This put up will take a look at some digital instruments that might be used for actions resembling peer studying and making use of data. We’re additionally eager to take a look at apps and instruments that might assist to construct a way of group. As at all times, the expertise is secondary to the training goals, however as a number of of the instruments supply potentialities throughout the vary of actions let’s take a look at every software in flip and contemplate the way it is perhaps used for studying, what the advantages and challenges are and the way accessible it’s.
Flipgrid
This software, first explored in our put up Flipgrid: video discussions for studying might be used for group constructing with tutors and college students sharing brief video introductions. It could even be a great way of scholars sharing their understanding of an idea or defining a key time period in a self-discipline.
Right here is an instance of a Flipgrid with an introduction from me and responses from colleagues.
Flipgrid is a casual and user-friendly platform that many college students take pleasure in utilizing. For anybody uncomfortable displaying their face (or their atmosphere) in a video there are alternatives for utilizing a photograph as an alternative or pixelating the video. As with all video, a fairly quick web connection can be required for creating and streaming responses. Flipgrid additionally works with display readers, is navigable by keyboard, has captions on movies and contains the Microsoft Immersive Reader.
Canva
This software, to not be confused with our on-line research platform Canvas, helps anybody to design posters, infographics and different forms of communications. This might be utilized by college students to create posters as an alternative of verbal shows, social media posts explaining an concept from the module, or infographics to symbolize information they’ve gathered. Listed below are only a few of the various infographic templates obtainable in Canva.
Canva does the designing for you, so you’ll be able to think about the content material and produce an expert wanting output. There’s a big quantity of selection, which might make it troublesome to pick out the perfect template and pictures on your undertaking, however there needs to be one thing free for many functions. Utilizing Canva does require establishing an account, however that is free. If college students are creating posters for submission to a Turnitin task they need to not use Canva because the exported file varieties from a free account are usually not appropriate for Turnitin.
Canva might not be as accessible as different platforms, so it could be greatest to supply it as an choice, alongside one thing like PowerPoint that has a great set of accessibility options.
Twine
Twine describes itself as ‘an open-source software for telling interactive, nonlinear tales’ (https://twinery.org/) and it permits customers with out coding data to create branching eventualities. This might be nice for giving college students a chance to check out their studying in instance conditions. Or college students might create their very own Twines for one another. Take a look at this instance that makes use of the easy activity of creating tea to provide you an concept of the way it works. That is what the start appears to be like like within the creator’s view.
Whether or not you’re the one creating it, or shifting by way of it, a branching story/situation in Twine could make you consider carefully about decisions and their penalties. The fundamental presentation is sort of minimalist however there are alternatives so as to add extra you probably have some coding expertise.
Twine will not be notably accessible by default, however once more, you probably have some coding data you may make your Twines extra accessible.
Padlet
Padlet is an outdated favorite and many individuals at Sussex are utilizing it already of their educating, however it is vitally versatile and would work nicely with the instruments above – for instance, you’ll be able to add hyperlinks to Flipgrids and Twines and/or add Canva posters and infographics so it’s an important place to convey a variety of issues collectively in a visible format. Right here is an instance Padlet displaying a variety of content material.
We wrote beforehand about 4 incredible makes use of for Padlet in on-line educating and the addition of layouts for maps and timelines has prolonged the vary of ways in which it may be used. Padlet is simple to make use of and a Padlet will be simply embedded in a Canvas web page.
Padlet are engaged on accessibility and it’s getting higher on a regular basis – now you can use screenreaders with Padlet and a few capabilities are potential with a keyboard solely. As with all instruments/platforms, when utilizing Padlet you need to contemplate whether or not you must present options or modify the exercise to permit everybody to participate.
