Speed dating
Did I say unusual? Maybe because our technology showcase has been likened to a speed dating session. You know the one where you meet someone, chat for 10 minutes then move on to the next person, chat and move on etc. In our scenario, participants select a technology of interest from the menu, head to the relevant POD (or table) and take part in the showcase session of 20 minutes. At each POD a learning technologist introduces one learning technology, shows some examples of how it can be used and directs participants to resources or next steps towards implementation. A few minutes for Q&A then participants move on to the next POD for a different technology. Over the 2 hour session, participants get a flavour of four different learning technologies (from a choice of twelve) and leave with plenty of ideas and possibilities for how they can innovate their teaching with technology. They could then contact their Faculty Learning Technologist for a consultation and one-to-one help (where necessary).
The drive-home overarching message from all of the presenters is of course to ensure pedagogy leads technology and not the other way around. Start with a learning outcome and find the most suitable technology to help you achieve that.
Here are a few of the sessions showcased recently for new academic staff. The resources for all of the technologies showcased in the session are available here.
Innovate with WordPress
WordPress has moved beyond the limitations of a blogging platform towards an extendable and scaleable system, easily malleable to cater for a variety of purposes and contexts. This session showcased how WordPress can be used as a customisable assessment tool using a case study example from the Faculty of Science. The aim was to provide ideas for how you might want to use WordPress as a teaching tool when the centrally supported system is rolled out later in the year.
Facilitating group work in the cloud
This interactive session explored how you can collaborate with colleagues and students both synchronously and asynchronously on the same document. Using Google Drive Apps in your UTS domain (which all staff and students have access to), the presenter introduced simple tips and tricks to creating active learning experiences.
An introduction to thinking visually in teaching and learning
Applying even the most basic visual approaches in your teaching can help get your ideas across. Students remember more and can demonstrate understanding more effectively. This session showcased how easy it is to sketch ideas and explored two accessible ways to teach and ‘draw’ with video.
Using Lynda.com for teaching and learning
Lynda.com is a vast database of high-quality instructional videos and is an ideal resource for students, faculty and staff looking to develop skills in: Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, business skills, English grammar, web design, programming languages, project management, 3D design, animation, video, audio and much more. Our library colleagues showcased this excellent resource and more on Lynda.com can be found on their website.
Top polling tools to keep students engaged
Discover how to engage your students in real-time and obtain data to help you identify the learning needs of your students. Polling platforms can help you achieve this by using them as a basic formative feedback tool to check student understanding and contribute to flipped learning classwork. These tools can be particularly useful in large lecture environments to encourage active participation.
If you are interested in attending a showcase session, keep an eye on the events page for future sessions and registration details.
[…] worked on during my short time at IML, though I don’t think you can call it a project, is the technology showcase session. I love the buzz in the room and looking at the intent concentration in people’s faces. And […]