Generations in the Classroom and Beyond the LMS: Free Digital Learning and Teaching Tools to Enhance Student Engagement (Weatherford College)

Students continue to change, and so must our classrooms and teaching strategies. Faculty should understand that there are differences between Gen Y and Gen Z students, and that we must continue to learn how to respond to, communicate with, and motivate our students. Even before the COVID-19 Pandemic changed the way higher education delivered instruction, EDUCAUSE’s 2019 Horizon Report stated that a significant development in higher education would be increased mobile learning. In March 2020, we all became mobile educators and learners, with the expectation that faculty members engage students in virtual environments as rich in relevant and meaningful experiences as are available in face-to-face classrooms. In an era in which all faculty members should all be prepared to reach students digitally, we need tools to effectively and efficiently instruct, monitor, motivate, captivate, and assess our students beyond what our LMS may provide.

By the end of this workshop, participants know or be able to:

• Use text messaging apps to communicate with students on a regular basis.
• Assess student comprehension of interactive online lecture material.
• Create video tutorials, with assessment questions embedded within those self-made videos.
• Communicate with students using visual discussion boards.
• Provide students with the ability to create their own videos that demonstrate mastery of course topics.
• Engage with students via online scavenger hunts related to course learning outcomes.

Plans for Audience Participation and Interaction:

Audience members will participate as students, using apps such as EdPuzzle, Goosechase, Padlet and others. After getting the feel for what is like to use these tools as "students," participants will have the chance to create their own exercises using those same apps and tools.

All workshop participants can obtain, at no additional cost:

• A digital badge and certificate that provide a web-enabled, verifiable documentation of your professional learning experience.
• CEUs, which are awarded by passing the post-workshop learning assessment with a score of 80% or better.