Week 3 Overview

While ISWO is about facilitating online rather than about designing and developing courses, sometimes instructors hired to teach an existing course want to ‘spruce it up’ a bit. That might mean updating a few readings or adding a video resource. But it might also mean using a new tool for an activity or even creating a new learning activity.

Here are a few guiding principles for selecting the right tool or mode for a part of a course:

1. Knowing about a range of tools gives an instructor a larger toolbox from which to select
2. Thinking hard about the purpose and desired outcomes will drive the selection of tools
3.  It is okay to get creative and playful

Caution: Many free tools have limitations to encourage people to upgrade to paid options. Check out the terms of use before you commit your learners. Many free tools have social networking options embedded; make sure you know how "open" a session or creation will be.