What are ‘Digital Learning Activities’ and why are they important?
Digital Learning Activities are essential for Digitally Enabled Learning. These learning tasks support summative/formative assessment, and help students to unpack/make connections between content and learning aims/outcomes, for example:
Make connections between content and scheduled 'live' teaching
Example: Create/make available screencasts and content, then construct a related activity which features/ links to the interactive session (‘Watch the screencast/read the article. Post on the class Padlet to share what you think are the three most compelling reasons for xxx and come ready to explain your post and peer review others in a group during the interactive session on Thursday’). See CQSD guidance: Learning Actively in the Classroom.
Link content to self-scheduled study
Example: Create/make available screencasts and content, and construct a solo activity for the student (‘Watch the video. Write down in your Blackboard Journal (1) the elements of good practice you observed and (2) the poor practice demonstrated’). See CQSD guidance: Self-scheduled study.
Unpack content through collaborative working
Example: Create/make available screencasts and content, and construct a related Blackboard Discussion activity to be completed as a Blackboard group. e.g. 'share what you think is the most important factor in the success of xxx, and explain why you think that. As a group, debate and decide a viewpoint that represents the negative and positive aspects, ready to share next seminar. Complete this by xx date'). See CQSD guidance: Effective Groupwork.
However you choose to use Digital Learning Activities, you should follow these guidelines to engage your students.*If you are considering scenarios whereby students are present in the physical classroom and remotely online, see CQSD guidance about Hybrid teaching.
What technologies are available for Digital Learning Activities?
The table below provides links to further information and support for commonly used technologies. If you’re planning to use technology listed as ‘third-party’, see considerations when using third party tools/services in teaching and learning.
| Blackboard contact CQSD TEL for support |
Office 365 contact DTS for technical support |
Third party technologies contact provider for technical support |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Journals private space for students to record entries/reflect |
Microsoft Forms: polling/wordclouds etc quizzing/surveying within and outside of scheduled teaching |
Padlet collaborative online pinboards for displaying text & multimedia posts: within and outside of scheduled teaching |
| Ultra Discussions discussion boards & forums |
Microsoft Whiteboard collaborative digital whiteboards, for use in-class or in Blackboard |
Online Reading Lists (Talis) |
| Ultra Class Conversations switch on discussions for individual content items; allows students to comment & reply |
Polls in Teams Meetings for collecting student responses in webinars |
Free/freemium ‘student response’ apps in-class polling/quizzing/student interaction |
| Ultra Tests informal, formative quizzes or summative assessment |
Teams break out rooms for groupwork during webinars |
LinkedIn Learning self-access online learning resources |
| Quizzes embedded into YuJa videos how to embed quizzes directly into YuJa videos |
OneNote and Class Note portfolios and collaborative co-authoring activities |
Box of Broadcasts (BoB) record broadcasts and access archives |
| Ultra Groups | O365 co-authoring tools portfolios and collaborative co-authoring activities |
– |
| Ultra Forms survey tool |
PowerPoint Online collaborative posters and presentations |
– |
| Ultra Peer Review allow students to peer review Blackboard Assignment submissions |
Freehand drawing | – |
| Turnitin PeerMark allow students to peer review Turnitin submissions |
Teams spaces for student collaboration group work/projects |
– |
| Formative assessments: How to provide feedback with no mark | – | – |
Where can I find further ideas and inspiration for Digital Learning Activities?
For quick and simple activity ideas, you can pick from a menu of common Digital Learning Activities, and if designing from scratch, see good practice guidance:
| Live online sessions |