Introduction:

Slack was founded in 2013 by Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov. It is a cloud based collaboration platform that facilitates efficient communication for organizations, school groups, teams, business groups, etc. Groups can collaboratively work together on Slack to share files, message individuals and/or groups. Channels can be created to organize private and public conversations within groups and third party applications/services can be integrated within Slack’s platform to all teams to centralize their work.

Pros:

Real-time Communication: Slack provides real-time messaging, enabling instant communication among learners and instructors. This fosters quick exchanges, discussions, and feedback, mimicking face-to-face interactions.

Organized Channels: Slack allows the creation of different channels for various topics or projects. This organization facilitates focused discussions and helps learners find relevant information easily.

Integration with Educational Tools: Slack can integrate with various educational tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or learning management systems (LMS), enhancing the learning experience by providing seamless access to resources.

Collaborative Workspaces: Slack enables the creation of collaborative workspaces where learners can share documents, collaborate on projects, and provide peer support. This promotes active learning and knowledge sharing.

Mobile Accessibility: Slack offers mobile applications, allowing learners to stay connected and participate in discussions even when they are not at their computers. This flexibility enhances accessibility and encourages continuous engagement.

Multimedia Support: Slack supports multimedia content such as images, videos, and links, enriching the learning experience and accommodating diverse learning styles.

Searchable Archives: All messages and files shared on Slack are archived and searchable, making it easy for learners to retrieve past discussions, resources, and references, thereby aiding in review and reinforcement of learning.

Notification System: Slack’s notification system keeps learners informed about new messages, mentions, or updates, ensuring that they stay engaged and up-to-date with ongoing discussions and activities.

Privacy and Security: Slack offers robust privacy and security features, including data encryption and user authentication, ensuring that sensitive information shared during the learning process remains protected.

Community Building: Slack helps foster a sense of community among learners by facilitating informal interactions, icebreakers, and socialization activities, which are crucial for building rapport and peer support networks.

Cons:

Information Overload: The constant flow of messages and notifications in Slack can result in information overload, making it challenging for learners to prioritize relevant content and filter out noise.

Fragmented Communication: Discussions and interactions in Slack may become fragmented across multiple channels or threads, making it difficult for learners to follow the conversation or maintain coherence in discussions.

Limited Offline Access: While Slack offers mobile applications, offline access to messages and resources may be limited. Learners in areas with poor connectivity may face difficulties accessing content and participating in discussions.

Cost: It is a very expensive tool. It cannot be purchased for individual use and the free version has limited features. Also, the free version is only accessible for 90 days.

Potential for Miscommunication: Written communication in Slack lacks nonverbal cues such as tone of voice and body language, increasing the potential for misinterpretation or misunderstanding among learners.

Subject Areas:

Slack could be used for any curriculum that involves collaboration. It’s ability to send messages, share files, and collaborate on projects makes this a versatile tool for any subject. It can be especially useful when there are both synchronous and asynchronous learners that need to communicate in real-time.

Education Levels:

Slack is a messaging and collaborative platform that has been primarily used in the business world for it’s communication and organizational abilities. More recently, it has become popular for college level students. It has helped to reduce confusion and the bouncing around from one app to another to collect and deliver assignments. It has also been a popular replacement for other learning management systems such as Blackboard and Canvas. Considering Slack would likely be used as a collaboration tool at some point in a career setting. Additionally, Slack recommends that people sixteen and older use this product since it was not specifically designed for children.

Learning Theories:

Slack connects to a variety of learning theories, such as social learning theory, collaborative learning, constructivism, cognitive load theory, and community of inquiry. It enables learners to construct their understanding through collaborative social learning interactions with peers. Its simple platform optimizes cognitive load where students can observe, share knowledge, ask and answers questions, and receive feedback. It’s extremely user friendly by having channels, direct messages, and other communication forms listed in one area within the platform. If used effectively, Slack could provide a purposeful community of inquiry for the learners by providing an adequate amount of teaching presence to facilitate social presence these will enable cognitive presence.

