As a Learning Technologist, I work closely with our Faculty of
Health and Wellbeing as digital learning lead, to effectively embed technology
into learning and teaching practice. I am passionate about my work and find the
collaboration between academic colleagues and technologists to be particularly
rewarding.
I became an MIE Expert last
August after becoming more involved with the Microsoft support Number support
Number Educator Community. At our institution, we have heavily invested in Microsoft
support Number support Number technology solutions. This has seen us equip
every member of academic staff with a Surface Pro and transform our learning
spaces to support more innovative teaching methods. Office 365 hasprovided a suite of applications we have successfully embedded across the
learner experience to setup e-portfolios, start online communities, and create
more engaging and interactive learning materials. In March this year, I
was fortunate enough to present at the Microsoft support Number support Number Transformational Technologies conference
hosted at our institution. The presentation looked at the impact of using Microsoft support Number support
Number Teams to create active learner communities within the
School of Nursing. Fantastic feedback after the event highlighted that
colleagues from other institutions have since been inspired to start running
their own pilots with Teams. As an MIE Expert, I aim to showcase the work that
we do, share good practice and hopefully inspire others to adopt new and
innovative digital approaches.
My journey with Microsoft support Number support Number Teams
The introduction of Microsoft support Number support Number
Teams as part of the Office 365 application suite has drastically changed the
way in which learners can communicate, collaborate and access content online.
In an age where smart phones are becoming the essential device for students, it
is ever increasingly important to address their needs for much more accessible
and instant learning experiences.
When students begin their journey, it is vital that they are
able to connect with their peers and form meaningful relationships around their
studies. For some students this can be challenging and there are number of
different factors that can have effect.
Through a Faculty of Health and Wellbeing pilot, we have
evaluated Teams’ effectiveness in student participation and the way in which
learning has become much more accessible and able to take place outside the
traditional classroom setting.
We were able to address two clear concerns for academic staff in
relation to the learner experience:
1. A dropin student engagement with existing chat/discussion tools available via theUniversities VLE. Student expectations have shifted towards a much more instantand accessible learning experience that meets their needs.
2. The
creation of numerous social media sites (e.g. Facebook) linking to academic
courses and groups. Usually brought about by students and sometimes staff, they
have become increasingly difficult to police with no one quite knowing who has
ownership. This leads to inconsistency across the student experience and puts
staff and students in a difficult position; What if learners do not have an
associated user account to engage with the platform? Supposing they do, what if
they still don’t wish to interact with university groups in the same online
space where they connect their own private social lives?
Teams provides a free to access mobile/desktop application which
all students and staff automatically have access to through the universities
Office 365 license. This platform promotes digital professionalism and provides
an opportunity for learner’s voices to be heard in a secure and private
environment.
The accessible and appealing mobile interface of Teams has helped bring
students together with staff, taking learning outside of the traditional
‘classroom’. The student buy-in lies with the parallels drawn between Teams and
contemporary social media platforms. The new-look online communities galvanise
the student learning experience by complementing the existing University VLE.
Cohesion between these two core systems is key to overall engagement for both
students and staff.
·
“Accessibility and group support from peers.”
·
“Keeping in touch and sharing ideas. It’s easy to
use and navigate.”
·
“The phone app is so easy to access! It’s useful
for sharing information and seeking support.”
·
“It’s good to get to know people before I started.“
·
“Teams has allowed me to keep track of stages on
the module and share questions or answers.”
·
“Discussions could continue from lectures and it
enabled group supervision at any time.”
·
“Everyone is on the same page.”
·
“Very good for communicating with lecturers.”
So, if you are looking for a platform to communicate, collaborate and
share content with colleagues or learners – Teams has the answer!
Comments
Post a Comment