain a better vision of each person’s
viewpoint.
11. Using Social Media to enhance learning is
effective.
11. The students used VoiceThread to communicate
online and share ideas and thoughts.
12. Coherence Effect allows the learner to see the key
ideas or big concepts so that they can retain them.
12. I included a final reflection that summed up the
main idea of the connection to the author and
historical context.
13. Include clear learning objective: As in any lesson,
a teacher needs to state clear, concrete learning
objectives for students.
13. I listed the objectives at the beginning of the
PowerPoint.
14. Redundancy Principle states that learners grasp
content better when the words are not jumbled and
lengthy.
14. I deleted some of the long lists and simplified the
text to incorporate just the key details.
15. Principles of UDL states that students must be
given multiple means of representation.
15. I added more pictures and sensory details to help
students retain content.
16. Spatial Contiguity is the idea that graphic aids and 16. The graphic aids were spaced with the text so that

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text need to coexist and complement each other. they did not overpower the textual support.
17. ARCS motivational design calls for learners to
become active problem solvers.
17. Using the VoiceThread and creating original
comments gave the students an opportunity to solve
problems together and collaborate with each other.
18. Goldilocks Principle states that learners grasp
content better when they can tap into their prior
knowledge and then build on it.
18. The PowerPoint was delivered after the students
conducted a brief author study which connected to
the historical context of the novel.
19. Cognitivists embrace the idea that learners must
have the opportunity to scaffold information in order
to retain the concept.
19. The students completed a Web Quest where they
were given an opportunity to scaffold a vast amount
of information pertaining to the historical context of
the novel.
20. Principles of Graphic and Visual Design states that
designs must avoid multiple font styles so that the
learner is not distracted by the variety.
20. Throughout my PowerPoint, I used only one font-
Century Gothic. I avoided mixing multiple font styles
and sizes.