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EDCI 335 Assignment 1: Learning Design Blueprint

July 28, 2025 /

Group Member: Tony Park, Joanne Wood, Chad Kang

Assignment 1: (Group) Learning Design Blueprint (20%)

Prerequisite Component for Interactive Learning Resource Assignment:

Topic : How to Ensure Your Pet Lives a Long, Happy Life

Course Description: The main objective of this course will be to teach the fundamentals of proper pet care to high school/university students.One of the main focal points of this course will be on preventative care such as regular vet visits, disease prevention and proper nutrition which are all factors that contribute to improving a pet’s quality of life (Chowdhury, 2023). Additionally, this course will cover how to provide a suitable exercise routine for a pet. As pet ownership has been shown to improve owners’ level of physical activity as well as certain aspects of their mental health (Martins et al, 2023) the outcome of this course will be to give learners the tools to construct a regular routine which will provide pets and owners with longer and healthier lives.

Myths:

1. Misconception : Pets don’t need regular dental care. Reality: Just like humans, pets require consistent dental care for their teeth and gum health. Dental diseases are common health issues in pets, and if left untreated, they can lead to tooth loss, infections, and pain, making it difficult for them to eat properly and ultimately diminishing their quality of life (Vall, 2025).

2. Misconception : A pet’s bad breath is normal. Reality: Foul breath (halitosis) is a clear sign of poor dental health. It can be caused by plaque, tartar buildup, or gum disease. If your pet has bad breath, or if their gums are red or swollen, it’s best to consult a vet immediately.

Rationale:

Our group chose our research topic to be about increasing the longevity of pets’ lives because this is a common ground we all shared: our pets are family and we want to see them flourish and live long and happy lives. Pets bring us comfort, discipline (exercising regularly on long walks), and companionship – there is a reason they are used as support animals because they bring so much joy to others. In turn, we want to provide our best friends with the greatest life we can offer them, full of treats, longevity, health and happiness. The way society views companion animals has been changing, with pets now being seen as cherished family members. This shift has sparked growing public interest in understanding and supporting their overall health and well-being. However, despite this increased awareness, many pet owners still lack crucial knowledge about proper animal care. This knowledge gap is especially apparent when it comes to dental health, an area often overlooked and surrounded by numerous misunderstandings. In response to these challenges, this learning resource has been developed. Its main goal is to provide pet owners with accurate, scientifically-backed information, helping to dispel common myths and promote the best practices in pet care. By offering practical, easy-to-implement strategies, this module seeks to directly improve pets’ quality of life and longevity, ultimately strengthening the bond between humans and their animal companions.

Learning Design Plan

Big Ideas

  1. Comprehensive health management directly impacts a pet’s longevity and happiness.
  2. Preventive dental care plays a crucial role in maintaining a pet’s overall systemic health.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Explain the five core health management elements that contribute to a pet’s long and happy life.
  2. Identify common misconceptions about pet dental care and explain the accurate information regarding them.
  3. Understand and explain the impact of pet oral health on overall systemic health.
  4. Plan specific dental care routines (e.g., brushing frequency, vet visit schedule) applicable to their own pets. (maybe condense 2-4 into 1 outcome)
  5. Understand how to provide a pet with an adequate diet that meets their nutritional needs
  6. Be able to construct an exercise routine for a pet which is suitable for their physical requirements

Learning Activities

  1. Activity 1: Exploring and Summarizing Key Elements: Learners watch an introductory video/read an article on the five core elements of pet health and summarize the importance of each.
  2. Activity 2: Expert Interview Video Viewing: Learners watch a short video featuring a veterinarian explaining the link between pet oral health and systemic health, followed by a discussion on their insights.
  3. Activity 3: Designing a Health Routine: After completing all subtopics, students will create an example daily health routine for either their own pet or the pet of someone they know which covers all the basic health necessities covered in each of the subtopics.

Evidence of Learning 

  1. Comprehensive Health Management Plan for Pets : Students will develop a holistic daily health management plan for a pet, meticulously crafting detailed recommendations for nutrition, physical activity, grooming, and oral health. The evaluation of this routine will focus on its scientific accuracy, practical implementation, and adherence to the health principles discussed in the course curriculum.
  2. Justified Decision-Making : Students will articulate clear reasoning behind their pet care planning decisions, explaining their rationale for selecting specific food types or exercise regimens based on factors like breed characteristics, age-related needs, or individual medical history. By providing thoughtful explanations, students demonstrate a deeper comprehension of the subject matter that goes well beyond simple memorization of facts.
  3. Engaged Participation and Reflection : During collaborative or individual discussions, whether following expert video analyses or article readings; learners will showcase their understanding by offering thoughtful insights, critically challenging prevalent myths through evidence based reasoning, and engaging in meaningful self-reflection about their existing practices or preconceived notions.

Assessment Plan: Students will complete a multiple choice quiz at the end of each subtopic worth ~10 percent each after they have gone over the assigned reading/video. At the end of the unit the students will complete a cumulative final exam worth 50% which will gauge their overall understanding of the material. The final test will be a mix of multiple choice and short answer questions covering material from every subtopic. In order to pass the course the students must achieve a minimum grade of 50 percent and must attempt the final exam.

