About the page: Tools Lab Blog page has emerged from the course ET-606 at Interdisciplinary Program in Educational Technology at IIT Bombay.

During the course, we were introduced to the following EdTech tools and learning evaluation was done through small scale projects using the tool.

Platform: Google Sites

Taught by: Nagesh Pokle on 03 August 2022

In Class Learning: The website was introduced and various functionalities and features were demonstrated.

About Google Sites: Google Sites is a platform to create digital portfolio.

My experience with the tool: Although I had already tried Google Slides but after this instruction i was better able to understood G-Sites. Few more pages were inserted by me to make the profile more engaging and to keep my new learning posted here. "Tool Lab: Blog" is one of that page.

Hands-on experience link: This website you are watching right now is published after this tools lab class.

Tool : VUE- Visual Understanding Environment

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 10 August 2022

In Class Learning: The tool was introduced and various functions were demonstrated.

About VUE- The VUE tool enabled me to draw a systematic concept map for different concepts. The software is free. It can be downloaded from - Download (tufts.edu)

My experience with the tool: VUE is the best concept map making tool I have ever came across. The interface and designing experience is so smooth, easy, and fast that I could actually make good concept maps out of it. My first concept map was on Photosynthesis in Plants.

Hands-on experience link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14NZudcoIWptOvEoxh03QQx5dG29mujGE/view?usp=sharing

Tool: OpenBoard

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 17 August 2022

In class discussion: When and where OpenBoard helps!

About OpenBoard: It is an open-source platform; an interactive whiteboards designed primarily for use in remote teacing-learning. It can be used with a pen-tablet display and a beamer. This a free software for all operating systems.

My experience with the tool: I tried to record a video while teaching a subject. The software is good but it requires a pen tablet to write smoothly. Words cannot be written properly with mouse as a pen.

Hands-on experience with OpenBoard: Link

Tool: Audacity

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 17 August 2022

In class discussion: When and where audacity helps!

About Audacity: Audacity is a free of cost software that allows you to record and edits audio clips. The interface is user friendly. It runs efficiently on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports sound files like mp3, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3.

My learning from the tool: if you are a course instructor who frequently records and edit audio then this tool can help you a lot.

Tool: OBS Studio

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 17 August 2022

In class discussion: Basic funcationality of the tool

About OBS Studio: It is a free and open-source software for audio-video recording and streaming. It runs smoothly in all known operating systems. You can record your screen with audio, self photo, and download to broadcast. The interface is very user friendly.

My experience with the tool: I used it to record a demo video.

Hands-on experience with OBS Studio: Link

Tool: Padlet

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 17 August 2022

In class discussion: Effectiveness of padlet

About Padlet: Padlet is an open software. You can make interactive dashboards of images, video, and a mixture of all, to communicate information. It can be embedded in websites. A simple example can be that a teacher can take feedback about classroom teaching using padlet. Padlet gives the option to generate a QR code, which can be scanned by students and an anonymous feedback can be given.

My learning from the tool: I found padlet quite interesting especially when you ask an audience to share their thoughts by scanning a QR code. All the answers can be seen on one single page. Also to take feedback on any class presentation, padlet works well.

Hands-on experience with padlet: Next to this post you can see a QR code (generated using Padlet). Scan this and share your feedback.

Scan

Write down three points on "how technology can help teachers and students in teaching-learning?"

See the added post- Link

Tool: Draw.io

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 17 August 2022

In class discussion: Enriched library for template

About Draw.io:

Free and open-source platform.
User friendly interface to create diagrams such as flowcharts, wireframes, organizational charts, and network diagrams.
Rich library with sequence diagrams, flowcharts, bar graph charts, fishbone, empathy map, tables, ven diagrams, and wireframes, etc.

Hands-on experience with tool: An activity on understanding a concept was created using Draw.io . The experience was very satisfactory.

Tool : Tableau

Taught by: Vijay Prakash on 10 August 2022

In Class Learning: The tool was introduced and its basic features were demonstrated.

About Tableau- it is a software for interactive data visualization with charts, graphs and maps.

My experience with the tool: I am beginner in coding and learning computer languages such as JAVA, C, C++ etc.. so to a researcher who is new to computer programming but still wants to play with data and visualize it without using any coding then Tableau is the best software. I tried visualizing different dataset which was worthy of making the effort.

Figure: Interactive dashboard of one of the data sources from OULAD dataset. In the image one can see three visualizations, boxplot, barchart, and packed bubbles visualization.

Hands-on experience link-

This figure represents the tableau dashboard created using one OULAD dataset. You can see visualization, boxplot and filters.

Tool : Scratch

Taught by: Spruha Satavlekar on 24 August 2022

In Class Learning: The tool was introduced and various functions were demonstrated.

About Scratch- Scratch software is a open and free programming language. You can create games, interactive stories with animation for learners.

My experience with the tool: Scratch is best tool as it does not require core coding skills like in Unity. It helps in creating simple games and interactive content for school students.

Hands-on experience with Scratch- Below you can see project created in group exercise!
The objective of this game is help students learn the directions.

Tool : Orange

Taught by: Debarshi Nath on 07 September 2022

In Class Learning: The tool was introduced and various functions were demonstrated.

About Orange: Orange is an effective software for data analysis, visualization, data flow.

My experience with the tool: Orange software helps in categorizing the data and present it in different formats. If a researcher or learner doesn't need want to get into the process behind machine learning algorithms but wants to visualize the data; can use this tool.