References:

Gaba, I. (2022, May 5). What is Slack App & How to Use It to Improve Productivity? | Simplilearn. Simplilearn.com. https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/slack-tutorial/what-is-slack-app-uses-to-improve-productivity

Mazaheri, S. (2020). Slack for Educators: A Guide to Getting Students to Communicate (With You) in the Classroom. Ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/techtoolsforteaching/chapter/10-using-slack-to-communicate-with-students/ paragraph text

Forbes. (2024, January 4). Slack review. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/slack-review/

Session 4 – Collaboration Tool: Mark Bolin, Jonathan Muddle, Beatrice Quinn

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Introduction to the tool:  

Zoom is a popular video conferencing tool that is used to facilitate meeting anywhere, anytime, as long as participants are on a device that is connected to the internet. With the downloaded application, participants can connect and share their video and audio from their device, while seeing and hearing others in the same Zoom session. This has been an effective meeting tool and has also been utilized in the educational setting to teach courses live online by the facilitator sharing their screen, such as a PowerPoint presentation. 

Leveraging tools within Zoom is an effective way for facilitators to engage learners in a live online format. Tools within Zoom such as: Chat, Polls, Breakout Rooms, Reactions, and Whiteboards, can be useful during use of this learning modality to enhance participant collaboration using technology. Breaking down each of the above-mentioned elements allows one to understand each tool’s capabilities. 

• Chat: A familiar basic digital tool that can be used for participants to ask questions or make comments at any time. Chat can also be helpful for individuals to feel as though they may have a voice, who may otherwise be shy to speak on a Zoom setting.  
• Polls: Questions can be posed to the group of participants to gauge knowledge. Questions can be developed ahead of time by the facilitator so that the session flows smoothly. Poll results can be shared with the group as a whole, and can serve as a knowledge checkpoint. 
• Breakout Rooms: The facilitator can allow small group conversations and collaboration to take place outside of the larger group. Teams can be individually or randomly assigned to a specific number of groups. The facilitator can make announcements to the groups and call everyone back to the main meeting space.  
• Reactions: gestures such as a hand raise are common in the physical classroom space, and can also be helpful in large group online settings but using the “raise hand” function. The facilitator can also use the reactions feature to create a sense of active participation and engagement during the educational course, such as having users give a quick thumbs up if the content makes sense.  
• Whiteboards: the facilitator can pull up the whiteboard to demonstrate a particular teaching element. As they draw live, all other participants can see in real-time. The whiteboard feature can be collaborative, so the facilitator can allow others to annotate and add information to the whiteboard. This feature can be disabled. 

What subject areas do you think this technology can be applied to? 

This technology was largely used during the pandemic to replace nearly all educational environments – however, that may not be the best approach. Like all learning modalities, an assessment of the tool and environment should take place. Zoom or other video conferencing tools should not be thought of as a 1:1 replacement tool for live in-person classes.  

Subject areas where hands-on learning or other in-person requirements might not be the best use of Zoom. Facilitators who use Zoom for other online learning initiatives have the opportunity to engage learners with unique tools in an online format. Collaboration is possible through various tools as well, and instructors will need to think pedagogically and creatively about best use cases. 

What education levels do you think this technology tool can be applied to?  

Zoom offers a virtual platform that connects groups to collaborate online. It is good for students from elementary school level to university/college 🎓 level. 

Pros of Zoom 

• It is very useful. The user interface can be easily navigated and connected. 
• There is an end-to-end encryption, which gives protection to the communication teams. 
•  It has several apps that make connections easily and beneficial. 

• Its whiteboard feature enables students to work together as they see each other simultaneously. 

Cons of Zoom 

• It is difficult to find specific settings. 
• Some of the external apps are not compatible with the network 
• Zooming is very expensive. You must pay to use Zoom and to benefit from the good features that it offers. 

How will the technology tool be incorporated into the collaboration activity? Briefly describe an activity.  

