Case Studies

Using Adobe Spark and Google Maps to Create and Share Patient Education for an Intermediate Medical/Surgical Nursing Course

Adobe Spark Pages is accessible as mobile apps for Android and iOS as well as through the web-based platform Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Spark Pages allows users to create “gliding web pages” using available themes, fonts, stock images, and stock music while also allowing for user creativity through photo, video, and music uploads and customization. Adobe emphasizes that no design experience is necessary to create professional and polished pages.

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Using Jamboard for collecting and organizing student responses

Google Jamboard is a collaborative whiteboard tool that allows users to create “sticky notes” that can be color-coded, resized, and repositioned (including angled positions) by all other users with edit access. Users can also directly draw on the whiteboard using the pen tool, draw shapes using a shape tool, and upload images to the whiteboard. There is a “laser” tool that allows users to easily “point” to specific areas of the board.

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Fostering autonomy and specialized knowledge through Blackboard content management

Three “choice” modules are developed each week by instructors based on current news and research trends, and students have an option to pick which module they wish to complete for 8 weeks. “Peer” modules are then created by groups of students based on their own interest in addictions, guided by instructor input, and are offered to other students for four weeks. Blackboard was the canvas that allowed us to compile resources for each module.

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The use of Visible Body as a digital tool in an online section of human anatomy lab

Visible Body is a collection of databases comprised of sets of online interactive 3D virtual anatomy models and videos. These are available to students at no additional cost through University of Rochester’s River Campus Libraries and Miner Library. The models allow students to visualize and interact with the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems on computers or mobile devices.

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Co-creating Content with Padlet

Padlet is described as a digital bulletin board. This tool is highly intuitive for both creators and users. There are a variety of pre-made templates to choose from such as maps, timelines, wall posts, and even a chat function. All participants (ie. students) can contribute to the Padlet and all content is automatically saved and available for later reference. The platform also allows for files to be uploaded from a computer or the web. Instructors can search for Padlets from other users on a variety of topics for inspiration.

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Forming competency-based student project teams with a Blackboard Survey

Blackboard Survey is an easy-to-use web-based survey tool that allows instructors to effectively collect student input in an engaging fashion. Similar to Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey, Blackboard Survey is available at many schools that employ the Blackboard learning platform, including the University of Rochester. Students can provide input on a wide variety of subject matter, complete attitude or personality inventories, or participate in icebreaker activities (e.g., get to know your classmates at the beginning of a course).

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Teaching Literary Interpretation via Comic Strip Creation with Comic Life

Comic Life is an easy-to-use application for creating comic-themed media, ranging from brief comic strips to full-length graphic novels. In this lesson, students construct comic strip interpretations of Don Quixote in order to analyze the novel in a contemporary context.

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Teaching Memes and Multimodal Writing with Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is free and easy-to-use software for creating memes and other content for social media. Instructors designed an assignment in which students created a meme, followed up by a brief written critical analysis. Students used the memes as an interpretive device in the reflection and analysis of Don Quixote.

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