Distance learning and digital technology: Adapting a microblogging tool to develop online collaboration
Written By: Victoria Cook and Paul Warwick
6 min read
Chartered College of Teaching · Distance learning and digital technology
The sudden shift towards distance learning has led many teachers to seek out a variety of distance-learning tools, such as Google Classroom, Skype or Zoom. These tools bring many benefits, but their efficacy as a partial replacement for face-to-face teaching is undergoing a severe practical examination in a time of crisis. In our ongoing research into the ways in which digital technology mediates classroom dialogue, we focus on how students can collaboratively share and discuss ideas when using digital tools remotely. Here, we explore how one microblogging tool, Talkwall, designed to engage students in collaborative classroom interaction, might be adapted to collaborative learning at a distance. And as teachers continuing to make decisions about which online tools to use, we explore students’ perspectives about using technology designed to assist their thinking when talking in groups.
Talkwall
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