Selecting Technologies

This page helps you choose among various technologies (not just LMSs) using two approaches:

  • examples of learning outcomes, the kinds of learning activities that could achieve those outcomes, and how those activities could be supported by various learning technologies
  • examples of the tools you may be interested in using and the types of activities and learning outcomes that are likely to be relevant.

Learning outcomes x technology tools matrix

Table 1: Sample learning outcomes, rationales and activities

The following table provides examples of learning outcomes, the kinds of learning activities that promote those outcomes, and how the activities could be supported by learning technologies.

Desired learning outcomes (What?) Rationale (Why?) Relevant activities (How?) Potential technological tools
  • Information literacy
  • Global practice
  • Digital literacy
  • Ethical practice
  • Preparation for success
  • Exposure to, awareness of, contribute to external
    • activity
    • conversations
    • resources
    • techniques and approaches
  • Appropriate referencing
  • Appropriate equipment of the 21st Century graduate
  • Managing information load
  • Multi-dimensional evaluation
  • Sharing and reviewing online resources
  • Connecting with outside experts/ communities
  • Check for plagiarism
  • Media making/ mashups
  • Digital storytelling
  • Copyright/Creative Commons discussions
  • Activities relevant and authentic to discipline
  • Embedded activities for generic attributes
  • Contextual prompts to evaluate sources
  • Self-directed learning
  • Reflective practice
  • Engaged learning
  • Co-learning
  • Quality learning environment and experience
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Feedback on the course
  • Reflection on learning
  • Global practice
  • Consistency of experience (equity)
  • Problem/case-based learning
  • Flexible access to material
  • Project planning and management
  • Student self-tests
  • Teacher (and technology) as facilitator of learning
  • Choice of modes and activities
  • Access to technology (e.g. mobile devices)
  • Agreed code of conduct
Giving and receiving feedback
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Feedback on performance
  • Collaborative writing
  • Group negotiation and planning
  • Assessment of team work
  • Review (e.g. group work)
  • Publishing
  • Reflection
  • Working in teams
  • Collaborative practice
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • (for teacher) management of group work
  • Digital literacy
  • Inclusivity (e.g. NESB)
  • Collaborative writing
  • Group negotiation and planning
  • Project planning and management
  • Problem/case-based learning
  • Assessing team contribution
  • Media based projects
  • Variety of communication styles supported
  • Critical reviewing
  • Critical thinking
  • Independent learning
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Feedback
  • Practice of
    • critical reviewing
    • critical thinking
  • Reflecting
  • Debating
  • Reviewing
  • Social knowledge building
  • Review of/commentary on online material
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Synthesis of learning
  • Apply learning (at high level)
  • Able to solve new problems
  • Application of knowledge in integrated way
  • Experience "authentic" practice
  • Integrative (could be group) project
  • Problem/case-based learning activities
  • Written communication
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Contribute to external
    • activity
    • conversations
    • resources
  • Appropriate referencing
  • Reflecting
  • Debating
  • Reviewing
  • Publishing
  • Checking for plagiarism
  • Oral communication
  • Presentation skills
  • Language proficiency
  
  • Sharing audio/video material
  • Presenting
  • Digital storytelling
  • Audio/video discussion and feedback

Table 2: Tools related to activities, and their contribution to learning outcomes

The following table provides examples of the tools you may be interested in using and looks at the types of activities and learning outcomes that are likely to be relevant.

Potential uses of technology Relevant activities (How?) Rationale (Why?) Desired learning outcomes (What?)
  • Social bookmarking
  • RSS feeds/aggregators
  • Sharing and reviewing online resources
  • Connecting with outside experts/communities
  • Exposure to and awareness of external
  • activity
  • conversations
  • resources
  • Information literacy
  • Global practice
Wiki
  • Collaborative writing
  • Group negotiation and planning
  • Project planning and management
  • Synthesis of knowledge
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Working in teams
  • Self-directed learning
  • Giving and receiving feedback
Blogs
  • Reflecting
  • Debating
  • Reviewing (e.g. group work)
  • Publishing
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Feedback on performance
  • Contribute to external
    • activity
    • conversations
    • resources
  • Information literacy
  • Global practice
  • Working in teams
  • Written communication skills
  • Critical reviewing
  • Giving and receiving feedback
Discussion forum
  • Reflecting
  • Debating
  • Reviewing
  • Social knowledge building
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Feedback
  • Written communication skills
  • Critical reviewing
  • Giving and receiving feedback
LMS groups (Moodle) Problem/case-based learning
  • Negotiate understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • (for teacher) management of group work
  • Working in teams
  • Self-directed learning
Peer review (Moodle) Assessing team contribution
  • Feedback on performance
  • (for teacher) management of group work
  • Self-directed learning
  • Reflective practice
  • Turnitin
 Checking for plagiarism Appropriate referencing
  • Information literacy
  • Academic writing
  • Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing
  • Seesmic
  • Voicethread
  • BB Collaborate Voice tools
  • Audio discussion and feedback
  • Video discussion
  • Review/commentary of online material
 Alternative to face to face or text
  • Oral language skills
  • Oral communication
  • Presentation skills
  • Critical reviewing
Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing
  • Working in a group
  • Connecting different locations
  • Archive conversations
  • Flexible access to activities
  • Presentation skills
  • Oral communication

Can be original work or sourced material.
  • Sharing video material
  • Presenting
  • Digital storytelling
  • Discussion trigger
  • Reflective tool
  • Archiving class activities
  • Digital literacy when part of student work
  • Alternative to face to face or text
  • Accommodates alternative learning styles (visual)
  • View material (locations, experiences etc.) not otherwise available
  • Multimodal/flexible access to resources
  • Revision for NESB or students unable to attend class
  • Presentation skills
  • Oral communication
  • Digital literacy
  • Enhance student experience
Interactive Media
  • Presenting core concepts concisely
  • Simulations of processes, hypothetical problems or cause and effect
  • Illustrates complex concepts
  • Alternative to face to face or text
  • Accommodates alternative learning styles (visual)
  • Aids knowledge retention
  • Supports learning by experimentation
  • Improve learning outcomes
  • Enhance student experience
Echo360 Flexible access to material Revision for NESB or students unable to attend class Self-directed learning

See also on this section of the website: