Description
This course has been designed for teachers who want to integrate educational apps into their teaching methods, and who want to be able to design and create their own e-learning projects that they can deliver to their students.
Technology plays a hugely important role in the learning process, and educational apps are an essential part of modern, up-to-date classrooms, as they provide students with various opportunities for more efficient, engaging learning methods and higher-level thinking.
Participants will discover some of the most popular and practical educational apps for the classroom, applicable to a wide range of subjects and learning abilities. They will learn how to properly integrate these apps into their teaching as powerful tools to enhance their students’ education, and they will become familiar with the concept of ‘app smashing’.
E-learning opens up access to a wealth of information and resources and, if delivered correctly, it can make the process of teaching and learning more fluid and enjoyable.
Instructional design is the practice of designing online courses in an efficient and appealing way. In fact, in order to avoid dropouts in digital learning and fully engage students in the learning process, correctly planning the e-learning path is crucial.
In this course, participants will handle the principles of instructional design with a practical approach.
They will be introduced to the main open-source authoring tools (software packages that developers use to create and package e-learning content that is deliverable to users), and they will challenge themselves in designing and developing their own projects.
Requirements
Suggested computer proficiency: Intermediate
Learning outcomes
The course will help the participants to:
- Use different educational apps in class, providing students with the best learning experience;
- Acquire a general overview of the many educational possibilities of using educational apps and the motivational dimension brought to the classroom when using them;
- Design and develop an online lesson with an open-source authoring tool.
Tentative schedule
Day 1 – Course introduction & technology in the classroom
Course introduction
- Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
- Icebreaker activities.
Technology in the classroom
- What technologies do you use in your classroom?
- How to integrate Mobile Devices into your lessons;
- Pair and group work activities;
- Presentations of the participants’ schools.
Day 2 – Online safetey
- A safe use of Social Media: what to use, how to use it;
- Proposed apps for teachers.
- Activities, reflection and questions.
Day 3 – How to use ICTs in class
- Introduction of web platforms and apps that will make your lessons more entertaining and interactive;
- Finding, gathering and sorting online resources.
Day 4 – Quizzes and educational games
- Learning through game-based platforms.
Day 5 – Apps for learning
- Apps for a different and comfortable way to learn;
- Creating visual resources to make learning easier.
Day 6 – Round up & cultural activities
- Round up of acquired competences, feedback, and discussion;
- Excursion and other external cultural activities.
Day 7 – Rest day
- Day off
Day 8 – Digital learning
- Learning Management Systems & Moodle.
Day 9 – Create visual presentations with PowerPoint
- How to create effective presentations;
- Hints and tips from a PowerPoint addicted;
- A few notes on visual design;
- Activity: Create a short presentation with PowerPoint, and upload it on Moodle;
- The principles of digital learning for adult learners;
- Activity: Re-work your presentation’s content;
- Activity: Presentations of the participants’ schools.
Day 10 – Create video clips & formative and summative assessment in online learning
Create video clips
- How to create video clips for your online courses;
- Recording and screencasting;
- Activity: Create a short video clip, and upload it on Moodle.
Formative and summative assessment in online learning
- What, why, and how to ask;
- Online quizzes as a (self-)assessment tool;
- Activity: create your online assessment, and upload it on Moodle.
Day 11 – Structure a self-paced module
- Learning materials: what’s more in an online course?
- Online tasks and job-aids;
- Create the introduction and the conclusion sections;
- Activity: develop a complete self-paced module in Moodle, and share it with the course participants.
Day 12 – Structure a self-paced course & course closure
- Instructional design: an introduction;
- Plan online learning to guarantee your learners’ results;
- Know your learners and identify their needs;
- Learning taxonomies: framing skills, cognitive abilities, and contents;
- Set learning objectives for your learners;
- Structure your course and align the learning objectives;
- Activity: Design the structure of your course in Moodle;
- Activity: The introduction and conclusion of your course;
- Roundtable: what uses for self-paced courses in your teaching?
- Course evaluation: round up of acquired competences, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.