Category: Multimedia Learning (Page 1 of 2)

Writing A Proper Cover Letter

2023-04-03 / rissul / 0 Comments

By: Afra, Mary, Thomas, Yue

Overview

When job searching one of the most important components that will make you stand out from the rest of the competition is a cover letter. An employer’s first impression of you is often through your cover letter, so it is important to concisely and accurately convey your relevant skills and experiences, as well as your enthusiasm and interest. An effective cover letter can show the employer that you have done your research and fully understand the job requirements for the position. Having an effective cover letter will ensure that you stand out from other candidates and leave a positive impression on the hiring manager, which can dramatically increase your chances of landing an interview and getting the job.

In this lesson, we will help guide you through the process of writing a powerful cover letter and provide context on what are cover letters and their importance, how to format a cover letter, how to break down a job description, and also how to tailor a cover letter for a job description. With the help of this lesson, you should have a better understanding of the importance of a cover letter and how to write a cover letter that tailors to a job description.

Lesson Objectives

Describe what the purpose of a cover letter is
Identify the elements of a cover letter, including the header, greeting body paragraphs, and closing
Analyze a job description to identify the key requirements and qualifications for the position
Create a customized cover letter for a job description that aligns with the needs of the employer

Read/Watch

Watch: How To Write a Cover Letter With No Experience – Tips for learners with no work experience

Watch: Tips for Creating a Great Cover Letter – Rich examples that focus on the formatting aspect of creating a great cover letter

Read: Cover Letter Samples – Examples of cover letters to explore

Read: Breaking Down Job Description – Detailed explanation on breaking down a job description into its different components

Understanding The Purpose of a Cover Letter

A cover letter, also called a “self-referral letter”, is a special instrument for job seekers to introduce themselves to the employer in order to be hired.

The content of a cover letter should be concise and clear, not vague, or general, and should briefly introduce yourself to the recruiter, as well as explain why you are suitable for the position. The cover letter is usually submitted to the recruiter along with a resume.

Most employers require job seekers to send job application materials first, they have a general understanding of many job seekers through job application materials, and then notify the interview or interview candidates. Therefore, a well-written cover letter will be directly related to whether the job seeker can enter the next round of competition.

So you need to communicate these three important things on your cover letter:

1. that you understand what the company is looking for;

2. that you have the skills;

3. that you are the right person for the position.

A cover letter makes a good first impression and a good cover letter can attract the attention of HR. It shows that you are intelligent and committed, and can inquire about the company’s needs in terms of products, services, marketing and personnel. A cover letter plays a role in self-promotion, and a good one can bring the job seeker closer to the personnel director. A cover letter that reflects your talents can help you get a successful interview and land a dream job. You need to carefully consider the purpose of the cover letter you write and the possible impact.

Learning Activity:

Formatting Your Cover Letter

The header section of your cover letter should contain essential information, such as your name, email, and phone number. Additionally, you may include the hiring manager’s name, as well as the company name and address.

Start your cover letter by addressing the hiring manager directly. If you cannot find their name, you can use “Dear Hiring Team” instead. The opening paragraph should aim to grab their attention, and be specific to the job you are applying for. Explain why you are interested in the position, and mention any referrals you may have.

In the middle paragraph, focus on why you are the perfect match for the job. Talk about your relevant experience and skills, and elaborate on what makes you uniquely qualified for the position.

The closing paragraph is an excellent opportunity to include a call to action. Express your enthusiasm for moving forward in the hiring process, and encourage them to contact you for further discussion. Finally, choose a formal complimentary close, followed by your first and last name.

Learning Activity: Please read the following article that provides a collection of cover letter examples and offers comprehensive advice on what to do and what to avoid. Upon completion, test yourself with the quiz below!

Click to read: How to Write a Cover Letter + Examples

Quiz: Cover Letter Formatting

For a brief summary, below is a sketchnote of formatting a cover letter!

Breaking Down a Job Description

Breaking down a job description is important for three reasons.