The grading rubric will be either the BC high school grading scale or the UVIC GPA scale as this course will be intended for students who are able to provide care for their pets beyond the absolute basics. 

Technology Tools:

WordPress: WordPress is what we’ll be using to create our interactive learning resource, it allows us to create a straightforward and easy to use website that should be similar to other learning resources most students should have experience with.

Quiz Maker Plugin: Allows us to create simple quizzes for our interactive learning resource, we’ll use the quizzes made from this plugin for the graded assessments of our learners. https://quiz-plugin.com/

HP5 Plugin: Allows us to create an interactive experience with the material by prompting the learners with questions either during or after the video/reading to test their understanding. HP5 will also be used to create a non-graded essay before the final test. Students will write an example of a daily health routine for a pet using the accumulated knowledge from each of the subtopics as practice material for the final assessment. https://h5p.org/

Project Plan: 

Tony:  Concise Description of Topic, Assessment Plan,

Chad: Misconceptions, Learning Outcomes, Learning Activities, Big Ideas, and Evidence of Learning

Joanne: Found references, wrote the rationale, hygiene, longevity (TedTalk), will research more on the book regarding the benefits of walking dogs. 

References

Habib Rodney. (June 9, 2016). Why Don’t Dogs Live Forever? [Video]. Ted Conferences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sE96vd8W40

Luisana, E., Saker, K., Jaykus, L.-A., & Getty, C. (2022). Survey evaluation of dog owners’ feeding practices and dog bowls’ hygiene assessment in ponedomestic settings. PloS One, 17(4), e0259478. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal..0259478

Vall, Patrick. (2025). Debunking Common Myths About Pet Dental Care. Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery. https://www.wellpets.com/blog/debunking-common-myths-about-pet-dental-care/

Zeltzman, P., Johnson, R. A., & Becker, M. (2011). Walk a hound, lose a pound : how you and your dog can lose weight, stay fit, and have fun together (1st ed.). Purdue University Press.

American Animal Hospital Association & American Veterinary Medical Association. (2019). 2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Retrieved from https://www.aaha.org/wp-content/uploads/globalassets/02-guidelines/dental/aaha_dental_guidelines.pdf

Sneha Roy Chowdhury. (2023). The Importance of Preventative Care for Pets: A Guide for Pet Owners. Academic International Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 1(2), 20-25. https://aijvm.aipublishers.org/index.php/aijvm/article/view/V124

Martins CF, Soares JP, Cortinhas A, Silva L, Cardoso L, Pires MA, Mota MP. Pet’s influence on humans’ daily physical activity and mental health: a meta-analysis. Front Public Health. 2023 May 30 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196199/full

(Teaching Resources for Assignment 4)

Hygiene: 

Bacterial contamination can be avoided by washing hands, utensils and bowls – microbial contaminants were high especially in those who fed their pets raw diets. Owners can minimize risk to pathogenic specific by being aware of the FDA guidelines by simply following their dish washing protocols (Luisana et. Al, 2022).

Longevity – Ted Talk (Habib, 2016) – Interesting Research on Unconventional Diet and Lifestyles from Ivy League Schools

  • Dogs are not living as long as previously. According to science, 30-40% of all cancers can be prevented by food. By a simple dietary change, we can extend our pets life by double.
  • Owning a dog forces the owner to go outside and the human benefits from this by getting exercise and meeting other dog owners in the community that might become even a lifetime partner. 
  • Neurogenetics: genes can be sparked by bad food choices. We can turn these cancer genes on and off by the food we feed them and can therefore slow down, halt and reverse disease.
  • One Australian man held the record for the oldest dog in the world. When asked what his secret is, he said his dog basically gets 9K of exercise a day, and she is given a raw, unconventional diet. He also states calorie reduction is vital because of the obesity epidemic the world, pets and people, are currently facing . He recommends decreasing food by 25% of the average pet diet to increase their lifespan.
  • A 2005 study from Purdue University shows 3 times per week adding green leafy veggies mixed into their bowl of processed foods / decreased cancer by 90% when making 1/3 of their bowl vegetables. 
  • Jake Perry, held the Guinness World Record twice for the oldest cats in the world and he claimed their longevity success is due to how he simply added fresh food into their diets. 
  • After his world-wide journey to search for an answer for his dog to live longer, he concludes that “Diet correlates with DNA’ 
  • ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS; can change genes  for example by reducing stress, toxins, pollution, a sedentary lifestyle and changing diet. 
  • University of Naples – study where they took sweat samples of pet owners when watching 1) happy movies and 2) scary movies. They then put the dog beside the happy sweat and the dog became happy; likewise, they later placed the dog beside the scary sweat and the dog became scared. The moral of this lesson is that pets smell your emotion and adapt to it so we should eliminate stress – this can be done by taking classes or joining groups you enjoy, going to the gym or taking long walks. Because exercise lowers stress and cortisol levels, the author recommends a minimum of 2 hours of daily exercise. Most pet owners think 20 minutes is adequate but that will not do (Habib, 2016).
  • In a study done at the University of London, a microbiologist claims the more diverse your pets diet is, the healthier and happier he/she will be. 

Exercise – will review the book: Walk a Dog, Lose a Pound (Zeltmen, 2011)

image showing person walking in pre-painted footprints
Photo by Flickr user jfchenier under CC license: BY-NC 2.0

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