Imagine a scenario in a traditional class where the teacher is teaching a topic in Math. She has already shared the concept a few classes ago and now plans for the students to solve problems. She divides the class in groups of 5 and each teams sit together in a circle. She then hands over digital devices to them and asks them to open a particular web app on the device. The students then start working on the problems on the app – helping each other out with solving the problem and asking the teacher in case they get stuck. This is called collaborative learning. The students are learning how to be supportive to one another and encouraging each other to learn the concept. In collaborative learning, these apps are a medium to prompt students to talk to each other to sort a problem. Web Apps have changed the way students learn in a traditional class and online class. Web apps[1] are defined as “computer programs that utilize web browsers and web technology to perform tasks over the internet.” Why have apps become so important in classroom and online teaching? Web apps, Promote teaching and learning Encourage learner to contribute to learning – promoting motivation and performance Provide educational support – in terms of videos, audios, games, e-books or any other digital resource Track learner performance Organize and track information about classes providing insights Saves paper While there are apps that can be used in both traditional and online classes, there may be some that are more suitable to either educational set-up. Feel free to explore these apps in your traditional or online classes to experience. Before we proceed to the apps, we need to discuss what can these web apps do for the two learning environments to promote communication... Read More
