Create a connected learning experience
A connected learning experience embeds multiple opportunities and modalities for learners to access content, and to demonstrate their learning, alongside their peers. A connected experience also bridges learning in the school with learning at home and in the community. For learners with diverse needs, a connected experience creates more continuity in learning and provides more opportunities to access content and access support from their peers, educators, and families. When designing a connected learning experience, leverage tools that foster communication, collaboration, and access to multi-modal content across devices.
Fostering a connected learning experience supports the learner’s relationship with:
- Home and school
- School and community
- Peers
- Educators
- Learning content
- Self
Explore more about connecting home and school with The beginners’ guide to connecting home and school. To understand more about how this communication produces a connected experience, also read What are the benefits of chat and messaging?
These tools can be used to create a connected learning experience:
Translator: Bring cross-cultural perspectives with Microsoft's Translator application.
Flip: Provide learners with opportunities to express their learning orally and visually. Flip also allows learners to asynchronously connect with their peers. Learners who struggle with reading or writing have the opportunity to shine by expressing learning and ideas in verbal and visual format using Flip. With easy access from any device, learners record responses in the classroom, at home, or while conducting field experiences. Expand the walls of the classroom and provide opportunities for learners to practice informal or formal oral presentation skills. With built-in accessibility features like Immersive Reader and captions, Flip supports connected learning and access.
Wakelet: This content curation tool directs learners to a single digital space to view and interact with multi-modal content. Learners who struggle with organization can access and store content from a single curated place. Wakelet’s flexible design meets a range of curation needs from research projects to school newsletters. Use Wakelet for learners to collaborate on curation of resources for a project or to connect families with school resources and opportunities. Immersive Reader can be used with Wakelet to broaden access to content.
Forms: Bridge content and assessment for learners with Microsoft Forms. Within minutes, educators and school leaders can create custom surveys and assessments and embed video and images to expand access and increase personalization. Use Forms for school surveys for families and informal student assessment. Forms has a malleable design with features such as branching for differentiation. Forms provides multiple ways to promote access to content and access for learners to demonstrate their learning. Real-time access to clear data aids with the timely selection and implementation of interventions.
Teams chat: Through Teams chat, learners stay connected to peers inside and outside the classroom. Teams chat provides a safe, and secure digital environment for learners to collaborate on projects and to seek assistance from peers and educators. Learners can use chat to advocate for themselves in a quicker, more efficient way to get help and express ideas.
Using these Microsoft applications is a meaningful way to create a connected learning experience for all learners.