Assessment or Survey Tools

My "go-to" survey tool for at least the last 10 years has been Google Forms.  Google Forms has helped me to quickly create pre-assessment surveys I can use to collect data from students.  This data can then be used to adjust my instructional strategies and some design elements of course assignments and projects.  For example, if I know my learners have access to mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, I can implement creative instructional strategies such as a survey that is completed live during one of our synchronous web conferencing sessions, students can reply to threaded discussion postings through the Canvas app for Android and iOS devices, any short quizzes or polls can also be completed synchronously or asynchronously, and much more.  There are several advantages of using Google Forms.

• It's free.
• Forms can be shared and used to collect data outside the learning management system.
• The graphical user interface (GUI) makes Google Forms easy to use and having surveys, general forms, and short quizzes up in running in no time.

Some of the drawbacks to using Google Forms include:

• Faculty and students are not likely to have official on-campus technical support for any Google applications including Forms. 
• Limited abilities to format text.
• File uploads are not supported.
• Google Forms can be easily be shared to anyone so monitoring received data and sharing options is a must.

The embedded Google Form below is what I use to pre-assess my students on the technologies they have access to while enrolled in my MIS 1305 course.  You will notice that I have a number of questions regarding social media, mobile devices, and understanding of several Microsoft Office applications we use in 1305.

Other survey and/or quiz options including, but not limited to Survey Monkey, Poll Anywhere, the LMS's built-in survey/quiz tools, and Qualtrics.

Asynchronous Communications: The Discussion Board

Discussions boards are one of the most commonly used tools to facilitate dialog in online courses.  These boards allow for back and forth communications between students and instructors asynchronously over a period of time.  Students are able to reflect upon their own ideas before sharing them with their classmates, leading to deeper discussions and learning.  Additional benefits of integrating discussion boards into online courses include:

• Building a sense of learning community through sharing ideas,
• Provides students extra time to reflect on their ideas, research, and develop their responses before sharing their thoughts, and
• Help facilitate learning by allowing students to reflect and respond to the work of others.

The image below is a snapshot of an introductory "icebreaker" activity I had students participate in for a summer online version of the MIS 1305 - Introduction to Information Technology and Processing course I teach occasionally.

Discussion board thread in the Canvas learning management system

In my own instructional practice, discussion boards have played an important role in all fully online course that I have taught.  Through varied structured designs, I rely on discussion boards to manage the text-heavy responses.  As illustrated in the image above, Canvas discussion boards create an indented hierarchy of posting to show learners who replied to who and when.  This visual queue makes following a discussion much more efficient for both students and me as the instructor.   One added benefit to contemporary discussion boards is that students can embed other types of media (i.e. images, audio, and video recordings) into their postings besides text.  This is a great enhancement to traditional discussion boards as students can communicate asynchronously in creative ways beyond text.

My Quick Thoughts on Twitter to Support Learning

The short answer to the question “can this tool (Twitter) meet an instructional need?” is yes.  First, Twitter can be a valuable research tool for finding instructional resources, research, blogs, etc. through the use of hashtags.  Using Twitter as a research tools saves a significant amount of time as others already identified resources that may be useful and tagged the posting to share with a much broader audience. The Twitter feed below is an example that shows how postings with the hashtag #edtech are currated making the search process much more efficient.  Second, the 140-character limitation of “tweets” also forces individuals to keep posts short and to the point.  Well-written tweets quickly identify the resource and its purpose.  The third, and one of the most important uses of Twitter in my opinion, is establishing connections with other individuals that have similar interests.  Whether you’re interested in educational technology, science, math, biking, fishing, gaming, or e-learning, Twitter makes it very easy to find and connect (i.e. follow) to others with these similar interests......an essential component of a personal learning network (PLN).  

#edtech Tweets

Twitter’s learning curve is not steep at all.  I have been using Twitter since April 2009.  Twitter’s interface parallels with several contemporary social media services such as Facebook and blogs where the most recent posts are always at the top of the feed.  Twitter also integrates with Facebook, mobile devices, Feed.ly, the Canvas learning management system, and a wide variety of Web-based applications that makes sharing resources to a large audience in a short amount of time quite efficient. 

Blogger Tip #1: Enhance the Commenting System

The commenting system of any blog is a core element in connecting and engaging with your audience.  Commenting and feedback platforms have evolved quite significantly; from old school guestbooks and feedback forums to native platform-dependent commenting systems and 3rd party commenting systems that function cross-platform regardless of what programming language your website is based on.

Today's 3rd party commenting systems do more than simply allow readers to post a comment.  Most systems support comprehensive features such as spam control, comment moderation, whitelist and blacklist management, social media integration, email notifications, and much more.

In this article, I want to bring you awareness

A Google Drive Feature You May Not Be Using

Over the past few years, Google has expanded their offering of apps and tools beyond the search engine.  Many of these - including Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube - are clearly beloved by many and have made their way into higher education learning environments.  However, within the vast digital landscape of Google apps and tools, there are some wonderful, lesser-known hidden gems that can make your life easier and productive.

Google Drive, although not so much a hidden gem itself, has several of these lesser-known treasures that you may not even know about right at your fingertips.  Below is a short guide on how to access and enable third party apps and tools that integrate with Google Drive.

Getting Started

Google Drive, formerly Google Docs, has predominately

QR Code Generators, Mobile Apps, and Integration Ideas

As mobile learning and technology increasingly make their way into the higher education learning space (face-to-face, blended, and online), QR codes can be used in innovative ways that can gain students' attention and make lesson material and content more interactive.

What is a QR code?  A QR, or "quick response," code is simply a scannable image typically in the shape of a square.  It resembles a bar code with black, or other color, splotches instead of straight lines.  Created in 1994, QR codes were originally used to track vehicle parts during the manufacturing process.  However, the QR codes have expanded for broader contexts and uses; particularly for accessing information with mobile devices.

What does a QR code do?  Using an Internet-connected mobile device such as a
smartphone or tablet with a camera, you scan the QR code using a QR code reader app.

Giving Students a Voice Online

Like most educators, I view teaching as a process.  After implementing a new instructional activity or creating a new online course, I immediately reflect on how effectively and efficiently students achieved specific learning outcomes.  What worked well?  What failed?  Were the students engaged?  Oftentimes I can identify and implement necessary changes to an activity or assessment the next time I teach a course, but other times I seek student evaluations and fellow colleagues for guidance.  This happened when I taught