Wikis are a simple way for people to work together on a project without sending oodles of emails back and forth. They provide a platform for drafting and editing of documents, and tracking of individual contributions. Wikispaces provides a free 5G account for educators, although file sizes are limited to 50mb.
Engaging students in large classes requires a few different skills to engaging with smaller, more intimate groups. Here Deborah Ball, from the Centre for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan, discusses how she works with a large face-to-face class. No technology (although that certainly could be incorporated, through such applications as Socrative or GoSoapBox)…just active engagement.
Online learning often relies heavily on screencasts of powerpoint presentations and/or videos of talking heads to provide content, which can lead to a relatively passive learning environment. Spice things up by embedding some questions or an opportunity to discuss topics the video raises. You can weave questions throughout the video using Camtasia. However the quiz function does not work on YouTube or Vimeo so you’ll need to have self-hosting through your institution. TED talks are entertaining and often thought-provoking presentations by…
Blackboard is a Learning Management System used by many educational institutions to provide an online presence for their subjects. At its most basic, it provides a place to simply curate materials online. However, there are many built-in tools that can be used to create a richer learning journey for students. Whilst there are good arguments for using external tools in many cases, the provision of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the student experience is a persuasive argument for using (and tweaking) the…
There are several motivations for flipping (or integrating) the classroom. The face-to-face time, which is valuable real-estate, is reserved for more active learning. The integration of technology into learning activities caters to different learning styles, allowing personalised, flexible learning. Students also learn how to learn, preparing them for lifelong learning, both for further study and their future professions. John Bergman explains how in this simple video: One of the concerns about adopting a ‘flipped’ classroom approach (where face-to-face time is…
Ideas and data presented visually, in a diagram, graph or infographic, usually contribute to a more fruitful discussion, engaging lecture or compelling argument. There are many free online tools that can help you to share your ideas in a lively and useful way. Canvanizer – Create a free, collaborative, online canvas to brainstorm, share and edit ideas, plan anything – select from 4 different categories of canvas to design a business plan, service, project management and general. Padlet is an online collaborative…
How can you make your mini-lecture videos more engaging? One way is to include yourself as a ‘talking head’ rather than just narrate over the top of your powerpoints. You can do this by simultaneously recording both the screen and a video of you talking via your webcam, using your scree-casting software. But what if you make mistakes as you are speaking? And if your camera is fixed, how can you add some variety to the positioning of your ‘talking…
Nick Paul’s “Who gives a s**t about sewerage anymore?” video from his 2015 TEDx talk Jodie Rummer’s “Athletes of the Great Barrier Reef” video, TEDx 2014
100+ experiments in Chemistry – This site hosts chemistry videos developed by scientists and lecturers from Chemicum of University of Tartu, Estonia. Monash Chemistry – over 30 videos designed for tutorials at Monash University How small molecules can change the world – JCU Chemistry Lecturer Rosalie Hocking, a chemist who leads a program studying small molecule transformations at James Cook University.