Understanding the job requirements – Helps you understand the organization’s goals as well as the duties and responsibilities of your position. This is important as it helps you determine whether you are a good fit for the company.
Tailoring your application – Breaking down a job description and identifying the different job requirements such as education level, training, and experience can help you cross-reference your own resume and create a cover letter that tailors your experiences to the job position.
Interview preparation – Analyzing and understanding the job description can help you research and ask questions that are very specific to the position and can impress and leave a positive impression on the hiring manager. It can also help you anticipate which questions will be asked during the interview.

Job description components

Job title – As the name implies, this is the title of the position and is important as it allows the candidate to search through past anecdotal experiences from individuals who have worked in that specific job position.
Job description/purpose – This portion of the cover letter gives insight into the organization and team goals and also details the duties and responsibilities of the job position. It is important to take note of this portion as it can be handy when expressing enthusiasm in a cover letter and also during interviews. Furthermore, it allows the candidate to make sure that this is the organization and job position they wish to apply for.
Qualifications – In the job qualification section, it contains the qualifications required for the job position. The qualifications can include the level of education (Ex. Bachelor’s Degree), training (Certifications), and work experiences (Ex. Worked in a health-related field for 3 years). This portion of the job description is the most important part as the candidate can use these requirements and compare them with their resume to see if they are qualified. It also allows them to tailor their cover letters by connecting the job requirements to their own experiences. Additionally, if the candidate is underqualified for a position, it does not hurt to apply anyways. If a cover letter is strong despite missing requirements, an employer may see the enthusiasm and willingness to learn and decide to interview the candidate regardless.

Learning Activity: Select a job listing you are interested in, then print out and use the below template for your notes on each component.

Final Learning Application

Putting everything together, let’s get you started on creating your own cover letter!

person writing on brown wooden table near white ceramic mug

Learning Activity

This process will be broken down into two parts:

You will search for one job posting of your interest and create a cover letter tailored to that specific position.
You will team up in pairs to conduct peer reviews with your colleagues in the class and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

To get you started, here are some websites to conduct your search for job postings:

Reflection Questions

Based on the job posting you choose, please reflect on the following questions:

What message do you want to convey to the hiring team and how can you tailor your language and tone to best connect with them?
How can you make your cover letter stand out from other applicants, and what unique qualities do you possess that make you the ideal candidate for this position?
What are the specific job requirements and qualifications, and how can you showcase your relevant skills and experience in the cover letter?

To Do This Week

Read/watch everything in this week’s post
Finish learning activities
Team up with another learner and start working on final learning application

Theories and Principles

Application of Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia Learning:

Signaling Principle: Our use of an interactive video allows learners to pay attention to specific questions presented on the screen to test their knowledge in real time.
Segmenting Principle: Our interactive learning resource is broken up into different sections to help chunk information topic by topic.
Spatial Contiguity: Our sketchnote and infographic includes symbols and graphics that are closely associated with their represented texts.

Application of Merill’s Principles of Instruction:

Learning is promoted when learners are engaged in solving real-world problems: Writing a cover letter is an essential skill for all individuals who are interested in paving a path for their career. We engage our learners in problem progression as they gradually build the foundational knowledge of writing a cover letter module by module.
Learning is promoted when new knowledge is applied by the learner: Students will have learning activities to complete for each module to eventually prepare themselves for the final learning application of creating their own cover letter.
Learning is promoted when new knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world: Completion of this interactive learning resource is to ideally help our learners carry their knowledge into the job application process throughout the different stages of their lives. Whether they demonstrate this skill to friends, colleagues, and future employers, they will have the opportunity to integrate this skill.

Application of Design Principles [infographic]:

Alignment / Balance: Left-aligned text was utilized to ensure an ordered appearance. The purpose of using this principle was to help make elements such as all the texts found in the infographic be more clear and cohesive.
Balance: Asymmetrical shapes such as the white arcs going across the infographic was used to guide the viewer’s eye and place emphasis on the contents within the middle of the infographic.
Contrast: Opposing colors were used to catch the viewer’s attention. This is demonstrated on the varied coloring of the infographic such as red, purple, to green.

