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E-LEARNING MATERIALS, METHODS AND TOOLS TO ACTIVATE STUDENTS

Conference Paper · December 2018

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 E-LEARNING MATERIALS, METHODS AND TOOLS TO ACTIVATE
STUDENTS

Anne Uukkivi, Lecturer, PhD, uukkivi@tktk.ee

Oksana Labanova, Lecturer, MSc, oksana.labanova@tktk.ee

Abstract: Our daily life has become highly interactive: we search for information on the Internet; we
communicate via the Internet; and we comment, “like”, chat and tweet. These everyday habits also
affect the teaching and learning environment.
According to a joint research of Tallinn and Tartu Universities (Jõgi et al, 2013) students prefer to be
actively involved in the learning process and they believe that active involvement helps them to better
understand their study objectives and content. However, they also think that lecturers do not use
involvement techniques enough in the learning process.
The aim of this paper is to share the best practices for increasing students’ involvement in the learning
process, based on the experience of the lecturers of the Centre for Sciences of TTK University of
Applied Sciences (TTK UAS). To support and involve students we have introduced a variety of
interactive teaching methods and educational technology tools. Free online tools are used for this
purpose. Our selected learning materials and methods are effective in the classroom and also in an e-
learning environment. Our students’ feedback has been positive.
Students appreciate short tutorial videos as learning material and also as a method for giving and
receiving individual feedback. They like assignments which have a competitive element (individually
or as a team), practical assignments and games, especially if they are related to their specialty.
Immediate feedback is important for students as well.
This has helped to lessen problems, such as the varying progress and academic level of learners,
working students, and students of different nationalities. Since part of the materials can be made
available online, the amount of material to be covered during contact hours has decreased.

Keywords: e-learning, classroom learning, learning materials, learning methods, online tools,
interactive teaching

INTRODUCTION

According to Biggs and Tang (2008) lectures and consultations were efficient when carefully
selected students brought with them a deep learning attitude. Today’s learners’ learning attitude is
characterised by Aaver, et al (2015, p.140) as follows: young people prefer those specialisations
that require less mental effort than technical specialisations and those that are more profitable.
According to Hodgson (1984), the lectures may be effective for the transmission of information, but
they do not develop the student’s thinking like active learning methods do. Also Jõgi, et al (2013, p.
19) have said: enhancing learners’ motivation needs the activation of students. According to Braun
(2015) we use the notion of active learning in the meaning of any learning “strategy that provides
students with opportunities to directly engage with content during class, whether individually or
collaboratively with peers”.

The aim of the article is to share TTK UAS Centre for Sciences lecturers’ best practices in
increasing student activity in the learning process. These active learning activities are used by the
science lecturers of TTK UAS Centre for Sciences.

STARTING POINT OF CHANGES

Next we give a short overview of the main principles on which we based our classroom and blended
learning changes. The study helped us to understand the nature and needs of our students and what
they as university graduates are expected to accomplish at their future workplaces.

Much has been written about the new generations of learners (Coomes & DeBard, 2004; Oblinger
& Oblinger, 2005; Rosen, 2011). Several researchers have pointed out both learning and working
differences between the current generation and previous generations. Marvet (2016) has pointed out
that young people learn very differently than their teachers did. They want challenges, they need to
know how to get things done more easily and with less effort. It is important to young people to try
things and that learning activities are playful. They spend much time playing games, and it is even
good, because then they are competing and developing their creativity and problem-solving skills.
Therefore there is a constant need to create situations in which they can ask, search and invent new
solutions. Our learners prefer immediate feedback. The digital generation is accustomed to getting
responses immediately, and that is why they expect quick feedback in the classroom as well. If they
do not get it, their interest will disappear and the results will probably be weaker.

At the same time we continued planning and carrying out the learning process based on the
requirements of workplaces. One of those requirements is according to Biggs and Tang (2008)
developing our students as lifelong learners. This can only happen if the learning takes place not
only in the classroom, but also outside the formal environment. According to a study about the
future trends on the labor market Work and Skills 2025 (2016) relevant skills are the ability of
virtual collaboration and programming thinking (converting large data of abstract concepts),
conceptualization, creativity and adaptability, self-management. Active learning is in particular
suitable for development of such skills, because it supports students to make sense and transfer to
reality the lessons learned. According to Rüütmann (2017) efficacy of active learning is proved by
results of electrodermal, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and brain activity
researches. The results of those researches have shown improvement in remembering and learning
outcomes.

CHANGES IN LEARNING PROCESS

At TTK UAS we use classroom learning and blended learning in the e-learning environment
Moodle. The following table contains some examples about learning materials, methods and
educational technology tools that lecturers of the Centre for Sciences use in the learning process.

