Resources at UD
University Libraries and the Center for Online Learning offer resources for curriculum development and instruction design. Visit the Resources at UD page to learn more.
- Resources at UDUniversity resources for faculty, including library partners, tools and technology, and support for instructional and curriculum development.
Digital Pedagogy Librarian
What is a Digital Assignment?
Digital assignments are student activities that intentionally, creatively, and critically incorporate technology or digital tools to support engagement and learning. Digital assignments are often multi-modal, combining text, video, audio, and other elements, and involve a variety of activities related to the research, planning, production, and publishing of work. Common types of digital assignments include:
- Audio and video, such as audio tours, podcasts, and video presentations
- Web publications like blogs, wikis, websites, portfolios, storymaps, and eBooks
- Data visualizations, graphics, and visual projects
- Maps and timelines
- Annotation of text, video, audio, and multimedia objects
- Text analysis
- Digital exhibits and collections
The goal of digital assignments is to both meet pre-existing learning objectives and enhance or transform students’ learning through interactions with technology.
- Types of Digital AssignmentsCommon digital assignment formats and resources related to their use in teaching and learning.
Characteristics of Effective Digital Assignments
Effective digital assignments are:
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Designed around fundamental course learning objectives
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Clearly defined, with established teaching and learning goals, evaluation criteria, and expectations for students
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Scaffolded to accommodate course timeline and adjustments to schedule, content delivery, and in-class time required for instruction and student workload
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Not technology first: technology is selected to support an assignment and learning/teaching goals
- Assignment PlanningInformation about developing new digital assignments, including resources for considering student learning outcomes and impact.
- Assignments & Teaching MaterialsLinks to digital assignments and related material available for reuse and repurposing in undergraduate classrooms.
Key Considerations for Teaching and Learning
"When incorporating digital methods and practices into one’s teachings, it’s important to ask yourself why am I introducing the digital and how do these digital interventions help me achieve my learning outcomes? This two-part question should be asked on the onset and throughout the development of the intervention, whether for a digital assignment or a digitally-centered course."
- Pamella Lach, Director of SDSU Digital Humanities Center
Digital assignments come in many shapes and sizes. When properly designed and implemented, digital assignments offer opportunities to engage with course content in new way so that existing learning outcomes are met while also enhancing or transforming learning and teaching through interactions with technology.
Key considerations for digital assignments include:
- Why Digital?: What knowledge, skills, and dispositions would you like your students to develop, and how does a digital assignment enable or improve students' ability to achieve these outcomes?
- Scale & Scope: How much of a course or program is changed by including a digital assignment? How detailed will the assignment be?
- Resources: What materials, tools, sources, training, partners, and time are required to implement a digital assignment?
- Impact: How will a digital assignment maintain or enhance curriculum, pedagogy, and students' learning?
Learning to use a digital tool is almost never a learning outcome on its own - but the process and execution of work with digital platforms offers many opportunities for evolving and supporting learning outcomes.
- Digital PedagogyReadings and resources about digital pedagogy and teaching approaches relevant to educators.
- Classroom ConsiderationsInformation and resources related to resources, learning needs, privacy, and related considerations for students engaged in learning with digital assignments.
- Digital Learning OutcomesInformation and resources related to digital literacy, digital citizenship, and other learning outcomes that may be introduced through digital assignments.
