I know a bit about Miro and other concept mapping tools. I've always felt like there was a ton of instructional uses for such a tool, and decided that today is the day I do some light research on the topic. In no particular order, here are my findings:
1. Miro boards can be pre-populated for group workspaces, which can be monitored in real-time. This beats the alternative of having to jump to and from breakout rooms in order to see what each group is working on.
2. Miro can support ongoing learning. Students can have their Miro boards act as an idea hub that they revisit over time, allowing them to revisit and build upon existing ideas or jot down new ones.
3. Miro supports engagement through accessibility. I came across a neat story about Georgetown's CALL program, which used Miro as a way for students who couldn't physically attend class to engage with every class activity!
4. Miro is pretty flexible and feature-rich. I came across this website that outlines several unique applications for Miro that are specific to ESL. This includes activities such as students using the pen tool to draw their mood and using emojis/stickers to practice vocabulary.
5. Even intuitive tools require ramp time, and Miro is no different. It's fairly simple to use but that doesn't mean every student/learner will take to it naturally. This means that lessons need to be properly scaffolded to include instruction about the tool itself before learners are required to use it for activities.
All said, I feel that the handful of websites and examples I found confirm my theory that Miro can be applied to instruction without much fuss. Most of the adult learners I have are offshore call center employees. These employees favor instructor-led training and I bet Miro can make for a fun way to include group-based activities. I'll throw some ideas around in my next team meeting to see what the other IDs and Trainers think.
I love this idea! I've used Miro a hand full of times to make flow charts, but I've never thought of using it for activities like this. Very neat! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Adam, I started using Miro at the start of May and have been enjoying it. I agree with you that a tool like Miro does have a ramp up time. I haven't been able to dive in super deep with it but I can see its potential.
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