Each term I experiment with a new technology or tool in my classes and offer a new resource as an option for students, and I solicit feedback via questionnaires and surveys. What is remarkable is that I find the results are substantially the same every time. Students report that they love the new option, regardless of the format. It could be a social media / smart phone application for mobile studying such as "flashcards" on studyblue.com or an interactive online practice that I have developed. At the same time, students report that they also love the instructional resources that were already available for them in the course, which underscores the fact that providing resources in multiple formats enhances instruction and helps meet the needs of students with diverse learning styles.
One recent resource that I developed and shared with students was an attempt to integrate study strategies, "college knowledge" to promote student success via early and sustained math progress, and application of basic math skills to prepare for an exam. I'm not confident that the resulting online activity truly integrates all these well, but students seem to love it. (Yet they still love the traditional paper/ pencil exam practice as well!)
Essentially, they want it all!
Through DIG Co-Lab and other collaborative efforts such as Jared Westover's wiki, we can provide a nimble space for sharing a wide variety of rich instructional resources.
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