Final Lesson Plan & Final Project Plan

References

Cover letters: Crafting your cover letter. GCFGlobal.org. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/coverletters/crafting-your-cover-letter/1/

Cover Letter Samples and Templates | Indeed.com. (n.d.). Indeed. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/cover-letter-samples

ApS, N. (n.d.). How to write a cover letter in 2023: Beginner’s guide. Novorésumé. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://novoresume.com/career-blog/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-guide

How to write a cover letter + examples. LiveCareer. (2022, December 14). Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://www.livecareer.com/resources/cover-letters/how-to/write/guide

Writing an effective job description. Writing an Effective Job Description | Human Resources | Wright State University. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.wright.edu/human-resources/writing-an-effective-job-description#:~:text=A%20job%20description%20contains%20the,preferred%20qualifications%2C%20and%20working%20conditions.

Assignment #3: Core Multimedia Skills

2023-03-16 / rissul / 0 Comments

Using pictory.ai, and ChatGPT, I was able to create an educational video about the role of protein and its importance in building muscle. Within the video, I covered the basics of what protein is and how it’s related to building muscles, the different types of proteins available, and the amount of general consumption intake. Below is the improved version.

ORIGINAL VIDEO

IMPROVED VIDEO

IMPROVEMENTS / RELATED THEORIES AND PRINCIPLES

Interactivity: I added multiple choice questions with H5P to help students develop their critical thinking skills as well as understanding and memory of the presented concepts (i.e., incorporating active learning)
- The Signaling Principle is applied as the video deliberately pauses when multiple choice questions are present so that learners know exactly what to pay attention to on the screen. In addition, the chosen videos are related to my narration.
- The Segmenting Principle is also evident, as I added bookmarked timestamps to identify different concepts throughout the video. The playback rate of the video can also be changed. This way, learners have more control over their learning.
Optional Closed Captions: This helps to not overwhelm learners with the dual-coding theory through visual and audio channels. Video, text, and narration can be too much information depending on the individual, so I decided to give my learners the option to optimize their experience of learning and learning accessibility.
- Note*: This improvement is not evident in the improved video as H5P could not support captions for Youtube videos (ideally it would have been included)
- The Redundancy Principle suggests that humans learn best with narration and graphics, as opposed to narration, graphics and text. By not having text on the screen perpetually, learners can benefit from a better learning experience.
- The Modality Principle mentions that people learn better from graphics and narration compared to animation and on-screen text. Since the video already includes a voiceover, I used this principle to limit the amount of text on screen through optional closed captions.

Adding interactivity in the H5P Workspace

CONCLUSION

Overall, I was satisfied with my script, narration, and choice of content for my video. I decided not to change these elements as they played part in the Personalization Principle, where I was able to use a more conversational tone throughout my narration to improve the learning experience. Ultimately, the use of captions was always a mandatory idea for me so that learners have descriptive audio to fall back to should they have audio issues.

Blog Post #5: Storytelling Video

2023-03-13 / rissul / 1 Comment

As a follow-up to last week’s preparation for publishing our storytelling video, my process involved exploring a new program called pictory.ai. This software was my video editing tool of choice which helped me compile my script, storyboard, captions, and videos into an all-in-one platform. Below is my brief educational video on the importance of protein in building muscle.

The Role of Protein in Building Muscle

My Process

Using pictory.ai efficiently streamlined my video creation process. All it required was inserting my written script and from there, the software automatically segmented parts of my script and applied relevant snippets of videos to each section. Pictory.ai has a significant media library which allowed me to search for relevant footage that suits the topic at a particular timestamp. In addition, automatic and accurate captions were greatly beneficial. A text-to-speech feature was also available with AI voices, however, I decided to add my own voiceover to better engage my audience.

