With the advent of technology, traditional classroom has paved way for blended learning, where white board not merely replaces black board, but allows an array of multimedia presentations, taking the students to realistic scenarios through simulations and virtual reality.
C2 Workshop makes you realize your dream by developing content that walks you through hard to imagine situations. Okay, now you have content that matches with the expectations of 21st century audience. How would you make it more effective? How can you, apart from interacting with the audience, be they students, or employees, engage them during and after the class?
The answer to the above questions can be realized by using some of the web-based tools. Now I am going to present important web-based tools that enhance collaboration and paves way for emergence of new ideas and innovations vital for current scenario.
The 3 essential Cs required to face challenges of tomorrow are:
• Creativity
• Competitiveness
• Collaboration
The 3 tools /service I am going to present now are:
• WebQuest
• SQWorl
• Anki
Let me first introduce WebQuest a pedagogic tool that enhances the teaching and learning process. It enables the faculty to give an engaging assignment by offering a framework that is flexible for all subjects. WebQuest is based around a genuine, feasible and interesting task requiring higher order thinking such as analysis, synthesis, application, judgement and creativity.
WebQuest template can be accessed from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html
The main features of the framework applicable for all the subjects are:
• Top (Title Page)
• Introduction
• Task
• Process
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
The evaluation section suggests how the students’ performance must be evaluated for each of the stated objectives. Thus WebQuest enables teachers to work with individuals and groups during and after the class period. After teaching through technology enabled blended method, WebQuest can be used for giving assignments / project work to students.
My research work at C2 Workshop, made me look for a tool where all important references under one category can be grouped. Though social book mark tools such as Delicious, Digg, Technet are all there, Sqworl an online service enables one to present all important URLs of particular category in one group.
One can access the on-line service at http://www.sqworl.com/index.php. A simple PPT, created by me explains how to go about creating the public link for any one category.
Though higher order cognitive skills of Bloom’s Taxonomy for Digital Education such as synthesis, evaluation, creativity are given more weightage in today’s competitive world, one cannot overlook the importance of remembering essential things, which is required for any successful learning endeavour.
Anki, a software, serves as a learning tool to improve the basic skill of cognitive domain, as it provides an opportunity to review the lessons in specific intervals of time defined by the user. Anki can be used online from http://anki.ichi2.net/account/other
It can also be accessed on smart phones such as iPhone.
(Dr.Kumuda Gururao is Learning Consultant at C2 Workshop)
Folks may also be interested in a Wiki for writing and running examples in executable English.
It's online at www.reengineeringllc.com , and shared use is free.
Posted by: Adrian Walker | July 13, 2009 at 07:13 PM