Role: Instructional Designer & Educator | Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Canvas LMS | Delivery: Multi-lesson sequence with an embedded interactive module, formative assessments, and a summative project
Embedded Files
The Challenge
The Challenge
High school biology students could define a cell but struggled to understand how organelles function as a system. This foundational gap prevented them from grasping more complex concepts like cellular specialization. The solution needed to bridge this gap within a tight schedule, aligning with BIO.2.2 & LS1.A standards and catering to diverse learners.
The Solution
The Solution
A meticulously scaffolded, three-lesson curriculum that builds knowledge toward an authentic summative assessment.
Scaffolded Curriculum Flow:
Lesson 1: Foundations (Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic)
Lesson 2: Organelle Discovery (Featuring an interactive module)
Lesson 3: Specialized Organelles
Summative Assessment: "Cell Resume" Project
Multi-Modal Instructional Strategy: Each lesson employs varied methods, including in Lesson 2:
Interactive Exploration: A student-driven module for self-paced discovery.
Formative Checks: A "card sort" activation activity and student organizer worksheet.
Gamified Review: Blooket and Legends of Learning games to boost retention.
Experience the Module
Experience the Module
Take a few minutes to try the interactive module from Lesson 2 below:
My Process
My Process
Learner Personas
Learner Personas
Persona 1: Aiden, 11th Grade Student
Learning Style: Visual and interactive
Challenges: Easily distracted in traditional lectures; needs dynamic engagement
Needs: Clickable diagrams, gamified elements to maintain focus
Persona 2: Priya, 10th Grade Student
Learning Style: Structured and sequential
Challenges: Struggles to memorize organelle names and functions
Needs: Clear organization, visual aids, and repeated practice opportunities
Design Approach & Learning Principles :
This lesson applies a multi-faceted instructional strategy centered on action-oriented outcomes—ensuring students can identify organelles and apply their functions, not just recall facts. This approach integrates three complementary frameworks.
Scaffolded Learning & Assessment: Content progresses from foundational knowledge to complex application through a structured sequence: basic concepts → interactive exploration → gamified review → authentic "Cell Resume" project.
Adult Learning Principles (Andragogy): Although designed for high schoolers, the module incorporates relevance-driven content, interactive discovery, and self-paced elements to increase motivation and engagement.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Multiple means of engagement and representation—including visual diagrams, interactive exploration, reading/writing activities, and kinesthetic game-based review—ensure accessibility for diverse learning preferences.
Key Features & Intended Impact:
Key Features & Intended Impact:
This solution demonstrates the ability to design a complete learning arc, not just a single activity. The scaffolded approach, culminating in an authentic project, was designed for deep, applicable understanding.
Coherent Learning Pathway: Students progress from basic knowledge to application, with each lesson building on the last.
Mastered Fundamentals: The interactive module and supporting activities ensure students can accurately identify organelles and describe their functions as a system.
Prepared for Application: The entire sequence directly scaffolds into the higher-order "Cell Resume" project, demonstrating real-world utility and preparing students for advanced topics.
LMS Implementation & Applied Learning: The complete Canvas course structure organizes a scaffolded journey that culminates in the higher-order 'Cell Resume' project, demonstrating real-world utility.
Design Outcomes & Observed Impact:
Design Outcomes & Observed Impact:
As an implemented lesson, this curriculum was designed to produce specific learning outcomes.
Foundational Mastery: Students demonstrated significantly improved ability to identify organelles and describe their functions as interconnected systems, with the majority successfully transitioning from basic identification to describing interorganellar relationships.
Successful Application: The scaffolded approach effectively prepared students for higher-order tasks, with high rates of proficiency on the higher-order 'Cell Resume' project.
Engagement & Accessibility: Multi-modal activities increased participation and made complex concepts accessible to diverse learners.
Teaching Efficiency: The structured sequence minimized confusion through clear learning pathways, building conceptual understanding systematically.
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