Overview

Whether teaching online or face to face, interactivity and engagement are important considerations for planning and teaching in the modern-day classroom. Classroom technology can aid with engagement in important ways. From student response tools to augmented and virtual realities, teachers are building engagement into lessons with interactive apps.

Instructions

In this assignment, you will create either a blog post of 1,200-1,500 words or a vlog post of 8-10 minutes to showcase your top three recommendations for educational technology applications or tools available today. You will also use one of the three tools you recommend to create an interactive asset for your learners.

According to your preference, complete either the Interactivity and Engagement Blog Post Template or the Interactivity and Engagement Vlog Post Template provided with this assignment.

1. For your blog or vlog post, start by determining who your target audience and sector will be. To whom will your blog or vlog post be aimed? Will you be speaking to early childhood, elementary, middle school, or high school teachers? Or are you selecting apps for use with adult learners in the business sector, higher education, medicine, government, or international audiences? The information you share and the apps you choose should align with the needs and interests of your audience and be of value in the future.
2. Once you have determined who your audience is, do some exploration to identify what you believe to be the top three best applications or tools currently available to professionals in your sector. These should represent current or trending apps that instructors and professionals in your sector are excited about and are actively using to increase engagement with their own learners. AnswerGarden and Quizizz are two example applications that have been linked in the resources section of this assignment to assist you in your search. You may also wish to explore augmented reality or virtual reality tools as one of your top three recommendations; links to Blippar (augmented reality example) and ExpeditionsPro (virtual reality example) have been provided with this assignment for possibilities for you to consider. In your search, attempt to find apps that are free rather than subscription-based.
3. Using one of your three recommended applications or tools, create an interactive asset for use with your audience. Examples of an interactive asset might be a quiz feature, an interactive timeline, or a web-hosted image with hyperlinks. Another example you might consider is ThingLink; see the ThingLink and ThingLink – Explore Modules links provided with this assignment for information on this tool for ideas for using the tool in engaging ways. Whatever application or tool you select, the interactive asset you create should employ fun and exciting engagement methods. Your audience should be able to easily access the interactive asset you have created, and it should work according to your description of it in your blog or vlog.
4. Once you have chosen your top three applications or tools, begin writing your blog post or vlog script.
   1. A good way to organize information for your audience is to begin with a brief introduction to the importance of interactivity and engagement. Assume that you are speaking to an audience with some knowledge of the importance but who desires to know more. Reference at least two journal articles published within the last five years for support in this section.
   1. Briefly cover the advantages and challenges of using educational technology tools in the classroom for interactivity and engagement. Base this portion of your presentation on personal experience as well as information found in your review of the literature. Reference at least two journal articles published within the last five years for support in this section.
   1. Share your top three applications/tools. Elaborate on and demonstrate how these tools can engage learners. Inform your audience of 2-3 important aspects of implementing these tools in instruction. Suggested aspects to consider include:
      1. Connectivity: Will the device work well with your current network? Are cables needed to connect parts together? Are there wireless options? If wireless, what kind of wireless connection is used? What kind of cable connection is needed? DisplayPort? HDMI? USB-C? Thunderbolt? 
      1. Integration: What operating system is required? Windows? Android? iOS? Will you transmit data to learners through Email, direct link, file transfer, or local file sharing? Will you connect to cloud storage services?
      1. Cost: What is the cost for purchase? Is there a “free” option? Are there hidden cost considerations such as maintenance, replacement parts, or subscriptions? 
      1. Support: Is it user-friendly for first-time users? Does the company provide tutorials? Who can you go to for support when something doesn’t work? How can your learners get support when something doesn’t work.
      1. Classroom Design: Is the tool used for asynchronous or synchronous distance learning or a face-to-face classroom? How will you display work to the entire class at the same time? How will you display new information to synchronous learners at a distance?
   1. Engage your audience by inviting them to use the interactive asset you created. Make sure you add the link to your template for submission.
   1. Provide closing thoughts by reminding your audience that, regardless of the tool, it’s about the teaching, not the technology (reference at least two journal articles published within the last five years in support of this important point). Focus your audience once again on the role interactivity and engagement play in teaching and learning.
5. Upload your blog or recorded vlog to a hosting service and share the link to your post on the assignment template. There are many free (or free trial) hosting services available; explore and find one that is the right fit for you. Some example blog hosting sites are Bluehost, SquareSpace, Wix, and WordPress. Some example vlog hosting sites are Brightcove, Dailymotion, Facebook, Wistia, Vimeo, vooPlayer, and YouTube.
6. Ensure all links shared on your completed assignment template are active and accessible. The entire blog should be visible on one screen. The vlog audio should be clear with no distractions.
7. Ensure the required minimum number of references (two journal articles supporting three different areas; a total of six) are properly formatted on the references page of the template. All references should be current; published within the last five years. Use current APA formatting.
8. Submit your completed template to this assignment in Canvas.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.