Digital tools and environments

We're using the term 'classroom technologies' here to designate software and hardware used in face-to-face teaching sessions such as lectures and seminars.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a commonly-used presentation software that is part of the MS Office suite of tools. In higher education it is used in three main ways:

  • to organise slides (used in conjunction with a data projector) to present to audience;
  • to create handouts (eg three slides to a page with space for notes); and
  • to upload to the virtual learning environment (VLE) as an online resource.

Starboard

Starboard is another variety of presentation software. It is installed in many of the teaching spaces (eg John Galsworthy, Hawker Building) and will eventually be installed in all centrally-programmed teaching spaces. Starboard is best thought of as a kind of electronic whiteboard deployed in conjunction with an interactive screen, a stylus and a data projector. With Starboard users can annotate:

  • a blank page;
  • an imported document (eg a Word document, or a jpeg or gif image); or
  • a screen grab of the PC screen.

The annotated pages can then be saved as a PDF and made available as a record of the teaching event.

Prezi

Prezi is a web-based presentation tool that offers an interesting alternative to PowerPoint. Unlike PowerPoint, which uses sequentially arranged slides, Prezi uses a single canvas.

Text, images, videos and other presentation objects are placed on the infinitely expandable canvas and may (or may not) be grouped together in frames. The canvas allows users to create non-linear presentations in which users zoom in and out of a visual map. Linearity can be restored to a Prezi presentation by creating a 'path' through the different objects and frames.

Although Prezi presentations are developed online via a browser, once complete they can be downloaded for use when an internet connection is unavailable. An 'embed' code is available for each presentation allowing them to be integrated into blog posts, web or StudySpace pages.

Electronic voting systems

Electronic voting systems (also known as personal or audience response systems or interactive voting systems) of one sort or another have been around for a while now. However, their uses in higher education to support student engagement during lectures, stimulate interaction and improve learning have only recently begun to be evaluated.

Electronic voting systems typically consist of a kit containing:

  • voting pads;
  • a receiver that plugs into a USB port of the computer you're using; and
  • software (often an extension to PowerPoint).

Typically, electronic voting systems involve the use of multiple choice or true/false questions presented during a lecture on PowerPoint slides with students invited to 'vote' on the answers. After voting has taken place, the results are displayed in a new PowerPoint slide and used as the basis for further discussion or clarification.
Benefits of electronic voting systems include their ability to:

  • encourage collaboration;
  • increase attentiveness and knowledge retention;
  • poll student views anonymously;
  • display polling results immediately;
  • confirm audience understanding of key points immediately;
  • create an interactive and fun learning environment; and
  • provide data to start debate or provide opportunity for clarification and expansion.