instructional technologies for engaging and assessing student learning

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENGAGING & ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING

Melissa Mallon Wichita State University Libraries Assessment Symposium

Why Use Tech?

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ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

INCREASE STUDENT BUY-IN

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

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MORE BENEFITS

• engage students

• encourage critical thinking

• digital literacy skills

• provide real-time feedback

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• authentic demonstration of learning

• get out of a rut

QUESTIONING STRATEGIES

• Ask a question without a "right" answer • have students vote, discuss, then vote again • pair students who know more about the concepts

with those who know less !

• Ask thought-provoking questions that require clarification or elaboration

• Where did you get this idea? • What effect would that have? • Can anyone see this another way?

EFFECTIVE USE OF DISCUSSIONS IN CLASS

The Socratic Method • Be comfortable with silence

• Encourage small group discussion

• Use follow-up questions

• Be willing to say “I don’t know the answer to that”

• No real wrong answers• “When you write a paper, are you trying to

teach your reader something or are you trying to persuade them to adopt your opinion?”• Follow up: “What is the difference

between persuading your audience and informing them?”

ONLINE COLLABORATIVE SPACES

Tools

• Padlet

• Google Docs

• Prezi

!Uses

• Group work

• Evaluate sources

• Brainstorm topics

Spotlight on . . . Padlet

http://padlet.com/

• Share “boards” with students via links or have them create their own & share with you

• Have students work in groups or individually

• Uses

• Curate information from the web

• Answer questions posed by librarian

• Categorize information http://padlet.com/wall/71m04cbjnr88

SOCIAL MEDIA

Tools

• Twitter

• WordPress

• Google+ !Uses

• Synthesis

• Peer review

• Collaboration

Spotlight on . . . Twitter

http://twitter.com

• Uses

• Have students respond to questions in class

• Set up hashtag for questions after the session | ex. #comm430research

• “Live tweeting” during class

• Sentence summaries

• Manage/monitor tweets with Hootsuite

GOOGLE DOCS + SOCIAL MEDIA

Start a Google Doc then push out to students for collaboration via Google+, Twitter, or Facebook

POLLING Tools

• Poll Everywhere

• Google Forms

• LibGuides

• Socrative !Uses

• Group discussion

• Comprehension checks

• Evaluations

Spotlight on . . . Poll Everywhere

http://www.polleverywhere.com

• Real-time results

• Responses via text message, web form (mobile or desktop)

• Multiple choice or short answer question formats

• Display methods

• Have up before class starts

• Embed in LibGuide or Blackboard

SURVEY TOOLS

Tools

• Google Forms

• Survey Monkey

• Qualtrics !Uses

• Summative Assessment

• Evaluations

Spotlight on . . . Google Forms

http://drive.google.com

• Use for pre- and post-tests

• Analyze results in Excel

• Embed in Blackboard, LibGuides, or send via email

BRAINSTORMING

Tools

• MindMeister

• Coggle

• bubbl.us

• Popplet !Uses

• Topic development

• Searching

Spotlight on . . . MindMeister

http://www.mindmesiter.com

• Free accounts limited to 3 maps that can be saved and shared

• Have students create maps based on their individual topics

• Create a map together as a class & post on LibGuide

INFOGRAPHICS

Tools

• Easel.ly

• Infogr.am

• Piktochart !Uses

• Synthesis

• Source evaluation

• Research timelines

Spotlight on . . . Easel.ly

http://www.easel.ly/

• Need a free account

• set up dummy account for all students to use

• Good for group projects

• Lots of themes, background, colors, etc to choose from

• Can download as pdfs

WORLD CLOUDS

Tools

• Tagxedo

• Wordle

• Tagul !Uses

• Summaries

• Text analysis

Spotlight on . . . Wordle

http://www.wordle.net/

• Enter text or RSS feed

• Repeated words show up bigger

• Use word clouds to analyze keywords / search terms

• Check comprehension by having students list words or concepts

• Some caveats

• Requires Java updates

• Can be hard to save

GAME-BASED LEARNING

Tools

• Kahoot!

• Stencyl

• FlipQuiz !Uses

• Evaluation

• Critical thinking

• Flipped classrooms

Spotlight on . . . FlipQuiz

http://flipquiz.me/

• Jeopardy-like game

• Have students tell you what to press, or have a “host” at the SmartBoard

• Embed in LibGuides or Blackboard

• Free account limited to 30 questions (6 categories with 5 questions each)

SMARTBOARD ACTIVITIES

• Choosing appropriate keywords for a topic (SMART Notebook)

• Numbering a process (SMART Notebook)

• Brainstorming / outlining (SMART Notebook)

• Circling characteristics on a scholarly article (Web)

• Navigating a database (Web)

Shroeder, (2007). Active learning with interactive whiteboards: A literature review and a case study for college freshmen. Communications in Information Literacy, 1(2): 64-73.

“During SMART Board sessions, the classroom can be noisy and active, and there can be

general disorder during the reporting phase. However, it is important for instructors to

remember that learning is still taking place.”

BUT REMEMBER . . .

don’t get caught in a tech trap!

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PLAN ACCORDINGLY

• set up dummy accounts if needed

!

• provide clear instructions (handout or LibGuide)

!

• practice with your colleagues!