Scenario: 

Zoom and its capabilities allow the classroom to have a better sense of feeling in the same environment thanks to the features listed above. For example, a middle school teacher is instructing a class via video conference. Their method of communication is Zoom, and the topic is collaborative learning! The teacher instructs all students to raise their hand if they have an answer, or question.  

The teacher also wants to ensure that the learning objectives are being met, they create a poll for the students to answer to verify learning has occurred. The poll asks, “is it better to learn collaboratively or individually?” The poll pops up on each student’s screen and they are able to answer. At the conclusion when the majority or all students have answered the teacher is able to see if the students are on the right path, or if more time is required on the topic.  

After the pole has ended the teacher believes that further discussion is needed. They decided a collaborative classroom approach could promote the learning objectives and breakout rooms will allow students to discuss their thoughts on the topic. The teacher prompts the students with a question before sending them to their rooms, “what are benefits of collaborative learning?” The teacher can also name the groups with the prompted question to keep the students on track with learning as seen below (in the white tab on the top): 

The teacher can also record the class for students that may need to revisit a topic or that had to miss the class. They can also enable closed captioning during instruction for students that may need it.  

Explain how this activity relates to the theory we learned. 

Zoom has tailored its application to give the learner the best opportunity to encourage learning. It works to make the students feel more comfortable in the environment, give them the same opportunities to ask questions, answer polls, and collaborate with classmates. Zoom mirrors what we have been learning about video conferencing. It can promote a cognitive environment, where the teacher can introduce new topics, and deep learning opportunities. It gives the students a sense of social presence, where all students can turn on their camera and see and speak to each other. It allows for teaching presence, where the teacher can be the focus point, or their presentation showing them in a smaller window. The student can change their focus screen where the presentation is the main screen, or the presentation is. It allows the student to have accessibility by use of closed captioning and watching videos at their own pace later.  

While Zoom has its pros in the learning environment, there is still research to be done when determining if it could completely replace the classroom environment. While there are features that allow the student to feel as though they are in the classroom, they are not in the classroom and their individual environment outside of the classroom can vary between students. There is still the possibility that a TV is on in the background, dogs are barking, siblings are tearing up the room you are trying to learn in. The learning mechanism can be tailored perfectly to the theories we learn in this class, but if the environment is not setup to that of a classroom with distractors, learning may not be accomplished as effectively as the in-person mode may be.  

References: 

Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 1–19. 

Islam, M., Dan-A, K., & Kwon, M. (2020). A Comparison of Two Forms of Instruction: Pre-Recorded Video Lectures vs. Live ZOOM Lectures for Education in the Business Management Field. Sustainability, 12(19), 8149. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198149 

Khaled, M. K., & Galal, M. N. (2022). The Potentials and Challenges of Zoom Live Theatre during Coronavirus Lockdown: Pandemic Therapy and Corona Chicken (Part Two): NTQ. New Theatre Quarterly, 38(2), 151-171. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266464X22000057 

Book Creator is a versatile content-creation tool designed for the classroom, allowing students and teachers to create interactive digital books, reports, and projects. According to the company, Book Creator “empowers everyone, including children and educators, to create, share, and publish content.”

Tool Description

• Create interactive digital books and reports
• Suitable for all subjects and grade levels
• Collaborative platform for group projects
• Easy-to-use interface for students and teachers
• Share and publish projects online
• Supports creativity and engagement in learning

Applications in Different Subjects

Book Creator is a versatile tool that can be utilized in a variety of subjects including the following:

English Language Arts (ELA)

Students can create their own fictional stories complete with pictures and audio. It would also be an interesting idea to use it to publish class poetry anthologies as well as book reports that can be shared and reviewed by their classmates.

Science

Students can create experiment logs for writing out their process including their hypothesis, documenting key findings and observations, and summarizing their results.

Math

Book Creator could be used to create a math log for students to show their math work to their teacher or peers. This can be reviewed by classmates who can point out any mistakes and help the student to improve their skills.

History/Social Studies

Similar to book reports, this could be used to publish biographies about a famous person or even the student’s own life history.

