THIS MONTH’S SITE WEBSITE WATCH FEATURES SNAPGUIDE, A FREE IOS APPLICATION THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CREATE AND SHARE STEP-BY-STEP “HOW TO GUIDES.”
Snapguide allows one to create a guide and publish it online, using mobile devices with a combination of photographs, videos and text to explain how to do something in a clear and understandable step-by-step format. It is a source of information on how-to’s for categories from food and crafts, to repairs and DIY projects, and much more. But it also has great potential for use in a language classroom.
The skill of writing clear instructions is immensely useful in life, and often required for assessment purposes. Using Snapguide can give you an opportunity to really engage your learners in this otherwise potentially dreary task. Digital natives will enjoy taking pictures and videos with their phones and then the application allows them to create a guide in a few easy steps. It can be used as a collaborative activity, and students can comment on and evaluate one another’s guides, making it a powerful medium for assessment and feedback. Students can self assess, peer assess and receive feedback from their peers and teachers. It allows editing which means students can reflect and make changes and improvements to their work.
Students could choose a topic to create a guide about, or one can assign a topic where the guide becomes evidence of their learning, such as “How to write a book review” or “How to structure a good argumentative essay”. Teachers can also use it themselves to create instruction guides for project work or exam preparation.
The possibilities are endless. Explore the site and download the app to try out yourself. It really doesn’t require any complicated technology skills!