Reflection

Utilizing pictory.ai is a highly automated process. Its versatile easy-to-use features saves its end-users plenty of time in terms of creating captions, inserting video footage / voiceovers, and pacing videos correctly.

I found that this combination contributed well to the dual-coding theory, where learners have the potential to remember more through visual and audio channels. However, I do believe that I also have to be careful of balancing the redundancy principle, and the modality principle, as video, text, and narration can at times overwhelm users depending on the type and amount of information that’s displayed. I’d like to further explore potential improvements with this video in assignment 3.

Comment #4

2023-03-11 / rissul / 0 Comments

Blog Post 4: AI Tools & Storytelling

Hi Kate,

Your post was so insightful! I wasn’t aware of Stable Diffusion and its capabilities, thanks so much for sharing! I agree with how visual aids are helpful in terms of increasing engagement, but as you said, learning outcomes are just as important. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with UDL Guidelines, but they’re a great way to optimize learning for your users – I believe this can be especially helpful for aspects of storytelling. I mentioned this concept in my blog post so feel free to take a look! In terms of McCue’s video, did you find the static images to be engaging? I found it challenging to focus my attention as the images did not capture my interest compared to a moving video.

Blog Post #4: Brainstorming with ChatGPT and Storytelling

2023-03-08 / rissul / 1 Comment

While preparing a storyboard for my chosen topic, I brainstormed using generative AI tools like ChatGPT. In this case, I used the following prompt: “help me write a two minute script about why protein is necessary for the body to build muscle. use a conversational tone and pose questions to the audience”. The results provided a great foundation in my script, however, I had to make several iterations such as including missing subtopics that would tie together my topic. The writing also was subpar, which I had to make edits to. This unfortunately confirmed my concern as to how AI tools such as ChatGPT can be lacking and dull in terms of writing and provide little to no “character”.

In terms of exploring aspects of storytelling, I enjoyed Rich McCue’s example. Keeping his video short and simple can increase levels of engagement with the audience. His use of a conversational tone and personal story also made the video slightly more relatable. I would have enjoyed the video even more if there was more variety in the short clips he used such as moving graphics instead of zooming into static images. Keeping all this in mind while planning for video production, I’d like to apply at least one of the principles of UDL guidelines in addition to McCue’s techniques such as the following:

Provide Multiple Means of Representation: “Present information and content in different ways”
Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression: “Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know”
Provide Multiple Means of Engagement: “Stimulate interest and motivation for learning”

Comment #3

2023-02-18 / rissul / 0 Comments

Blog #3 – Instructional Design and Lesson Planning & Design Principles for Multimedia Presentations

Thomas! Your infographic was visually appealing and to the point, great work! The colour palette was particularly engaging and overall feels balanced. You mentioned the word usability in your post and this caught my attention! If you’re interested about more design principles, I’d like to share Nielsen’s Heuristics. I learned about this concept in HINF350, “Human Aspects of Health Care Information Systems”. It’s a great rule of thumb when it comes to providing good user experience!

Blog Post #3: Instructional Design and Lesson Planning / Infographic

2023-02-14 / rissul / 1 Comment

Lesson Design Planning Template: Growth Mindset

Where do you see constructive alignment and backward design used in this course or another course you are taking/have taken? Is there anywhere where it seems to be missing?

While creating a basic blueprint of the interactive learning resource for EDCI335, I used backwards design. My process primarily involved first listing out the learning outcomes for students, using Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs – this was a great help, as I was able to refine verbs and produce learner-centred outcomes that were measurable. I then looked into different resources (e.g., TedTalks, Blogs, Cartoons, etc.) that can contribute to the learning outcomes. In the end, I created an assessment that would align with the learning outcomes. I repeated this process multiple times and came to a lesson plan that was cohesive between subtopics. In the end, the order of subtopics went from growth mindset vs fixed mindset -> building resilience and embracing challenges -> identifying limiting beliefs -> positive self-talk and reframing negative thought patterns. The learning design planning template above was a result of using backwards design and constructive alignment.

