1. Choose Your Tools

Selecting the best tool for the job

Online learning can be extremely effective and interactive but, just as face-to-face learning, it requires thoughtful design. We have so many tools at our disposal today and it may sometimes be difficult to know which one to use in any given situation, for any given group of students or to accomplish a specific outcome.  Instructor/designer knowledge and comfort levels with various tools is often a factor in making the decision, as do things such as accessibility, FOIPOP, institutional support, etc. 

This activity will focus on the strengths and challenges of various online collaboration tools. To get there, your students will approach the same topic, using different tools.And then we'll see what happens!

Here are the Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria you should be working with/toward for this activity

Learning Outcomes
(your participants will be able to...)

Assessment Criteria
  • Use appropriate strategies and tools to establish and maintain instructor presence, and support learning and community goals
  • Articulate rationale for instructional choices (including tool selection) 
  • Articulate strengths & challenges of various online collaboration tools
  • Propose the kinds of learning activities best suited for synchronous or asynchronous online engagement