Challenge B: Substantive Post

The educational video I chose to watch was a TED Talk called How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media, by Luis Von Ahn, the creator of Duolingo. In the talk, Von Ahn emphasized the importance of focusing on one meaningful subject that can benefit the highest number of people, in his case, he chose teaching languages. To make it accessible for everyone, he made Duolingo a mobile app as he recognized the ever growing use of cellphones, globally. He also compared his app to the addictive nature of other apps like Tik Tok, Snapchat and games and how they keep viewers coming back. He applied some of the same strategies to his app, such as streaks to entice learners to return consistently. While streaks in non educational apps can be unhealthy, in an educational context they can be positive. 

As an elementary/middle school teacher, I can see the pros and cons from educational apps. Since technology is so prominent in the modern world, giving students a break from screens at school can be beneficial as it gives their eyes time to rest from the blue light. However, many students are drawn to technology; therefore, incorporating educational games can be appealing. For example, in middle school classrooms, I have seen Wordle used as a daily activity with high levels of engagement and enthusiasm as a result. This idea connects to Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, which highlights the importance of using words and visuals to achieve a better learning experience. Apps like Duolingo segment audio and visual cues to create engaging learning. Overall, I believe that educational apps are great for their use of active processing (how we think about, sort and connect information to prior learning); however, they need to be used in moderation to give younger learners a break from screens.

TED. (2024). How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6FORpg0KVo 

Granchelli, A. (n.d.). Theories of multimedia learning. University of Victoria Educational Technology. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci337/2025/09/05/theories-of-multimedia-learning/   

Granchelli, A. (n.d.). Text and image: The sum is greater than its parts. EDCI 337. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci337/2025/09/11/text-and-image-the-sum-is-greater-than-its-parts/  

Granchelli, A. (n.d.). Storytelling. EDCI 337. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci337/2025/09/14/storytelling/