Teacher Support and Expectations

Teachers should plan to offer support in the following ways:

• Assisting students with signing up for their account as well as logging in. 
• Plan out specific activities with scaffolding or students to create their first book as the options can be overwhelming according to reviews. 
• Provide demos to help show students using  ‘I Do’ ‘We Do’ and ‘You Do’ approach. 
• Showing students the different options for creating different types of books and interactive options. 
• Create collaborative processes so students can work together and learn how to master the program more effectively.

Teachers should also set the following expectations:

• Be polite and kind with feedback. 
• Share Devices (especially if not everyone has access to devices).
• Stay on Task
• Be open to feedback as it can lead to better ideas. 
• Follow directions when given. 
• Ask for help from peers or your teacher!
• Have fun and be creative!

• Provide feedback that is useful. 
  • Feedback Rules
    • Talk about something you like.
    • Talk about something that could be improved.
    • Offer corrections (i.e. grammar and spelling for ELA, Equations for math).

Activity # 1: Digital Story Board (ELA) 

In this activity, students will gather together in groups of 2 to 4. They will need at least 1 tablet in order to work together on this. They will summarize a story read in class and construct a short summary of a story. This summary could be about the events of the entire story, a specific part of the story, or even a chapter; it could also be used for short stories.

An example of a story created within Book Creator

They should first write this summary out on paper first and discuss it with a group before using the Book Creator to create their summary. They will then create their digital storyboard and submit it to the class library. Students can either present their storyboard to the class or they can have other students review and give feedback on their storyboard. 

Activity # 2: Math Problem Solving Guide (Math)

In this activity, the teacher will provide a set of problems that students will solve; the math should be on grade level and appropriate for the level. As a group, students will solve those problems and check to make sure they are accurate. They will then create step by step instructions for solving their assigned problems.

Some of the pre-built templates available in Book Creator

They will then use Book creator to complete a step by step guide for solving their problems. Afterwards, they will share their solutions with the class. In the post lesson reflection, have students reflect on which solutions were the best and what were the most useful. 

Citations

Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Book Creator. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/book-creator

Drivenes Moore, H. T., & Trysnes, I. (2021). Kindergarteners building a library of their own: Using apps to make digital stories and work towards lifelong learning in information literacy. Journal of Information Literacy, 15(3), 4–19. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/10.11645/15.3.2825

Tri Yudha Setiawan, & Aidil Fikri. (2022). The Development of E-Lkpd Using Book Creator on Fraction Operations Material in Elementary School. MaPan: Jurnal Matematika Dan Pembelajaran, 10(1), 116–126. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/10.24252/mapan.2022v10n1a8

Introduction

Powtoon is a web application that a person can use to create live videos for various purposes. In educational settings, Powtoon is useful in stimulating communication, supporting educators to teach with ease, and helping learners to acquire knowledge most simply.

• As an educator, I can use Powtoon to create introductory videos, introducing myself and the course to my students.
• I can create samples of course assignments or course projects (for Groups), using animated videos to show my students the important components of next classes or upcoming exams, quizzes, tests, etc.
• I can create basic lecture topics by showing the key components of the topics to be discussed.
• I can present a guest speaker using Powtoon features to display a photo of the person and give a brief background of the person.

 Subject area

Since Powtoon is a presentation software, it is good for every subject. You can use it to present/illustrate what you would like your audience to see in person. What you need to do is produce your message using slides and incorporating animation with the available Powtoon features.

Education Level

AS Powtoon is a live presentation software, educators can establish and run digital engaging classes with their students at all levels.

Features

Powtoon’s subscription offers a powerful video production tool used to create visual tutorials for learners and customers, make various kinds of videotapes, create YouTube advertising videos, create artifact videos, organize virtual presentations, produce live videos, promoter videos, and cartoon-style videos.

Pros of Powtoon

• Its attribute of animation software provides the effortlessness of producing excellent videotapes.
• The different animation properties and templates of Powtoon make it easier for users to create presentations and live videos.
• Its attribute of a large media library makes it easier for users to make live video productions.

