Introduction
Opportunities for remote learning continued after COVID-19; many school districts are continuing the remote learning model for inclement weather days or have opted into hybrid systems where students attend in person for a few days a week and are remote for the other days. Temporary remote learning days are much different than complete courses developed by institutions to be used asynchronously by students. Teachers are given little time to pivot their instruction during emergency remote learning (ERL) days and need applications that can be easily implemented or used during in-person instruction.
Interactivity and engagement are critical to the success of ERL days and learning in general. Rucha & Markku (2022) explain that engagement takes two forms. The first is interactivity; students must interact with the content by thinking, talking, or performing. The second is a connection with the “behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects” of the learning environment (Rucha & Markku, 2022, p. 556). During ERL, students quickly lose interest, get distracted, or are generally dismissive of the ERL environment. As class numbers grow, students also suffer from disengagement and loss of a sense of community during in-person instruction and ERL. There are many interactions needed for successful lessons. Learners must engage with each other, the content, and the instructor. When interactions occur between learners and the instructor, it builds trust and community. Bakir & Phirangee (2021) suggest incorporating interactive practices that would be used during in-person instruction but still can be accomplished through the virtual environment. Digital tools can be used for activities like think-pair-share, concept or mind mapping, polling, brainstorms, jigsaws, and minute papers. Many learning management and virtual learning systems have functionality built into their primary functions.
Interactivity and engagement are critical to the success of ERL days and learning in general. Rucha & Markku (2022) explain that engagement takes two forms. The first is interactivity; students must interact with the content by thinking, talking, or performing. The second is a connection with the “behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects” of the learning environment (Rucha & Markku, 2022, p. 556). During ERL, students quickly lose interest, get distracted, or are generally dismissive of the ERL environment. As class numbers grow, students also suffer from disengagement and loss of a sense of community during in-person instruction and ERL. There are many interactions needed for successful lessons. Learners must engage with each other, the content, and the instructor. When interactions occur between learners and the instructor, it builds trust and community. Bakir & Phirangee (2021) suggest incorporating interactive practices that would be used during in-person instruction but still can be accomplished through the virtual environment. Digital tools can be used for activities like think-pair-share, concept or mind mapping, polling, brainstorms, jigsaws, and minute papers. Many learning management and virtual learning systems have functionality built into their primary functions.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The interactivity tools described below can be used in the classroom and during ERL. The use of interactive tools has several advantages and disadvantages. One advantage of interactive tools is that they can give learners immediate feedback. Feedback from interactive tools is often considered low-risk and decreases student anxiety (Ateequr et al., 2019). Another advantage is that interactive tools increase collaboration, connection, and involvement (Bonner et al., 2022). For this reason, many interactive tools feature game-based learning (GBL) features that allow students to collect rewards, level up, and compete with others in a low-risk manner. Another significant advantage of digital strategies is differentiation. Differentiated instruction allows the addition of real-life strategies that will help students in their 21st-century careers (Kilbane & Milman, 2023). Adaptive technologies ensure that students stretch their learning to a higher level.
The disadvantages of using interactivity tools are that most are built on a sliding fee scale. Depending on the app, instructors have initial free access for a specific period or with reduced functionality. Should educators desire pro-accounts on multiple platforms, this would become cost prohibitive. Schools and districts who know they will frequently use ERL or want to increase classroom engagement should research and purchase a few quality tools for their staff. Another disadvantage occurs if teachers use multiple platforms that cannot integrate with their current learning management system (LMS). Students can be overwhelmed by needing to log in and out of multiple platforms. Changing digital platforms can also cause longer transitions between classroom events, where students can easily be distracted and get off task. A final hurdle of interactive tools is teacher training. Teachers need time to integrate their curriculum with new tools and adapt them to their classroom needs.
The disadvantages of using interactivity tools are that most are built on a sliding fee scale. Depending on the app, instructors have initial free access for a specific period or with reduced functionality. Should educators desire pro-accounts on multiple platforms, this would become cost prohibitive. Schools and districts who know they will frequently use ERL or want to increase classroom engagement should research and purchase a few quality tools for their staff. Another disadvantage occurs if teachers use multiple platforms that cannot integrate with their current learning management system (LMS). Students can be overwhelmed by needing to log in and out of multiple platforms. Changing digital platforms can also cause longer transitions between classroom events, where students can easily be distracted and get off task. A final hurdle of interactive tools is teacher training. Teachers need time to integrate their curriculum with new tools and adapt them to their classroom needs.
Recommended Applications
Recommendation 1 – Slides with Friends
Recommendation 2 – Arduino Science Journal
- Classroom Design – Slides with Friends uses a slide deck format to host quizzes, manage meetings, social events, and polls/surveys. One distraction that students will love is, as students sign on they can add sounds. If the students are trained to use their names, you can see who is using the sound comments. If this becomes inappropriate, teachers can mute the slideshow. The lesson can be built around these slides.
- Support – Templates are available to get started. I used the Meeting Kickoff template to create a slide deck to welcome our staff back to school. When you create a copy of their slide deck, bold pink conversations (see below) pop up to help walk you through the process. Then you are given additionally messaging to guide your design process. The slides themselves do not allow for a lot of design. You can set background images, time slides, change background, and change font and colors. There is a link on the page to tutorials.
- Integration –With the Pro version you can import PowerPoint slides. Participants are given a QR Code or link to participate. Students will need a device to participate on.
