Proven Technologies Simple Instructional Tools that Work A showcase of simple - and cheap - technologies that are truly more effective than traditional classroom approaches. Includes academic games and basic office and web programs. Links to templates will be available.
Topics Student survey results PDFs Video response ClipArt.com Camtasia Surveys/testing Pre-tests Pre-made solutions Instructional games
Results of student survey Technologies that “helped me learn” PowerPoint lecture notes in class: 94% 88% Lab-based simulations: 88% Computer-based simulations: 87% PowerPoint with audio/video of instructor: 87% Web sites: 87% Audio/video: 82% Document camera/projector: 80%
Results of student survey Technologies that “neither helped nor hurt my learning” or “made learning harder” Online threaded discussion: 47% Online chat: 46% E-Reserves: 38% Phone conference calls: 33% CTools: 30% CourseTools: 26%
PDFs For scanned documents Reducing file size is critical Acrobat 6.0 and higher have a “reduce file size” button that works on existing PDFs Other tips Don’t post PowerPoint decks to CTools – create a PDF of “handouts” and post that Recommended: Acrobat Standard 7.0 Macs with OS X don’t need to buy Acrobat Detailed instructions at
Video response Respond to student postings in distance courses Keep it to 15-minute “chunks” Requirements: Web cam - $50-$100 – Search on “web cam” in MStores RealProducer Basic (free download) RealProducer Basic CTools site Don’t need a streaming server Detailed instructions at personal.umich.edu/~espring/bestPractices/video.html personal.umich.edu/~espring/bestPractices/video.html
ClipArt.com Clip art, photos, fonts, etc. Educational subscriptions about $30/yr. Over 5 million items Excellent search engine Premium image quality Multiple image formats Web site:
Camtasia Records computer screen and audio Perfect for teaching computer techniques or demonstrating software Can also narrate PowerPoint slides… …but is this good pedagogy?
Online Surveys/Testing Current U-M software (Lessons) is not highly recommended Inaccurate reports Unstable for concurrent users Will be replaced soon Samigo (in CTools) Ready FA05 or WI06 SurveyMonkey Free for 10 questions or less Easy to use; very reliable; nice reports
Pre-tests Assess existing knowledge and point students to review resources Formats Paper Lessons Flash HTML Other
Pre-made solutions Textbooks Test banks PowerPoint slides Diagrams, videos, animations Complete learning modules Web search Try restricting Google search to “site:.edu” Equipment manufacturers e.g., Laerdal
Instructional Games Cindy Fenske Quiz game (Jeopardy) Group quiz game (Family Feud) Critical thinking board games Memory Bingo Simon Says
Contact info Emily Springfield Cindy Fenske