This week we looked at ways of adding engaging content for a course. I think that the main idea that I got out of this week’s readings and videos is to assign small and simple tasks/assignments to track their progress and make sure they engage with the topic.

I think I could help the faculty implement this idea in their own course design by first reminding them of possible techniques of dividing up larger assignments and topics into smaller content that would not intimidate the student. I could then help them get acquainted with the in-video quiz feature and the conditional release feature in Canvas to assist them in tracking the students’ engagement in these smaller videos and readings. Finally, I think introducing faculty to the built-in discussion feature in Canvas (which is somewhat different to Blackboard’s discussion boards and forums feature) may help them gauge the understanding of students and create even more engagement.

One other important takeaway I had from this week, especially while building out my own course was that technology should not be used for the sake of using technology. Technology is only helpful when it simplifies or transforms tasks previously undertaken. I found it better to think about the advantages and disadvantages of the use of technology before starting to use it blindly.

In my case, I was trying to create the Q&A section for my course in Canvas, and I tried to decide between Piazza and the built-in discussion feature of Canvas. My gut instinct was to use Piazza since it had more features, but then I realized that these features were not necessary in a smaller class and that learning how to use Piazza would take away time from the students that they did not have to lose. After this evaluation, I chose to stick with the built-in discussion feature for my course.

I am sure the faculty are likely making the judgement on their own while creating their course content, but I think this is a good thing to remind them of. As a student, I did not really appreciate the complexities of different tools myself as well, preferring the simplest possible method to the fanciest one. So, in my opinion sticking to this simple principle ensures that students get a smoother experience.