- Cost – Slides with Friends is available on a sliding fee scale. For free educators can host up to 10 people. Starter and Pro plans are available either for one time events or for recurrent use. Starter plans can host up to 50 people and begin at $72/year while pro plans that can host 100 people cost $132/year. There is pricing to host larger groups as needed. Slides are banded with the “Slides with Friends” logo unless you upgrade to Pro.
Recommendation 2 – Arduino Science Journal
- Classroom Design – The Arduino Science Journal app can be used both synchronously and asynchronously to give students the opportunity to collect and share data. Geared to students ages 10+ it could be used for science, math, or technology discussions in English and social sciences. Arduino has prepared a series of science modules on light, sound, electricity, and motion. Students can collect and share data with other students. Materials for the labs are either common household items or material that is available in most science labs. Lab kits could be set up with materials for students to keep at home in the event of ERL or lab activities and collaboration could occur during class time. Students could also share data with students who do not have material support available.
- Support - Support is available online. There are many pages of support material, a community page that links to Discord, and a blog. Support is probably the weakest area of this application. To answer a specific question you need to fill out a form and wait for a response.
- Integration - Online application available for iPad, iPhone, and Chrome Integrates with most major LMSs (Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Moodle, and Blackboard). Online set up is similar to Google in that there is a waffle that links to each component. Sensors are device dependent.
- Cost – Free, open-source. Additional sensors can be be purchased from Arduino.
- Classroom Design - Explain Everything is an app that can be used to create and record lessons. Items added to the whiteboard can be animated. The tool can also be used collaboratively by multiple users. Students could edit and take notes together, build presentations, and create interactive models. For example, students could draw the sequence of events that occur in photosynthesis, edit, and then create a video. Recording videos are helpful for students who are absent and need a better understanding of what happened in class.
- Support – Explain Everything offers an online help center and email support. Schools and districts that want to integrate Explain Everything can also schedule custom onboarding and live professional development.
- Integration –Integrates with most major LMSs (Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Moodle, and Blackboard). Also works with Zoom and Google Meets and has recently merged with Promethean.
- Cost – Explain Everything has a sliding fee structure depending on use. Three projects can be completed for free and allows for collaboration with one other person. Fees increase substantially to $34.99/year for a solo teacher, $129.99/year for a teacher and up to 100 students.
Closing Thoughts
Reckmeyer (2019) shared Gallup poll data demonstrating that growth and post-secondary readiness demonstrate that interactivity and engagement will increase learning as it increases the time learners spend working with the learning objective. For growth to occur, interactive tools must be linked to learning objectives. Digital interactive strategies can encourage students to create meaning for the learning objectives (Schrum & Sumerfield, 2018). Drost (2023) reminds educators that the elements of success rely first on having an instructional framework and then using technology with a clear pedagogical function to focus on formative assessment. As an educator, learning and cognitive function always come before technology.
References
Ateequr, R. Sahakian, Y., Kane, S., Abel, M., & Deshmukh, R. (2019). Life-feed use in the classroom as an engagement tool. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(12), 1303-1308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.09.010
Bakir, N., & Phirangee, K. (2021). ZOOMing into a Community: Exploring Various Teaching Practices to Help Foster Sense of Community and Engagement in Emergency Remote Teaching. Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.14434/jotlt.v9i2.31226
Bonner, R., Desa, G., Petkova, A. P., & Baack, S. (2022). Teaching With Conceptboard: A Professional Online Tool for Student Engagement and Collaboration. Management Teaching Review, 7(3), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/23792981221098382
Drost, R. (2023). Pedagogy before Technology. Educational Leadership, 80(9), 26-30.
Kilbane, C., & Milman, N.B. (2023). Differentiated learning and technology: A powerful combination. Educational Leadership, 80(9), 20-25.
Reckmeyer, M. (2019, October 30). Focus on student engagement for better academic outcomes. Education. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/education/267521/focus-student-engagement-better-academic-outcomes.aspx
Rucha, T., & Markku, T. (2022). What students want? Experiences, challenges, and engagement during Emergency Remote Learning amidst COVID-19 crisis. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 551-587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10747-1
Schrum, L. & Sumerfield, S. (2018). Learning supercharged. International Society for Technology in Education.
Bakir, N., & Phirangee, K. (2021). ZOOMing into a Community: Exploring Various Teaching Practices to Help Foster Sense of Community and Engagement in Emergency Remote Teaching. Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.14434/jotlt.v9i2.31226
Bonner, R., Desa, G., Petkova, A. P., & Baack, S. (2022). Teaching With Conceptboard: A Professional Online Tool for Student Engagement and Collaboration. Management Teaching Review, 7(3), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/23792981221098382
Drost, R. (2023). Pedagogy before Technology. Educational Leadership, 80(9), 26-30.
Kilbane, C., & Milman, N.B. (2023). Differentiated learning and technology: A powerful combination. Educational Leadership, 80(9), 20-25.
Reckmeyer, M. (2019, October 30). Focus on student engagement for better academic outcomes. Education. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/education/267521/focus-student-engagement-better-academic-outcomes.aspx
Rucha, T., & Markku, T. (2022). What students want? Experiences, challenges, and engagement during Emergency Remote Learning amidst COVID-19 crisis. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 551-587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10747-1
Schrum, L. & Sumerfield, S. (2018). Learning supercharged. International Society for Technology in Education.