Using Padlet’s Virtual Bulletin Board with CLASSUM

While digital tools seem to have become the norm nowadays, many continue to insist that non-digital tools have a more engaging and meaningful quality to them due to their tangible nature. Whether one opts for longhand notes over digital ones, or prefers sticky notes over a cell phone reminder app, many people agree that analog tools are more memorable because they are both visual and tangible. The digital tools industry responded by coming up with technology that was more reminiscent of their physical replacements. Padlet, a digital tool that replicates the visual appeal and organization of physical whiteboards, mind maps, bulletin boards, and more in the virtual space, is a prime example of a product of this trend.

CLASSUM has enjoyed partnering with Padlet since February 2022 because we share the same belief in the importance of collaboration in learning. Both Padlet and CLASSUM encourage participants to share ideas and discoveries with others, ask and answer each other’s questions, and communicate to spark the power of learning together. While CLASSUM’s communication channel models that of a social media platform, Padlet’s takes the form of a visual board that can be designed and organized to the user’s preference. We love the visual approach Padlet takes and encourage everyone to use CLASSUM as an LMS that hosts and stores Padlets when using the two tools together.

To help you visualize what it looks like to effectively use CLASSUM with Padlet, we have prepared two example scenarios that would benefit from synergizing the tools.

#1: Real-Time Sessions

Host discussions and collaborative note-taking sessions during real-time learning sessions, whether in person or online. If online, first create a new section for the discussion in CLASSUM. Then, set up a Zoom session for the lecture through CLASSUM and post it in the designated section. Finally, post a link to a Padlet discussion board as a URL content in the same section. If the lecture is held in person, simply post the Padlet URL in the CLASSUM space so participants can access the board beforehand.

Provide participants with one of Padlet’s various discussion board templates, including the freestyle “canvas” layout or the chronologically ordered “timeline” layout. While watching the lecture, learners can collectively organize their thoughts and discoveries in a methodical, organized manner using the Padlet.

If learners have questions during the lecture but do not want to interrupt the lecture by asking them live, they can ask their questions in the CLASSUM Community space. While participants can also ask questions on the Padlet, asking them in CLASSUM both ensures the content in the Padlet remains organized and makes the instructor’s job more efficient since the AI Dot automatically sorts and groups redundant questions in CLASSUM.

After the lecture, the instructor can export the resulting Padlet as an image, PDF, or Excel file and post it in CLASSUM for participants to continue accessing as a resource.

#2: Asynchronous Sessions

Asynchronous, blended, and hybrid learning models are all growing in popularity recently as they allow participants to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. Often, these involve a class structure in which lectures are posted online for repeated access in the future. When using one of these education models, the instructor can post a recorded lecture or another educational video (e.g. YouTube video) in a new section in CLASSUM for learners to watch. In the same section, the instructor can link a Padlet with prewritten question columns that participants are assigned to post answers under. We recommend using the “Shelf” Padlet layout to do this!

The instructor can choose to make participants’ answers hidden to everyone else by enabling the “Require Approval” feature.

Once the assignment period is over, the instructor can approve all the answers to reveal them to the rest of the class, export the Padlet, and post it in CLASSUM for participants to learn from others’ ideas.

In this article, we have presented two scenarios in which using CLASSUM together with Padlet can provide you with a powerful tool that encourages collaboration and discussion among learners while also organizing and preserving their ideas. Feel free to comment on this post or tell us through our socials about how you like to use CLASSUM with Padlet!

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