A comprehensive video overview of Socrative courtesy of Technology for teachers and Students.
I have chosen Socrative, which is a web 2.0 application that allows for a variety of activities to help students engage with content explored in a traditional, or 
non-traditional classroom setting. It is powered by a website, but also has an app available for both Android and IOS platforms. This tool ranges from basic multiple choice, or true and false questions through to more in-depth questions that allow the teacher to create basic quick answer questions that you might use as an exit ticket on a daily basis to check for understanding. The teacher dashboard gives you access to a wide range of diagnostic tools to analyse the data you collect from your students, and can also allow you to display responses anonymously, which is great for class discussion. In accordance with higher level thinking, as prescribed by cognitive learning theory, the user can upload content for students to reflect and respond to. The depth to which students can respond to stimuli is unlimited, and can foster some great intellectual discussion, and collaboration.
For adding intrigue and fun into the classroom, the space race feature allows for competitive quiz taking using a variety of formats. In my experience as a teacher, sometimes a discussion will lead places that I do not anticipate, but the discussion is good. With Socrative, these discussions can be digitised for future use. I also know that some students never want to share their views for any number of different reasons. With this app, I can ask a quick question and require all students to anonymously respond to it, thereby helping students to engage with their learning.
How this relates to the course and coursework:
In this course we are examining the impact of learning and technology, including various theories, conceptions and misconceptions. Thus far, I have explored cognitive learning theory, behavioural learning theory, constructivist learning theory, and the theory of connectivism. Socrative links well to three of these four.
Because Socrative allows for both low level knowledge and comprehension questions, as well as higher level synthesis of content, a cognitivist can guide students by making use of feedback to assist learning at an appropriate level to individual students (Ertmer and Newby, 2013). This flexibility also allows the educator to engage students with various levels of cognitive ability simultaneously, without ostracizing learners by making them feel stupid. In applying constructivist learning theory, the open ended nature of questions that can be created using this application means students can work collaboratively to self-construct knowledge. For example, a teacher can post content like a YouTube clip, or an image, and have groups respond to specific, or general stimuli. This promotes the usage of pre-existing knowledge rather than the recall of pre-packaged schema (Ertmer and Newby, 2013). Finally, connectivist learning theory can also be utilised with Socrative activities, since the theory revolves around connections between various nodes involved in the learning process: learner, content, and technology. Learning occurs as the learner makes connections between these nodes (Anderson, 2016). In this way, the educator can use stimuli imbedded within Socrative – the technology, and have them make connections with an image or video – the content, and the student then associates meaning as it relates to him or herself – the learner. In merging two theories together, the learner can then also connect with other learners to construct meaning by connecting independently acquired knowledge. As such, the versatility of this application ensures a robust educational experience befitting of the ever-expanding web 2.0 universe.
References
Anderson, T. (2016). Chapter 3: Theories for Learning with Emerging Technologies. In Veletsianos, G. (Ed). Emergence and Innovation in Digital Learning: Foundations and Applications; doi:10.15215/aupress/9781771991490.01
Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71; DOI:10.1111/j.1937-8327.1993.tb00605.x
Technology for Teachers and Students. (2013, September 30). Socrative Tutorial 2015 New. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlnI1f-Q1JM
Thank you Marshall, this was an excellent follow up for me after reading about the great media debate. You demonstrated the selection of learning theories mapped onto methods implemented through the technology into a specific learning environment, that was mindful of the socio-cultural factors of the learners.
Regarding the ability of Socrative to digitize discussions for future use, have there been any questions/dialogues that you saved that you believe may not have come about in a “traditional” classroom, that is, that you believe the technology was responsible for facilitating?
Hi Sean, great question! I think, in my experience with the app, that the discussions I have had using the technology can and do take place in classrooms all of the time. However, where the advantage is made is in the number of participants engaged. Some people are happy to engage in anonymous commentary, but when you have to attach a name or physical voice, that courage disappears. (celebrities reading mean tweets, or cyber-bullying in general comes to mind.)