Top Digital Tools to Boost Student Engagement Online

by | Last updated Oct 13, 2022 | Published on Mar 30, 2021 | Digital Transcription

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Digital Tools

When regular classroom lectures turned into e-classrooms because of the pandemic, many teachers changed their teaching methods to reach out to students online. Conducting e-learning courses meant using videos, podcasts and digital transcription solutions to boost student engagement. A year on since COVID-19 broke, advancements of technology have resulted in innovative products to foster student interaction. Here are five e-learning tools that are making the difference by supporting collaboration between educators and students:

  • Flipgrid: Owned by Microsoft, Flipgrid is a simple, free, and accessible video discussion platform for students of all ages and their instructors. It comes with several sample lessons, tutorials and resources to support teachers. Instructors can set up an account, create communities for student interaction, and post prompts or topics for discussion. Students respond to the prompts by posting short videos and commenting on each other’s videos.
  • ArcGIS Story Maps: This story authoring app allows users to create inspiring stories with text, interactive maps, and other multimedia resources such as YouTube links, maps, pictures, and other features. Students can use ArcGIS online web application tools to design basic templates to create interactive web-based maps to communicate their project results effectively. ArcGIS Story Maps is easy to use and can be handled by even students with no GIS and mapping experience. According to a recent report from Wesleyan University, students used ArcGIS Online software to create impressive, professional-quality dashboards, maps and stories to study the effects of the pandemic.
  • Promethean ActivInspire: ActivInspire is a computer software that instructors can use to create compelling content and make teaching from a distance much smoother. Features such as Desktop Annotate and the Screen Recorder facilitate easy navigation and management of live (synchronous) lessons, and asynchronous lesson recording for viewing later. The Screen Recorder can capture actions on flipcharts which can be converted into PDF, embedded in multimedia files within lesson plans, and shared with students. Promethean’s Titanium ActivPanel for teachers comes with extremely useful instructional capabilities. Its cloud-based software is compatible with most video conferencing platforms. The Poly USB Studio is an all-in-one video and audio system that delivers hi-def video and crisp audio capability. When combined these innovative tools allow educators to connect and interact with students regardless of where they are located.
  • TED-Ed: TED-Ed is a website-based platform that features top-notch educational videos that are great options for teaching and remote learning. The student-friendly video content on TED-Ed is primarily stored on YouTube so it can be easily shared and even integrated with Google Classroom. Teachers can use the educational videos to create engaging lessons with personalized questions and discussions for students, remotely or in the classroom. Students are required to watch the videos, absorb the content and answer the questions in order to show they have learned from watching. The content is presented in four sections: Watch, Think, Dig Deeper, and Discuss. All of the video content on TED-Ed is free to use and is available both on the TED-Ed website as well as on YouTube.
  • Padlet: Padlet is a free digital resource that provides a dedicated space for teachers and students to communicate on course topics. Teachers and students can post images, links, videos, and documents on this interactive space or digital notice board which is easily accessible from nearly any web browser-capable device. Teachers can post a starting discussion thread and students would have to respond to it by setting up a Padlet entry. Other students can also respond to each other and teachers can further engage the students with more questions or by providing links to pertinent topics.

In addition to using these tools, teachers can also host classroom meetings is to connect with their students, and help them connect with each other. Such communication can be synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous or real-time communication can take place via a video meeting, a live chat, or a phone call. It’s useful to provide guidance on a particular skill or to provide for quick performance evaluation. However, real-time communication can be challenging if students have problems with internet connectivity or if the group is too large.

Asynchronous communication is a better method for direct instruction or for helping students process new information. This type of communication is not live, but occurs over a period of time. Most online course materials in the form of videos, podcasts, articles and books are asynchronous and allow students to learn new ideas or concepts at their own pace. students also use asynchronous tools when they create content such as blog posts, infographics, podcasts and videos. Digital transcription services can ensure that educational video content is accessible by students with hearing impairments.

According to Professor Betsy Rymes of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (www.thedp.com), the pandemic has forced teachers to become more understanding of the individual needs of student. Rymes notes that remote learning or asynchronous discussion could prove useful for some students, these learning methods may not help others, leading teachers to find ways to implement both asynchronous and synchronous aspects to help both groups of students.

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