Digital at the service of our brain

Two years ago, Steve Masson presented a Webinar that offered study techniques based on the reproduction of assessment situations in a review context. He explained that in order to perform a review and an effective study, we must train our brain to do what it will be confronted with in an evaluation context: remembering.

By Laurie Couture, teacher at Horizon high school

He therefore proposed to make the effort to seek information when studying by asking questions, by redoing an exercise that we have already done, by studying in teams, etc. That being said, in concrete terms, in 2019, how can digital technology support and motivate our students in their revision? There are several great apps to help them out, here are a few:

Concept diagrams

Several online applications or in web download shops allow you to make concept diagrams from our own ideas. Thus, a student can use his memory to relate concepts under study and make connections between the different concepts seen. Why do it on an application and not on paper? Because the student can add color, images and video links (a great advantage for photographic memories).

Platform proposals:

• Inspiration (application shown in the image above)
• Popplet
• Microsoft Word (see in SmartArt insertion).

Collaborative platforms

Who said the study had to be done alone? The collaborative tools offered by the Google suite or by the Office 365 online suite allow students to work on the same document while each being on a different device. So, why not share the themes under study so that everyone can do their part? Why not include questions in our tool so that our collaborator can answer them for their part? It is also possible to fetch images and videos to support everything.

Social networks

These little beasts don't just have flaws! On the contrary, they allow our students to communicate. Why not suggest that they use Facetime or Skype to study as a team? Asking questions, sharing explanations of concepts, discussing the subject… these are practices that promote memorization and can be carried out remotely using a microphone and a camera. If you don't have Classroom, why not create a class Facebook page for students to talk to with each other? In addition to promoting probative study methods, students learn to use the social network wisely.

Now, to your computers, tablets, cell phones, and good discovery!