Table 1. Some examples about learning materials, methods and tools

Learning material/method ICT tool

Online instructional videos Lensoo, ScreenCast-O-Matic + SnippingTool, ZoomIT, Geogebra

Interactive worksheets Wizer

Mind maps Mindmeister (Google Drive, GD)

Quizzes Kahoot, Mentimeter

Games LearningApps, Sheets (GD)

Online Instructional Videos

Videos have supported education for many years. Video tutorials make learning much easier than
printed material or online help pages. They have become an integral part of our learning process
and help convey material through auditory and visual channels, creating a multisensory learning
environment.
When used effectively, videos can be a powerful way to engage students with course content and
deepen learning. We use online tutorials: to support or increase the understanding of course content
and as the primary mode of content acquisition. There are four basic ways how our teachers use
tutorials: course welcome video, mini-lectures, short solving of exercises, “how-to” videos.

There is a lot of useful content on the Internet. However, lecturers of the Centre for Sciences of
TTK UAS create their own instructional videos. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is
that there are almost no materials in Estonian on the Internet. When creating tutorials in Estonian
we give students the opportunity to better understand the content in their native language. Secondly,
the videos correspond to the curriculum of TTK UAS. We can take into account learning outcomes
of our courses.

To create videos our lecturers use a free tablet application Lensoo Create and screencasting
application Screencast-O-Matic.

Lensoo Create is a virtual whiteboard with voice recording and digital writing possibilities.
This application gives the lecturer a blank screen and allows to write, type, draw and add pictures. It
also allows to take photos while creating a video. The lecturer can add audio recordings to the
presentations.

Fig. 1 - Printscreen of video made with Lensoo Create

We use Lensoo Create mainly to create short 6-8 min videos (free version of Lensoo allows to make
videos up to 15 minutes long) with examples of problem solutions in math subjects. These short
videos are appreciated by our students, especially by distance-learners. We use mini-lecture videos
to implement the flipped classroom model, where students are taught at home via lecturettes,
followed by content-based exercises in the classroom.
Fig. 2 - Printscreen of video created with Lensoo Create (the background is a picture of theoretical
material)

Our lecturers also create their individual backgrounds, add them to the application and use them as
necessary. Lensoo Create has a simple design and therefore it is easy to use according to the
lecturers’ and students’ needs.

Using Lensoo Create we can quickly share our ideas by e-mail, Moodle or other virtual
environments from practically anywhere and by just adding the appropriate link. This application
allows the user to convert videos to MP4 fails as well, but it may take several hours. It is possible to
get an embed code of a created video and add it to your online course.

But Lensoo Create does not offer all tools necessary for our purposes and it does not enable to
explain some specific problems. For example, it has no screencasting function, like some analogue
tools do.

For screencasting some of our lecturers use free educational tool Screencast-O-Matic (SOM). This
is a screen-capture service that has a highly functional free version. It allows to record the screen,
the lecturer, or both, and alternate between cameras and the lecturer can also add audio recordings.
It is simple to use, simple to download to a computer and to record. Usually we use SOM for
making course welcome videos and “how-to” videos.
 Fig. 3 - Printscreen welcome video made with SOM

In our “how to” short tutorials we often give instruction for students how to use special application
(such as Geogebra, MsExcel, MsWord) or online calculators (such as Symbolab, Desmos,
Wolframalpha). Such videos are useful to and they can be effectively used to discuss certain topics.
SOM allows to convert videos to MP4 fails or upload to a SOM account or Youtube.

In order to make videos visually more attractive and better for understanding we use such
applications as Snipping tool and ZoomIt. The easiest way to make a copy of some part of computer
screen is to ta take a snapshot of it. This is what we do with Snipping, which Windows provides.
We use it very often to make pictures which we use hereinafter in tutorial videos.
When creating a video with SMO we also use ZoomIt. ZoomIt is a screen zoom and annotation tool
for presentations. ZoomIt runs easily and activates with customizable hotkeys to zoom in on an area
of the screen, enables to move around while zoomed, and draw on the zoomed image. It is a simple
and proven way to display important formulas. We also use ZoomIT in classroom during our
lectures.

Fig. 4 - Printscreen of video made with SOM using ZoomIT

Lecturers of the Centre for Sciences of TTK UAS use short videos also for giving individual
feedback for students (finding mistakes, giving further instructions, etc.). The ability to share
created video links in a quick way makes it easy for our lecturers to email notes to students or share
information for them to review homework or to help them prepare for a big test.

Fig. 5 - Printscreen of personal video made with Lensoo Create

Interactive worksheets

Interactive worksheets are suitable for comprehensive explaining of the topic. The worksheet may
consist only of a limited number of exercises or of learning material and exercises that support
learning tasks.

For example, we use worksheets for teaching pivot tables and slicers in Excel. This worksheet
begins with a video followed by different types of tasks: questions in a table, multiple choice
questions, image tagging, and a discussion. This is a learning material and self-assessment
worksheet at the same time. Learners can practice and get feedback immediately after finishing the
worksheet.

