Why is interactivity important?

Because it’s about what happens after we create. It’s about what we do with the creating….

A big part of this project has been coming to understand why the technology involved supports students metacognition. Finally I think I have come to understand that whilst the tools we are using are simple in the hands of students they open up a dynamic learning environment.

This dynamic environment uses what the web calls API an easy way for web developers to share things to do. An easy way to explain this might be an online news poll. This technology take your opinion, your information and makes it part of the news and then feeds this to others and back to you also. Interactivity can also include websites that allow you to make choices or provide information and this affects the information that you see.

All this is important because it reminds me that on its own understanding how interaction works is a valuable digital literacy skill.

However the real WOW factor comes when you get students designing in this environment – suddenly they and the teachers have access to all this data. Information about the opinions, ideas and misconceptions of their classmates. Images and shared stories that invite further sharing.

This provides a base for a student directed, teacher facilitated learning experience that also collects an amazing amount of data all collected and ready to be assessed. By who?