About the Workshop

In recent years there has been a constant increase in the number of students coming to lectures with cell phones, lap top computers, and tablets. These tools have changed the way and style of teaching but surprisingly, in most cases, have not had a significant effect on the frontal teaching methods used for years. Many teachers have chosen not to harness the new “guests” or integrate them in any way into frontal teaching.

Using technologies has many pedagogical advantages. The technologies contribute to creating variety in ways of teaching, increasing interest and commitment to learning, advancing processes of understanding and the students’ acquisition of knowledge, and improving the interaction between lecturer and student ,as well as among students themselves. In addition, the use of these tools enables constant access to information and experiential education, and helps the process of continuous learning throughout the semester. In this workshop we will present technological tools that can be integrated into classes and between them, emphasizing the use of questionnaires and surveys and how they should be activated so that they contribute to building knowledge and serve as “teaching assistants.” We will learn how to activate the students, using their smart phones and lap tops, in a way that encourages different levels of knowledge and thinking. During the workshop we will experiment with tools such as: Kahoot, Tricider, ParticiPoll, Polleverywhere, To-Be, Mentimeter as well as various google tools.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the workshop you will know how to collect answers to various questions from the audience during a lecture and present them in a variety of ways. You will also learn how and when it is worthwhile to implement Prof. Eric Mazur’s model of “peer instruction.” In addition, you will be able to manage students’ questions during the lecture (using technological means) without disturbing its course and create an active and through-provoking discussion on a digital platform.

Additional Information:

The length of the workshop is around 4.5 hours.

Workshop Facilitators: Dr. Michal Ramot and Mr. Yochai Ofran