Supporting learning
Having a varied toolkit for presenting and exploring concepts can be helpful to a wide range of learners. One of the most frequently accessed channels these days in YouTube as so many have shared their tips on everything from interview technique to cooking techniques.
Quick kick starts.
- Set up a YouTube channel and create playlists to curate course specific tips.
- Share a Padlet board to display student work or website recommendations
- Reorganise webpages using a Livebinder, turning the key sites into an electronic book to browse from one weblink.
Taking a deeper dive.
Understanding of key concepts in your discipline can be increased when you try to explain them to others. The following are suggestions for course or small group activities that provide effective ways to consolidate subject understanding.
- Make your own video tutorial using animation techniques or simple slides and audio. Try Screencast-o-matic or Flipgrid.
- Check out the Wikipedia entries on your discipline’s key concepts. Can you verify the sources? Could you improve the page?
- Arrange a google hangout with students from another institution to teach them what you know. Find out about their sources of information and critically appraise what you learn.
- Start a group blog in the open. Each week two students must write up a blog post relevant to the course, sharing links to news sources and content they found online. Use a basic blogging tool such as Blogger.com connecting it to a social platform to share the posts publically. Check the stats to see who has written the most attractive post and make sure that you moderate the comments.