We used Wizer.me for creating this worksheet. Wizer’s interface is modern and easy to use. It
allows to ask questions also in audio format and with pictures. This tool cannot be used for self-
control tasks and all types of question cannot be assessed automatically. Wizer has 9 different types
of tasks. Students need to have an account, it enables to follow their progress. The lecturer can see
the answers individually and all together. Lecturers and students need to enter using either their
Wizer.me, Google, Microsoft, or Edmodo account. Wizer’s worksheets can be embbeded into e-
learning environment or a link can be added to a worksheet.
 Fig. 6 - Printscreen of Wizer’s worksheet

Mind maps

Mind maps are used in particular for teaching terms and showing relationships, but they can also be
used for summarising a topic. For example, when we begin to analyse data in Excel, we deal with
the main principles and techniques of Excel. As a result we create a mind map about Excel basics.
This mind map helps students to remember all the must-be rules.

Fig. 7 - Printscreen of Mindmeister mind map

Mindmeister is a mind mapping tool. It can also be used through Google Drive. The application
enables to add comments, links and videos. Mind maps can be divided with different rights (the
student can edit, or just view). The free version has the disadvantage of the 3 mind map limit. This
restriction can be eliminated by making the image about the mind map and then deleting the
original. Mindmeister environment can be accessed using Mindmeister, Google, FB, Office 365,
Twitter, Biggerplate, or Unilogin account. Mind maps can be used in an e-learning environment by
link or embed code.

Online short quizzes

Online short quizzes are a quick way for the lecturer to evaluate the students’ knowledge. The
students can check their current level. The rating process is a method to ensure that students are
participating in the lecture.

Lecturers of the Centre for Sciences of TTK UAS use for this purpose a free online quiz making
tool Kahoot. Kahoot is a free student-response tool for all platforms. It allows lecturers to run game-
like multiple-choice answer quizzes in real time. Questions, along with answer choices are
projected onto a classroom screen while students submit responses using a personal device.
Excitement in the game escalates as updated ranks appear on the class scoreboard after each
question; personal points’ data is sent to each device. The Team Mode mixes things up and allows
groups of students to cooperate with each other and compete against other teams. In our opinion
Kahoot’s online short quizzes are a great solution to interact with our audience and to add dynamics
to our lectures.

Our lecturers found it very convenient that playing students do not have to have an account, only a
game PIN from the main screen and a name. We often play Kahoot at the beginning or at the end of
a lecture, it is comparable with whole-class discussions, but takes much less time. Since the data
can be downloaded by lecturers and viewed in Excel, sometimes we use Kahoot as a way of
assessing or for sharing bonus points to students.

Often our lecturers create a Kahoot quiz in mathematics to test the students’ ability to read graphics.
But in this case Kahoot has one significant disadvantage: it does not allow to write mathematical
text (except superscript and subscript). So in general we have to insert formulas using pictures.

Fig. 8 - Printscreen of Kahoot’s question (classroom screen and students’ device views)

Kahoot has a well-known analogue called Mentimeter, but it allows to create only five questions
free of charge. Mentimeter is different in that students see the questions not only on the classroom
screen, but also on their personal devices. Our lecturers use it less frequently.

Games

To make learning more effective and enjoyable we suggest to use games that are not based on
competition like Kahoot as well. For example Sudoku, crosswords or pair finding which can be
played individually or in a team.

Our colleague Elena Safiulina uses Sudoku for teaching linear and quadratic equations. Students are
asked to solve equations and enter the answers into Sudoku boxes. It is team work and we use
Google Sheets. Google Sheets enable to work together simultaneously, and it also allows to track
changes, e.g., the lecturer can see which learners have enrolled. The task can be added to the e-
learning environment using a link.

Fig. 9 - Printscreen of Sudoku in Google Sheet

Elena Safiulina also uses other games, mainly for individual assignments. For example she uses
“finding pairs” for teaching circle equations, and “sorting” for teaching canonical equations. For
creating such apps Elena uses LearningApps. This tool enables to easily create several quizzes and
games (millionaire games, puzzles, crosswords, matching, ordering, voting, etc.). It is also useful
for quick feedback. The only disadvantage of LearningApps is its old-fashioned design. Logging in
is not required. Games can be embedded into the learning environment or links added to these
games and quizzes.

Fig. 10 - Screenshot of sorting in LearningApps

LearningApps quizzes are similar to those of Wiser, but LearningApps tasks can not be aggregated.
 SUMMARY

The use of different freely available ready-made tools makes it possible for our teachers to focus on
content and teaching methods without getting caught up in design details. We have come to value
the ability to share our knowledge without being dependent upon the traditional classroom setting.
We have received positive feedback from our learners on the changes in the learning process.

Unfortunately, the tools described in this article have one common drawback when used to teach
subjects in the sciences: they lack a built-in math editor, forcing teachers to add formulas as images.
This makes editing materials inconvenient.

By now teachers at the TTK UAS Centre for Sciences have created quite a large bank of shared
math and science e-learning materials. As we create new materials, we try to take into account the
feedback of students and colleagues and follow the latest trends in e-learning.

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