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DIY Starter Kit

Page history last edited by Rob Power 11 years, 9 months ago

DIY Starter Kit

Want to use mobile RLOs linked to QR codes in your blended-learning classroom?  Here are a few tips to get you started!

 

 

 

Use a free mobile web hosting service like Winksite

  • If you do not have access to a Learning Management System (LMS) that supports mobile web access, there are a number of free online services that will let you create sites compatible with mobile devices.
  • These sites will do the formatting for you! All you need to do is supply the content for each page!
  • Check out Cheri MacLeod's brochure on Getting Started with Winksite!
  • Note -- Winksite was used to create the mobile RLOs for the QR Cache project!

 

 

Decide what you want your students to do

  • Access short mini-lessons?
  • A new way of doing something you're already doing?
  • Something totally different?
  • Access supplementary learning resources?
  • Remember -- your learning activity should be situated and just-in-time!
    • Students should learn the content in a natural setting, performing realistic activities, just at the moment when they need it!
  • Click HERE for a list of resources with ideas on using QR codes in mobile and blended learning!

 

 

 

Tips on instructional design elements

  • Content should be in small chunks
  • Should take no more than 5 minutes to complete a single RLO
    • (after that, students will start to lose interest / attention)
  • Should create interaction with content and peers
  • Use a linear progression through the RLO pages
  • Should integrate instant formative feedback
    • The QR Cache project did this by incorporating "Test Your Knowledge" surveys after each RLO, which can be easily generated by Winksite!
  • Click HERE for a list of useful mLearning instructional design resources!

 

 

 

Tips for designing your RLOs

  • Divide your content into small chunks
    • No more than 2-3 short sentences per page
    • Ideally, students should not need to scroll to see all of the content
    • Practically, if you need to scroll, you should not need to scroll more than one full screen
  • Include images (if appropriate)
  • No more than 7-8 pages per RLO
    • Students will lose interest / attention
    • More than 7-8 pages will make it more difficult to digest all of the content
  • Include links to the previous, next, and home page
  • Create a new "channel" (in Winksite) for each RLO topic
  • Use a STORYBOARD template to sketch your page layouts 

 

 

 

 Adding graphics / media

  • Images, audio and video media are a great way to grab attention and increase comprehension

  • Audio and video clips should be as short as possible (no more than one minute)

  • Images should be sized to display on a mobile screen without scrolling (ie. no bigger than 200x250 pixels)

  • When using Winksite, media files need to be stored on an external online server

    • Winksite does this to minimize the size and loading times of mobile web pages

    • The images / media are embedded by URL link, so you should keep a list of the URLs for your media files

    • For the QR Cache project, images were stored in QUIA, but you can use just about any online file storage service (such as Flickr, Photobucket, Google Docs, etc)

 

 

 

Linking your RLOs to a QR code

  • QR codes are easy to generate
  • You can download a computer application or use a free online service to generate the QR code images...all you need to do is input the URL of your RLO!
  • Winksite automatically generates a QR code for your mobile site's homepage
    • But you'll need to generate your own QR codes for sub-pages!
  • There are also free QR code scanning and generating apps available for most mobile devices
  • The Teacher's Guide on the Use of QR Codes in the Classroom has a handy list of free QR Code generators, and a link to a lengthy list of QR code scanning apps!
  • Once you generate your QR codes, save the images with easy to recognize names (or you won't be able to tell them apart!)
  • Be sure to test EVERY QR code before you use them in your classroom! 

 

Main Project Links

 

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