Implementing backwards design earlier on in the education system such as elementary school would be greatly beneficial. Currently, I believe most educators, particularly, those who are new to the field, would cater to traditional lesson planning. With backwards design, one can reap one of many benefits such as Mayer’s Coherence principle by giving thoughtful consideration of what learning activities and resources are truly required for the student to engage with. As mentioned in Understanding by Design by Ryan Bowen, learning should be derived from the meaning of the activity, not the activity itself.

My Infographic

Referencing an old infographic from a previous course, I noticed that alignment, hierarchy, contrast, and proximity were some of my top design principles that I used. In some aspects, I do believe that the infographic could use less imagery, particularly with symbols towards the top. It’s easy to overwhelm your audience with too many items on the screen, however I do think the consistency of the elements (fonts, color palette, spacing) makes it relatively easy to process the information.

Comment #2:

2023-02-05 / rissul / 0 Comments

EDCI 337 Blog 2

Hi Olivia! You did a great job with your sketchnote! I noticed you also used the signaling principle which was a great way to highlight and emphasize on key ideas/headings. I’m also not the best at drawing so I understand the struggle! If it helps I suggest to potentially paste in already made drawings to help with engagement in your sketchnote! https://www.flaticon.com/ has been a great resource for me. Otherwise, the way you organized your notes was well done! Based on your experience, do you think you’ll continue using sketchnotes? I discovered that visually seeing how concepts connect with each other has been a huge help in the past

Comment #1:

2023-02-05 / rissul / 0 Comments

Thomas, your screencast was so enjoyable! I noticed your presentation slides were visually appealing and easy to understand. Your narrative complemented the text on screen very well and the entire process was very educational! I really liked how you used the Signaling Principle throughout your screencast (e.g., use of header slides), as it helped your audience anticipate what each section was about. Your use of the redundancy principle was also relieving to see (e.g., not using too much text on top of graphics and narration), as we both seem to agree from our personal experiences that the field of academics is constantly struggling with this. This was such an insightful and enjoyable experience. Looking forward to reading more of your work!

Blog #1 – Introduction and Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

Blog Post #2: Multimedia Design for Learning – Sketchnoting

2023-01-31 / rissul / 2 Comments

Based on last week’s content, sketchnoting was a new term that stood out to me. Upon realizing that it’s a visual method of taking notes using drawings and written text, I decided to use this method and apply my knowledge by breaking apart a job description that I was interested in.

My personal summary in preparing for a particular job

My method of sketchnoting revolved around creating a summary / prep guide in a simple, and concise form for a job that I’m currently preparing an interview for. In this case, I reminded myself of the competencies, and general questions that I should have ideas of. By placing all of this information onto one page, I was able to gather the main qualities I should address for the job interview, and remind myself of interview techniques such as the STAR method.

The Benefits of Sketchnoting

Sketchnoting is useful for user engagement, as well as retention. It allows an individual to be creative and also to be particular with the type of content they’re including. Mayer’s theories can also be quite evident when sketchnoting. From my experience, the signaling principle helped me to focus on key concepts by highlighting specific words. In addition, knowing that I had a limited amount of space on a page helped me make use of the redundancy principle to avoid including extraneous information. For future improvements, I’d like to integrate the segmenting principle and potentially make my sketchnote interactive (i.e., allow users to flip through pages) and present information by topic instead of displaying it all on one page – this way, I can be more thorough with each section. Overall, it’s a great technique that I’d like to use for future learning experiences, particularly when it’s content-heavy as it gives me a sense of structure.

Wonder

Unfortunately, I find sketchnoting to be challenging at times. I find that I get lost in the drawings and get distracted by looking up how to draw concepts that may or may not be essential to my line of thinking. Regardless, I’m curious to know if there are formulated techniques of creating a sketchnote or if it’s more of a free form method of learning. Perhaps it depends on the content you’re working with?