Quick Wins

Academic colleagues are under such pressure from all quarters these days that it’s hardly surprising many find it difficult to invest time in learning how to use new technologies in their teaching.

That said, there are plenty of ‘quick wins’ out there – tools and techniques you can try out relatively easily, without adding to your workload. Here are a few ideas to consider:

– Make sure your modules on Learn (Moodle) comply with the minimum presence by completing your contact details, using the module noticeboard feature, and ensuring you have a reading list on the University reading list system.

– Instead of complaining to colleagues about students using their smartphones ‘surreptitiously’ in the classroom, exploit the phones by displaying student tweets on your topic in realtime. (Yes – it can work! See http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/teachingatkent/2012/04/10/twitter-in-the-classroom/ .)

– Use Turning Point, the centrally supported electronic voting system, to engage students in large lectures. You can add interactive slides very quickly and easily to your existing Powerpoint presentations.

– Have your lectures captured on ReVIEW. Much of the process is automated, and your students will thank you for it.

– Use clips from relevant TV programmes in the classroom (without infringing copyright). BoB (Box of Broadcasts) makes this a cinch.