Hands-on experience- Link

This figure shows a complex workflow in Orange environment. You can see the different widgets and their interconnections and outcome/visualization in the workflow.

The recorded demo video of Orange- Link

Technique : Brainstorming

Taught by: Rajashri Priyadarshini on 21 September 2022

In Class Learning: The concept was introduced with its various domains, principles and functioning and ideations strategies.

About Brainstorming: Brainstorming is an idea exchange technique to come up with effective solutions to a problem.

My experience with the technique: Brainstorming includes ideation strategy such as Diverge-Converge, Decomposition, Input techniques. Building point of view is the first important step in brainstorming which is done through breaking the problem into multiple sub-sections. HWV Questions, 6-3-5 Brainwriting, Decision Matrix are some of the elements of ideation process in Brainstorming.

Tools like Google Sheet or Miro Board can be used for Brainstorming. The brainstorming works best for a group with 5-6 members.

Hands-on experience link:

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Tool : Tinker Cad

Taught by: Gurudev Thakre on 29 September 2022

In Class Learning: Basic of TinkerCad & 3D models making

About TinkerCad: TinkerCad is a 3D modelling program. It is really good to create models for 3D printing and best for students and teachers to teach geometry concepts using 3D visualization. It can be introduced in schools to teach different math concepts.

My experience with the tool: We learnt the simple tools operations by creating 3D figures such as a box and then adding holes to it, working upon the different dimensions of the object. The only challenge I found is that it requires a good internet connection.

Hands-on experience link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ILPa9-nMgZnlEqYS9fOFkVursk1zIZRt/view?usp=sharing

Tool : H5P

Taught by: Sunita Raste on 12 October 2022

In Class Learning: Basic of H5P and its application

About H5P: H5P is an interactive video making web based tool. It can help an instructor to add formative questions in between a video taken from YouTube or uploaded from personal computer (<16MB if uploaded offline). It is important to get a suitable video then identify the actual pose points and what can be introduced to students and what sort of questions can be embed. Drag and drop, short answer questions, MCQ, true/false questions can be added to the video.

My experience with the tool: I tried embedding some questions and interactions using H5P. It made my topic "Gender Studies" more interactive. Below is the video sample edited by me using H5P!

Hands-on experience link-

Example Project on H5P- Interactive video with embedded True/False questions and image with embedded text.

Video
Image

Source video: YouTube
Source image- Google

Tool: 3D Printing

Taught by: Alekh. V. on 19 October 2022

In class discussion:

How does 3D printing works?
What material is required for 3D printing?
What cautions should be taken before using the machine?
Where does the 3D printing helps in education?

About 3D Printing: Three-dimensional printing (3-D printing) is a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer. 3D solid objects can be formed usign 3D printer. A model prototype is designed on computer using different 3D design software adn then the print command is given.

Material like plastic wire (different grade) can be used; Melting point around 200 d.C

My experience with the tool: We tried 3D printing gun. The gun charges with an electric charger and a thin wire is inserted into it. Once the gun is heated, the wire melts and starting coming out of the gun which can be moulded and any shape can be made.

Hands-on experience glimpse with 3D-Gun: Link

Tool: Cozmo

Taught by: Daevesh Singh on 02 November 2022

In Class Learning: Installation of COZMO, Basic features of COSMO, Computational thinking with COSMO,

About COSMO: COZMO has an App(426MB) to control the Cozmo Robot. The inbuilt camera of COZMO detacts 10 user faces. Cozmo can't detact facial expression but it can express certain emotions. COZMO can lift, push, drag and drop boxes designed according to its dimensional capacity. Cozmo understand the Python language, so if the coding is done then it can be operated using computers also.

Cozmo can perform certain actions such as speak words, express emotions, move, life, dance. Students can be asked to develop certain program in COZMO app and the applications can be seen through COZMO.

It has three modes-

Code lab
Emotional expression- Excited, Frustration,
Explorer mode

My experience with the toy: Although COZMO can be many smart actions when we interacted and play with it, but i am still wondering "how can it be used to make teaching-learning meaningful?"

Discussion: Open Educational Resource (OER) & Creative Commons

Taught by: Prof. M. Sasikumar on 09 November 2022

In class discussion: Many misconceptions were clarified.

The following questions were addressed in the class-

Q1. Which software will fall into the category of OER?

First degree of freedom: use it anytime, anywhere, 'n' no. of people | No time bound, user bound or server bound
Second degree of freedom: the resource can be shared with anyone without loosing your license.
Third degree of freedom: Modifiable
Fourth degree of freedom: 1+2 approach, which means the resource can be modified and the modified version can also be redistributed.

Q2. What is the best classic example of OER?

Wikipedia (Managed by community people only)

Q3. Whom can be referred to understand OER?

Eric Raymond- To understand what an OER is!

Q4. Which is not an OER?

FOSS licensed resources are not an OER.

Q5. What is Open content family license?

CC by SA, "All Rights Reversed"

Q6. What is the license for the content which is not OER?

CREATIVE COMMONS

The best way to understand CC is to look at FAQ's and understand it. For my understanding i referred to the CC website

Final Project: Learning with ToolsLab, Endsem Project

Context: After lerning all the tools mentioned above, we were given a project. The objective of the project was to use differnet edtech tools that have been taught in class and teach any subject/topic of your choice. I choose the topic- Gender.

Here is the link of the webstie that i created to teach the topic- Gender

https://sites.google.com/view/learningwithedutech/home

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