{"id":1008,"date":"2021-05-25T14:58:30","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T14:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/digitaleducation\/?p=1008"},"modified":"2021-05-25T15:00:52","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T15:00:52","slug":"tech-test-thursdays-for-digital-capabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/digitaleducation\/tech-test-thursdays-for-digital-capabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech Test Thursdays for Digital Capabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Covid-19 pandemic\u00a0<\/span>put<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>us<\/span>\u00a0fully<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>online<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>colleagues in\u00a0<\/span>King\u2019s Academy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>needed to expand our repertoire with<\/span>\u00a0a range of evolving<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>technologies<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Since w<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0lead\u00a0<\/span>educational development programmes and sessions<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>strive<\/span>\u00a0t<\/span>o demonstrate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>intrepid<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>successful\u00a0<\/span>designs which make best use of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>our learning environments<\/span>. I<\/span>n<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>foreseeable future\u00a0<\/span>those<\/span>\u00a0environments<\/span>\u00a0would be\u00a0<\/span>digital<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>This post gives\u00a0<\/span>a rationale for carving out\u00a0<\/span>regular time<\/span>\u00a0to test things out\u00a0<\/span>together<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>followed by<\/span>\u00a0details about how\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0set this up<\/span>\u00a0to be\u00a0<\/span>low-maintenance<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>overlap\u00a0<\/span>amongst our<\/span>\u00a0digital technologies<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and consequently a degree of choice which can\u00a0<\/span>be\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>bewildering<\/span>\u00a0as it is positive<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>One example is the<\/span>\u00a0array<\/span>\u00a0of<\/span>\u00a0assessment types\u00a0<\/span>with subtle but\u00a0<\/span>important<\/span>\u00a0differences\u00a0<\/span>you only really grasp by practising<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>In contrast<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>it is unclear how some technologies<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>particularly those\u00a0<\/span>born in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>enterprise rather than educati<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0–<\/span>\u00a0can be\u00a0<\/span>bent to\u00a0<\/span>educational\u00a0<\/span>purposes<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>e often have<\/span>\u00a0questions around\u00a0<\/span>workflows<\/span>, views<\/span>, permissions<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>collaborative\u00a0<\/span>authoring.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Staff<\/p>\n

You may be wondering<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0w<\/span>hy\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0simply<\/span>\u00a0switch to a non-editing role<\/span>\u00a0to check\u00a0<\/span>something<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>With\u00a0<\/span>materials\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>files, pages, videos<\/span>\u00a0etc)<\/span>\u00a0it\u2019s easy to switch role and check\u00a0<\/span>those<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>from a student point of view<\/span>\u00a0– but<\/span>\u00a0our<\/span>\u00a0main challenge\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>activitie<\/span>s,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>especially group activities<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The<\/span>\u00a0importance of\u00a0<\/span>community and belonging to\u00a0<\/span>student success\u00a0<\/span>was already<\/span>\u00a0established<\/span>\u00a0before Covid-19<\/span>. R<\/span>esearch\u00a0<\/span>in 2020<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>has\u00a0<\/span>underlined<\/span>\u00a0the value students\u00a0<\/span>ascribe to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>interactions\u00a0<\/span>within<\/span><\/i>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0curriculum<\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>yet\u00a0<\/span>these are<\/span>\u00a0the most challenging to\u00a0<\/span>test and practice<\/span>\u00a0because<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>at a time when e<\/span>veryone\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>under so much pressure it feels awkward<\/span>\u00a0to ask colleagues\u00a0<\/span>to divert their time into\u00a0<\/span>helping us<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end this\u00a0<\/span>concerns\u00a0<\/span>empathy and considerate design. Gaining a<\/span>\u00a0perspective of\u00a0<\/span>students<\/span>\u00a0and colleagues\u00a0<\/span>in groups<\/span>\u00a0is crucial<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0anticipat<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>guiding<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>their interactions<\/span>\u00a0with each<\/span>\u00a0other<\/span>\u00a0and any artefacts they produce togethe<\/span>r<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>It informs<\/span>\u00a0decisions about<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>scaffolds (<\/span>practical\u00a0<\/span>instructions,\u00a0<\/span>conceptual and strategic\u00a0<\/span>guidance<\/span>)\u00a0<\/span>needed,<\/span>\u00a0where<\/span>, how<\/span>, and when.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>e were seeking<\/span>\u00a0practice opportunities\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0build<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>our own\u00a0<\/span>confidence and\u00a0<\/span>enable us to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>facilitate the activity smoothly for students<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>who emphasise in surveys<\/span>\u00a0that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>good organisation<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>more important to them than ever<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So\u00a0w<\/span>e decided to set something<\/span>\u00a0up<\/span>\u00a0for our\u00a0<\/span>unit<\/span>\u00a0–<\/span>\u00a0working title\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>Tech Test Thursdays<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0–<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in which we would<\/span>\u00a0practi<\/span>s<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>real scenarios\u00a0<\/span>while adopting<\/span>\u00a0different perspectives<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Weekly (<\/span>more recently, fortnightly) anyone from our team who\u00a0<\/span>is free at that time<\/span>\u00a0meets to test out an activity\u00a0<\/span>which one of us has requested<\/span>, which are otherwise impossible to test alone<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Examples<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n