Cons of Powtoon  

• You will need to make some purchases such as Pro-Plan and Starter-Plan before you can be allowed to export your videos and store them in MP3 format. If you do not know about these arrangements before you start your video creation, you can be discouraged.
• It is challenging and time-consuming to attach videos in succession and upload images. If files are not stored chronologically, it is always tough to access and keep track of them.
• The highest videotape quality is not exceptionally great, as the media files have a limited variation of topics.

Live Production

The benefit of animation resources that Powtoon offers supports users in producing live videos. Users can exhibit graphical and simulated materials to demonstrate their info to their audiences. Animated visuals are very powerful in conveying a clear and direct meaningful message to viewers.

Education

In education, Powtoon is used for tutorials in teaching how to capture live events and presentations. It also gives info through the video tutorial about the importance and the uses of products and services.

For teachers

Educators use it to produce live lecture videos to discuss the course objectives, to feature orientation and training processes, and for the entire lecture presentation. Powtoon offers live learning experiences for students of all ages and abilities.

For Students

Students use this tool as they carry out research projects and generate final reports. Presentation sessions are a crucial part of their group projects. Powtoon helps students develop their projects and share them with their instructor for editing and evaluation.  It has an editing feature.

Class Activities

Activity #1: Powtoon can be integrated in classroom teaching for collaborative projects for students, such as group work presentation and pooled creativity. For example, what they will do is to go to the Powtoon.com site and sign up for free. Open the webpage and click on new button. There are many templates available. Users are allowed to use them free, choose whichever one you need and start creating. One person will start and then share or invite others to join.

Activity #2: It can be used for digital storytelling to enhance inspiration in student learning. For example: Students can use Powtoon for storytelling. What they should do is to open the Powtoon.com webpage and sign/create an account. They can choose a template or start from the scratch by selecting a blank template. Introduce the characters, select “Text” button and type in their story, select or embed animations. When they are done, they can share with the share link, copy link, or download.

Relationship between Powtoon and Computer-Supported Learning Theories

Because Powtoon has a feature of group collaboration, this attribute empowers the group to connect and participate in their project work. This supports engagement and innovative experience.

References

FauZiah et al (2021). Teaching Media “Powtoon” to Assist Students’ Writing Narrative Text.

Anwariningsih, S. H., & Sri Ernawati (2013). Development of interactive media for ictlearning at elementary school based on student self-learning.  Journal of Education and Learning. Vol.7 (2) pp. 121-128.

Sarkar, N., Ford, W. and Manzo, C. (2015). Engaging Students with Technology in an Asynchronous Learning Environment. In Proceedings of E-Learn: World Conference.

How can educators effectively address the challenges of reintroducing students to in-person classes after the disruptions caused by COVID-19, ensuring a smooth transition and creating an engaging and supportive learning environment?

Classcraft is an educational technology platform designed to enhance classroom engagement and motivation. It transforms the learning experience by integrating elements of role-playing games into the traditional classroom environment. In this gamified setting, teachers can form teams, assign avatars to students, and allocate points and special “powers” as incentives for positive classroom behavior. Within a fictional world, students assume diverse roles and earn points, powers, and privileges based on their behavior, participation, and academic accomplishments. By promoting positive behavior, teamwork, and goal-setting, Classcraft cultivates an interactive and enjoyable learning atmosphere. Additionally, teachers can utilize the platform to monitor student progress, communicate with parents, and tailor the gamified features to meet the specific needs of their classrooms.

Classcraft, known for its versatile and gamified approach, proves applicable across a diverse range of subject areas. Its adaptability makes it suitable for both humanities and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. Teachers have successfully incorporated Classcraft into language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and even physical education classes. The platform’s flexibility enables educators to tailor the gamified elements to match the unique dynamics and learning objectives of each subject. Studies have also highlighted the effectiveness of Classcraft in teaching grammar, English as a second language, physical education, and mathematics.

