Advances in technology are enabling faculty to better engage their students and create a richer learning environment that leads to a more satisfactory experience. A great example of this type of technology is PlayPosit 3.0, an instructional design platform integrated with Canvas, which allows instructors to optimize video content from TechConnect or other video platforms.
The tool is available at no cost to community colleges as part of TechConnect’s digital solutions to help increase learning comprehension, improve retention and reduce attrition.
“Our intent in offering PlayPosit was to help improve student outcomes at the community colleges,” said Jana Basinet, Lead Project Manager at TechConnect. “PlayPosit was designed by former educators with pedagogy in mind, which differentiates it from other tools in the marketplace.”
PlayPosit enables instructors to offer a wide range of interactions that set it apart from other tools, such as Canvas Studio. With PlayPosit, instructors can overlay quizzes, discussions, reflection points, annotations and surveys onto videos. Instructors have the capability to embed multiple-choice, fill-in, free response and check-all answer options. These interactions are referred to as “bulbs” in the platform—“a light bulb that you can shine into your students’ minds to understand their digestion of the content.”
“Faculty want something more than just the ability to deliver video. They want to provide greater context and encourage students to interact,” said Basinet. “This has become especially important now that the focus is on the quality of remote instruction due to COVID-19. With PlayPosit, students have the opportunity to participate like they would inside a classroom.”
Other unique features of PlayPosit include the flexibility to enable students to repeat the bulbs or to give them multiple attempts at answering questions in the bulb. It allows custom timing so instructors can set the length of time of interaction, giving students more time if needed. Learners can access PlayPosit through the Canvas mobile app so they can view and complete assignments from mobile devices—an important feature for many students who may lack access to a laptop.
There’s also co-instructor collaboration so multiple instructors can work on and share the same bulb. The bulbs can be copied and repurposed for other courses and across modules and pages. For those with little to no design experience, PlayPosit has many built-in templates that enable instructors to pick from a pre-made set of interactions.
Rich performance analytics allow instructors to gauge students’ understanding of classroom lessons and monitor student progress within Canvas. Another plus for instructors is that PlayPosit automatically syncs students’ grades from video interactions into Canvas grade books, eliminating manual entry.
“If I see students struggling with the same question or questions, then I know I need to spend more time covering that material in the classroom,” said Lisa Morales, professor of mathematics at Mt. San Antonio College. “I have visibility into how well students are comprehending the material. Previously, I had to rely solely on students to let me know when they needed help.”
Basinet explained that the tool has usefulness outside of the classroom, too. “PlayPosit can be used for faculty and staff training across college campuses, including Human Resources mandated courses. Campuses are getting more creative on how they are using this tool. It’s really taking learning to a whole new level.”
All of TechConnect’s digital solutions are offered at no cost to faculty, staff and administrators through grant funding provided by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. For more information about TechConnect solutions, contact support@ccctechconnect.org. TechConnect’s experienced staff offers training and tech support throughout the implementation process.