Support Materials - Teaching Tips

Before you begin

The key to developing successful digital resources for teaching is having a clear idea of want you want to accomplish and making certain that the content rather than the technology drives the creative process when developing these resources. Planning is the most important aspect of the development process and you should not underestimate how long this part of the process will take.

Taking a blended approach

It is also important to integrate the digital resources you use in class with other learning materials and forms of information. If your institution has a VLE or MLE (Virtual or Managed Learning Environment) the integration of materials may already be laid out for you. If, however, you simply want to use resources you have found on the web in class or as part of your reading list this can be approached in the same way that you deal with other resources you draw on.

Top Tips:

1. Think about what you can do with digital resources that go beyond the typical resources you use in class. In particular consider the use of sound, images and 3D environments to engage all of the students’ senses. This will not only appeal to the students but will open access to different patterns of learning. You might be surprised at the results.
2. Consider allowing the students to create digital resources themselves which they can then use either in class seminars and discussion or as part of an assessed assignment. These resources could also become a web-based publication. As the archives of this publication grow, you have a huge resource of electronic materials to reference.
3. Consider the communications properties of online learning. Discussion groups and message boards can be an effective way of communicating with your students if they are managed properly. Notice how the students who rarely speak in class are often quite eloquent when they have time to reflect before posting. The most effective messageboards are weaved into a course or module and allow room for both free expression and socialisation as well as carefully structured etivities. Again planning is essential.
4. Encourage the students to use email as a means of instigating their own primary research. Many authors and organisations are happy to respond to student queries. If this kind of research is actively encouraged it can provide a very engaging experience for the student.
5. Promote contextual research and discussion through the use of the many very extensive research sites available online. The ability to point students towards materials that will help them understand the context of the period of writing they are studying is one of the great advantages of the digital world.
6. Take small incremental steps. You are not being expected to prepare professionally designed all-bells-and-whistles resources on day one. Think about ways in which you can begin to introduce digital resources into your teaching.

Students will often be well versed both in the ways of the web and in the techniques of digital creation. Allowing them to bring that knowledge into class supports their sense of participation and engagement. Do not be afraid to let the students appear more knowledgeable in this area. It is important, however, to insist that the students take a professional approach to the use of such resources. Be certain to establish conventions for citing digital materials and ensure that students are aware of the principles of copyright and its infringement.

Most institutions host training for both staff and students in the use of the software they provide. Many institutions are also increasingly providing support for lecturers who would like to create resources that are specific to their own courses. Do not be afraid to approach your local Educational Development Centre or Computing Services, however, you should take some time to look at examples of other resources that are available before you do so.

The English Subject Centre has developed a number of resources in this section of the website which might act as examples for your own work. There are also a range of articles in our Newsletter and Bulletin which address particular examples of the integration of digital resources in teaching. These include Stacy Gillis’ article entitled ‘Webbing the Classroom’, Jean Anderson’s article on Computers in Teaching English and Scottish Literature and Language: the STELLA Project’ and an article on this area of the website entitled ‘Digital Resources for Teaching and Discussion’ by Christie Carson. Additional resources about technical issues can also be found on the Generic Tools page.

The key to the integration of digital resources in teaching lies in the approach taken. If you can see ways in which digital resources might genuinely enhance what you are already doing then the added effort required to create and maintain these resources will be worthwhile. Digital technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we interact with students, other scholars, libraries and research archives. As a result it is advisable to take a cautious even if enthusiastic approach. Small but successful steps in the right direction might well be more effective than large strides which move you away from your true teaching aims.