Applicability of the Technology Tool Across Education Levels

As a gamification tool, Classcraft supports educational use best for a K12 environment based on the way it motivates and monitors students’ behavior. The platform theme is based on role playing games, where students chose an avatar (Guardian, Healer, or Mage) with special powers they personify through course quests and activities. The instructor created quests can be tailored to specific behaviors they want to encourage or discourage in their students. As students’ progress through quests, they level up in the system and earn experience points, which can translate into real world benefits.

Extra features like Gold Pieces (GP) allow students to “purchase” in game features and Hearts keep track of the student’s progress or health towards the quest. Hearts can be used punitively if students do not behave in a way that aligns with the quest principles. Overall, because of the fantastical elements and emphasis on behavior modification, this learning tool is best geared towards a K12 audience.

Example of behavior tracking through XP and GP

Example of Fantastical Story Elements

Pros and Cons of Classcraft

Pros:

• No downloads required, everything works in the web browser
• Broad browser compatibility (Edge, Safari, and Chrome)
• Can support multiple classes
• Integrates with Google Classroom
• Available on mobile devices
• Parent portal allows parents to keep track of child’s progress
• Free license available

Cons:

• Time intensive for instructors to set up and customize content
• Can require semi-significant scaffolding and daily class time to maintain progress
• If not well scaffolded or done with care, feedback can feel punitive for students and therefore decrease motivation
• Premium version available, so not all features available through free license
• Does not perform well on accessibility tests ( DU EdTech Knowledge Base)

Classcraft can be utilized in collaborative activities across various subjects. One example is:

Boss Battle, a feature in Classcraft, offered an engaging and interactive way to review material and prepare for tests. It allowed teachers to assess students’ understanding while observing cooperation and autonomy. Teachers could choose between individual or team modes, where students’ or teams’ names appeared randomly on grammar questions. In team mode, students could discuss answers with teammates. The goal was to defeat a boss by correctly answering questions, decreasing the boss’ HP. Incorrect answers would decrease students’ HP. When the boss’ HP reached zero, the class won, earning rewards like GP and XP points for all students. Examples from Witari et al. (2021) are provided below.

Display of Boss Battle for the Team (Left) and Individual (Right)

Classcraft emphasizes autonomy, competence, and relatedness, key principles of Self-Determination Theory. Through the game, students can exercise autonomy by making choices, collaborate with peers, and receive rewards tied to their performance, fostering a sense of independence. Competence is developed as students engage with challenging tasks and showcase their academic skills. Additionally, Classcraft fosters a sense of connection and teamwork among students, encouraging social interaction as they collaborate towards common objectives.

References
Introduction to classcraft (2022) DU EdTech Knowledge Base. Available at: https://otl.du.edu/knowledgebase/introduction-to-classcraft/ (Accessed: 29 January 2024).

Rogat, T.K., Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., & DiDonato, N. (2013). Motivation in collaborative groups. In C.E. Hmelo-Silver, et al. (Eds.), The International Handbook of Collaborative Learning (pp. 250-267). New York: Routledge.

Witari, I., Anwar, K., & Arifani, Y. (2021). The effect of classcraft on enhancing grammar performance of Adult Learners. In 1st UMGESHIC International Seminar on Health, Social Science and Humanities (UMGESHIC-ISHSSH 2020) (pp. 108-121). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211020.019

Zhang, Q., Yu, L., & Yu, Z. (2021). A content analysis and meta-analysis on the effects of classcraft on gamification learning experiences in terms of learning achievement and motivation. Education Research International, 2021, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9429112

Microsoft describes its Microsoft Whiteboard as “a free-form, digital new canvas where people, content, and ideas come together. Whiteboard lets team members collaborate in real time, wherever you are. It also gives your ideas room to grow with an infinite canvas designed for pen, touch, and keyboard.”  

