Softchalk: The Virtual Chalkboard

By Dorolyn Alper, Maggie Charlton and Rhonda Montrose

What is Softchalk?Soft Chalk is a way to create and manage e-learning content inside or outside of a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Moodle, and Canvas.

You can create interactive, media-rich, professional looking learning content to enhance your on-line teaching.

Description of Softchalk

▪ Softchalk is a subscription web based system to design pages, quizzes, present interactive material, and video which may be viewed and interacted with by students on their PC or other mobile devices such as phones.

▪ Softchalk Cloud is a “multifunction platform that combines learning object repository, content authoring, hosting and management features with an easy way to track student score results-and it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with learning management systems” www.softchalk.com

▪ Softchalk is interactive and engaging with professional looking results

Capabilities of Softchalk

▪ Can import information from Softchalk Cloud, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint

▪ Quiz items, activities, Widgets, iFrames

▪ Sidebars

▪ Text Annotations (Textpopper)

▪ Mobile capabilities

▪ Library available for content information

▪ Web launch or desktop version available

How to use Softchalk

▪ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdy-l513LbE

▪ Click the above link to view a short YouTube video about how to use Softchalk

How to use Softchalk: Be prepared to have many options!

There are several things you will need to think about before beginning to create a lesson in Softchalk. First, where will you get your information from? Second, do I want my lesson to be for information only or do I want to include some activities and/or quizzes? And if I do want it to be interactive, which activities will I use? Which type of assessments do I want? While creating lessons in Softchalk are quite easy, as evidenced by the many institutions that have begun using this program, it will be important to know what capabilities you have with Softchalk. The tutorial on the previous screen, along with some tips on the following screens, should give you an idea of the types of lessons you can create. Be prepared to have some fun!

How to use Softchalk: Choose from three methods

How to use Softchalk: Choose your activities

One example: crossword puzzles

Once you have loaded your content into your lesson, then it’s time to have some fun! There are a myriad of options to make the lessons interactive, including “Check me” self-assessment options, flashcards, charts, timelines and many more! You can also have students take a quiz at the end of the lesson that will score automatically (once you enter the type of quiz you want) and the students can print out their score summary and turn it in to you. You can make any type of quiz: multiple-choice, true-false, short answer, essay . . . The options are limitless!

Pros of Softchalk

▪ Easy to use for both instructors and students

▪ Extremely interactive

▪ Can integrate existing PowerPoint or Microsoft Word information into Softchalk presentation

▪ Desktop or web launch option

▪ Mobile friendly; can be viewed on mobile devices

▪ Ability to include self-assessments (quizzes, etc.), videos, annotations and hyperlinks

Cons of Softchalk

▪ In looking at testimonials, it does not appear as though there are any negatives to Softchalk. Instructors enjoy the ease of creating lessons, either by importing their own material or searching the cloud for content. Students prefer Softchalk to PowerPoint presentations because of the interactivity that Softchalk allows. The self-assessment tool is very popular with both instructors and students alike!

“SoftChalk makes it so easy to create online instructional modules. Even without the additional activities, the program would still be hugely beneficial due to its ease of

use, the automatically-created navigation options, its accessibility features, the control over page styles and formatting, and the many ways you can publish your work. Add to that the many instructional activities and you have everything you need to create rich, engaging content. And the Learning Object Repository is a fantastic service for people to share their work and to explore the work of others. I foresee a thriving community

of SoftChalk enthusiasts taking instructional modules to the next level!”

Christopher Lackey, Illinois State University

Tips for using Softchalk

▪ Make sure to take the time and thoroughly go through the training videos as they will show up step by step how to build just the lesson you want.

▪ Look at sample lessons that the website (http://www.softchalk.com) has in place for many disciplines. They will give you an idea of how other instructors in your field have designed their lessons.

▪ Don’t be afraid to try something new!

Best practices for using Softchalk

Testimonial

 SOFTCHALK GETS STUDENTS ENGAGED BY ALLOWING THEM TO INTERACT WITH CONTENT IN MEANINGFUL

WAYS THAT REQUIRE CRITICAL THINKING AND THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES. SOFTCHALK IS OUR GO-TO

SOFTWARE TO TRANSFORM LESSONS INTO INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES.

LYN HAWKS,DUKE UNIVERSITY

If the top universities in the nation are using this technology, we should too!

References

▪ What is Softchalk? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdy-l513LbE

▪ http://softchalk.com/

▪ User guide downloaded from softchalk.com