This document provides an overview of various instructional technologies that can be used to engage students and assess learning. It describes tools such as Padlet, Twitter, Google Docs, polling applications, survey tools, brainstorming applications, infographics tools, word clouds, games, and activities for smartboards. For each category of tools, 1-2 specific tools are highlighted, describing their purpose and how to use them effectively in instruction. The document emphasizes using these technologies to increase student buy-in, encourage critical thinking, and provide real-time feedback through collaborative, interactive, and game-based activities. It also cautions that instructional technologies should not be used just for their own sake and that clear planning is important for successful

1. INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR
ENGAGING & ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING
Melissa Mallon
Wichita State University Libraries
Assessment Symposium

2. Why Use Tech?
PhotoCredit:THINKGlobalSchoolviaCompfightcc
Photo Credit: Weigle Information Commons via Compfight cc
PhotoCredit:UNAMIDPhotoviaCompfightcc

3. ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

4. INCREASE
STUDENT BUY-IN
Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk via Compfight cc

5. DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION
Photo Credit: US Department of Education via Compfight cc

6. MORE BENEFITS
• engage students
• encourage critical
thinking
• digital literacy skills
• provide real-time
feedback
PhotoCredit-martinak15viaCompfightcc
• authentic demonstration of learning
• get out of a rut

7. 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?

8. 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?”

11. ONLINE COLLABORATIVE SPACES
Tools
• Padlet
• Google Docs
• Prezi
!
Uses
• Group work
• Evaluate sources
• Brainstorm topics

12. 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

13. SOCIAL MEDIA
Tools
• Twitter
• WordPress
• Google+
!
Uses
• Synthesis
• Peer review
• Collaboration

14. 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

15. GOOGLE DOCS + SOCIAL MEDIA
Start a Google Doc then push out to students for collaboration via
Google+, Twitter, or Facebook

16. POLLING
Tools
• Poll Everywhere
• Google Forms
• LibGuides
• Socrative
!
Uses
• Group discussion
• Comprehension checks
• Evaluations

17. 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

18. SURVEY TOOLS
Tools
• Google Forms
• Survey Monkey
• Qualtrics
!
Uses
• Summative Assessment
• Evaluations

19. 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

20. BRAINSTORMING
Tools
• MindMeister
• Coggle
• bubbl.us
• Popplet
!
Uses
• Topic development
• Searching

21. 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

22. INFOGRAPHICS
Tools
• Easel.ly
• Infogr.am
• Piktochart
!
Uses
• Synthesis
• Source evaluation
• Research timelines

23. 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

24. WORLD CLOUDS
Tools
• Tagxedo
• Wordle
• Tagul
!
Uses
• Summaries
• Text analysis

25. 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

26. GAME-BASED LEARNING
Tools
• Kahoot!
• Stencyl
• FlipQuiz
!
Uses
• Evaluation
• Critical thinking
• Flipped classrooms

27. 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)

28. 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)

29. 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.”

30. BUT REMEMBER . . .
don’t get caught in a tech trap!
Photo Credit: ario_ via Compfight cc

31. PLAN ACCORDINGLY
• set up dummy
accounts if needed
!
• provide clear
instructions (handout
or LibGuide)
!
• practice with your
colleagues!