Enter Microsoft Whiteboard and choose from dozens of different templates that help teams organize their ideas into: 

• Brainstorming such as Moodboards 
• Problem Solving such as Cause and Effect Diagrams 
• Design and Research such as Storyboarding 
• Strategy such as Pros and Cons 
• Project Planning such as Goal Setting 
• Games such as Two Truths, One Lie 
• Learning such as KWL Chart 

Whiteboards can be shared with people to view or edit. Anybody with editing permission can add drawings with 3 distinct types of pens, Highlighters, Laser pointers, Rulers, Notes or note grids. You can also add Reactions, Comments, and Text. your Whiteboard can have a variety of Shapes or lines, Images, Documents, Loop Components, Videos, and Links! 

This technology tool can be applied to any subject area because it is a very general tool. Because it is a virtual whiteboard, it can be used for remote learning as a whiteboard would be used in a traditional classroom for in person learning. Or it can be used for remote or in person learning as a smart whiteboard that has a lot of the amazing features listed above. Students could connect with the teacher using their devices, or the teacher could use it solo with the students simply for showing them the features. There are many possibilities. Here are some examples: 

• ELA: Using a Cause-and-Effect diagram template for a book being read in class. Students could make their own diagram using this template and share theirs with the class. 
• Science: Using a Compare and Contrast template for Mercury and Venus to see how the two planets are similar and different. 
• Math: Using an Exit Ticket template for checking students’ understanding of adding fractions with the same denominators after a class. 
• Social Studies: Using a Vocabulary Word Map template to help students organize vocabulary for a Social Studies test. 

Just as with any subject, this tool can probably be applied to any education level if the right amount of scaffolding is and expectations are applied. Teachers must decide if they will use this tool just to project upfront on a big screen for the class to see, or if each student will participate with the teacher on their own devices. This decision will determine whether scaffolding and expectations need to come into play. If each student gets a device and is participating, teachers must consider things such as how much support will they give students with: 

• Logging into their devices. 

• Finding the shared whiteboard link. 
• Finding and using the different editing tools. 
• Properly collaborating with other students using the whiteboard. 

Teachers also must consider giving expectations using this tool such as: 

• Treat others with kindness 
• Stay on task and contribute meaningfully 
• Be open to different ideas 
• Use clear and concise language 
• Avoid hogging the whiteboard 

Pros and Cons of Microsoft Whiteboard: 

The Whiteboard tool can be used in collaborative activities in multiple ways, as mentioned earlier in our post. Some activities are:  

Activity 1: It can be used as a tool for Reflection or Check for Understanding/exit ticket, where students are asked to post questions on sticky notes, and then encourage students to read and answer someone else’s question by elaborating or giving examples. For example, in their math class, a teacher can gauge student’s understanding of adding fractions with the same denominators after a class by asking them to reflect on what they learned today, what they found interesting, and what questions students still have. 

 Activity 2: Have students work in pairs/small groups (2-4 students) to complete the Venn diagram to compare and contrast the planets Mercury and Venus. While comparing and contrasting the concepts, encourage students to elaborate on their reasoning and explanations, include any questions they might have, and discuss the provided discussion questions. This way, it can model their thought-process (Slavin, 1996).  

Microsoft Whiteboard aligns with the theory of collaborative elaboration by providing a dynamic and interactive platform that enhances communication, creativity, and teamwork. Collaborative elaboration emphasizes the joint effort of individuals to build upon and refine ideas collectively. It facilitates the activity by providing a dynamic, inclusive, and versatile platform that supports real-time and remote collaboration, easy editing, multimedia integration, and efficient archiving of collaborative efforts. This aligns seamlessly with the principles of collaborative elaboration, enhancing the overall effectiveness of group discussions and idea development. 

Citations: 

Reines, M. (2023, November 16). Microsoft adds AI tools for copilot in teams, collaboration: TechTarget. Unified Communications. https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/news/366560012/Microsoft-adds-AI-tools-for-Copilot-in-Teams-collaboration

Wen, H. (2023, June 15). 13 tips for Microsoft whiteboard. Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/3699139/how-to-use-microsoft-whiteboard.html