Overview
We’re now 8 weeks into the study block, and from all of us here at the Digital Learning team, we hope that the year has got off to a great start for all of our colleagues. This is just a quick blog post to remind you that we have some excellent additional learning & teaching applications available for you to use in your teaching. These tools are MURAL and ThingLink, and both offer an extra level of interactivity to further enhance engagement between staff and students.
Introducing MURAL
MURAL is an online application that allows staff and students to collaborate visually on a digital canvas in real-time. A variety of media can be added to the canvas including text, sticky notes and images, making MURAL suitable for a variety of applications. You may for example use MURAL to create a mood board around a particular topic, or you could ask students to upload images of something they’re working on as part of a peer review activity. The possibilities are endless!
Don’t forget, all staff from the university can gain access to MURAL, so whether you’re from Student Administration or the Digital Experience team, you can use MURAL to support your day-to-day work.
Introducing ThingLink
ThingLink is a powerful tool that can be used to create unique experiences with interactive images, videos and 360° media. Imagine creating an online tour around a technical facility or studio, or perhaps explaining to students how a specific piece of machinery works, ThingLink can make this a reality! Spend some time looking at some of ThingLink’s own recommended examples for ideas.
Similar to MURAL, any member of staff at the university can use ThingLink. Note, that whilst creating ThingLinks can be incredibly fun – they can take some time to put together, so please be sure to factor this into your planning.
How to Gain Access to these Tools
Unlike most of the tools the university provides, access to MURAL and ThingLink is achieved via completing our very short L&T Application Access Request Form. Completing this form allows a learning designer to review your requirements and share good practice with you from across the institution. From an administrative perspective, the form helps the Digital Learning team ensure you’re set up correctly and have a great understanding about how to get the most out of the tools.
Further Support & Resources
If you’re thinking about using one or more of these tools, we advise reviewing our guidance on MURAL and ThingLink. If you’re still unsure whether MURAL or ThingLink are the right tools for you, we are more than happy to book an informal chat with one of our learning designers by contacting dlsupport@falmouth.ac.uk.