Persevering with with the pedagogical focus of intentional use of expertise in instructing and studying, this second article within the three-part sequence builds on the primary, Leveraging Expertise to Help Lesson Creation and Instruction.
Whereas our college students are doubtless digital natives, and have had many types of expertise out there to them since they entered the world, it doesn’t imply that they may routinely join with expertise in faculties in significant methods. Furthermore, with the huge choices of instruments and platforms out there, we as lecturers should use them for particular functions with the objective of advancing studying outcomes.
Listed below are methods for utilizing expertise to have interaction college students in tutorial content material which have the potential to construct college students’ presence in studying and contribute to deeper studying.
Leveraging Animated Content material
Sharing the center of content material with college students usually occurs at the start of the lesson and may typically be boring to college students. This often doesn’t have something to do with the presenter of the lesson’s content material, and extra on the content material itself and/or newness of it.
One strategy to have interaction college students in classes is to make use of animation to introduce content material. This may be carried out shortly via an edtech software equivalent to Powtoon. You may additionally use bitmojis or different in style characters that your college students are fascinated about to introduce the content material to them in enjoyable and interesting methods.
Additionally, because the animated content material can be recorded, college students can take heed to and have interaction with the recording greater than as soon as, which isn’t doable via a stay lesson. By re-watching the lesson, college students will have the ability to achieve a deeper understanding of the content material and will decide up one thing they missed the primary time (e.g. like rewatching a film and studying new issues).
Utilizing Gamified Studying
Gamification isn’t new to training, however a few of the out there video games made particularly for training are new or have been modified to create extra sturdy experiences.
Digital escape rooms, for instance, can create extraordinarily participating studying environments the place college students can connect with the lesson’s content material whereas additionally constructing their essential pondering, collaboration, and communication expertise. Lisa Whiston provides steerage on the way to use Nearpod to make a digital escape room.
iCivics is a good web site for gamifying social research, historical past, and political science content material, and the video games are already constructed on there. Moreover, there are recreation trailers so college students can determine if they’re within the recreation earlier than taking part in, in addition to Google Slides integrations for lecturers to attach the video games to classes.
Different in style video games equivalent to Roblox and Minecraft are different choices to think about, relying on the content material and targets of the lesson.
Exploring Experiential Experiences
Experiential studying has at all times been a pillar of engagement, and the edtech platforms out there present many pathways for college kids to “study whereas doing,” because the late John Dewey said.
Offering college students with alternatives to have interaction in digital labs and simulations via websites equivalent to PhET and Labster are glorious choices for STEM classes, together with biology, chemistry, earth and house science, physics, statistics and a variety of math matters.
If you’re fascinated about taking college students to go to museums and different arts and cultural websites, however do not need the time or funding, digital subject journeys are an effective way to maintain college students engaged whereas exposing them to wealthy and various artifacts. Tech & Studying has curated a finest digital subject journeys checklist. Moreover, Google Arts and Tradition and Google Earth each provide participating methods for college kids to attach with a various vary of content material and may be seamlessly fascinated about classes.
As you see, there are numerous alternatives to have interaction learners in classes throughout tutorial content material areas. With many choices, college students can select what they’re most fascinated about, and join with studying in genuine methods.
