LibGuides: For Faculty: Online Teaching: Creative Digital Assignments &amp; Websites

Some Tools for Creative Digital Assignments

VoiceThread
VoiceThread is a tool for creating interactive presentations and conversations, complete with multimedia. You can use it from your browser at https://voicethread.com, and you can also download the VoiceThread app and use it from your smartphone or tablet. VoiceThread is free, though there is a premium version offering additional features.
Knight Lab Tools: StoryMapJS & TimelineJS
StoryMapJS (https://storymap.knightlab.com/) is a free and easy-to-use tool that allows you to create narrative interactive maps, complete with multimedia. You create maps using an editor tied to an individual Google account.
TimelineJS (http://timeline.knightlab.com/) is a free and easy-to-use tool that allows you to create narrative interactive timelines, complete with multimedia. You create timelines using a Google spreadsheet template.
FlipGrid
FlipGrid is a free tool (registration required) which allows you to create and share short videos, together with your class. Some instructors are using it to teach Foreign Languages online. FlipGrid's guide to using it in Higher Education is available at https://blog.flipgrid.com/news/highered
Flippity
Flippity lets you turn a Google sheet into things like online flashcards, a Jeopardy-style quiz show, an interactive scavenger hunt, and so much more. Templates are provided - just plug in your information and start playing around!

Websites

Readily Available Website Options

You and your students can create collaborative class websites on your own, using the following tools.

Google Sites
Google Sites lets you build websites for free through your Guilford Google account. It can be used to create collaborative or individual websites and eportfolios.
Wikipedia
You can have your students create and/or edit Wikipedia articles, to contribute to general knowledge with a backing in academic research. This link will take you to Wikipedia's page on school and university projects, which has information for getting started.

Additional/Advanced Website Options Available Through Hege

If you are interested in having your students work on collaborative class websites for digital scholarship projects, Library Learning Technology can help! We have a subscription to Reclaim Hosting, which allows folks to create websites under http://ds.guilford.edu; check it out for examples of past websites. Project proposals are evaluated upon request for creation of a website, and a website is created for projects that fit this criteria. Please reach out to Garrett Collins if you would like to discuss the creation of a website for one of your classes.

Here are some examples of the kinds of sites we can create:

WordPress
A WordPress site is a great option to get students working collaboratively on a website and give them experience with a Content Management System used across the web. WordPress can host all kinds of sites - research-based informational sites, blogging & reflection, portfolios of student work, dynamic multimedia projects...
Omeka
Omeka is a tool that lets you create media-rich online digital exhibits.

Hege Library & Learning Technologies staff are available to:

create websites in the Guilford College Digital Scholarship Reclaim Hosting server space,
train users on WordPress and Omeka,
create user log-ins (upon request),
set up automatic back-ups through Reclaim Hosting,
and help troubleshoot website issues.

To the best of their abilities and availability, staff may also:

assist with website styling,
help import an existing site that fits criteria into the Reclaim Hosting space,
and assist with exporting a site at the end of its lifecycle.

Please see these slides from a Summer 2019 workshop, "Making Scholarship Public: Collaborative Class Websites," for some considerations and suggestions for collaborative website work.

Additional Resources

Bard College Center for Experimental Humanities: "Creative Assignment Ideas for Teaching at a Distance"