If you are looking for a virtual collaboration tool or a way to make course content interactive, then Microsoft Office Sway may be just the new tool for your technology toolbox.
Sway is referred to by Microsoft as a “digital storytelling app”. This interactive, collaborative alternative to PowerPoint lets you or your students share images, text, videos, audio and other media to “tell a story” about any course topic. Sway is a great way to connect with online students or to provide a repeat and rewind activity for lecture students.
Best of all Sway is free! For individual users, Sway provides a professional presentation format that is easy to create and share. Use the Sway images or import your own. There are also no limits to the number of Sways a user can create or store. If you or your institution are also Microsoft 365 subscribers, then Sway’s enhanced features include administrative controls, additional organizational sharing limitations, and the ability to connect to or use content from OneDrive.
Additionally, Sway allows students full accessibility to this technology tool, as it works on all platforms and devices. All you need to do is share the Sway link, embed the link on your website or LMS, or you can distribute your Sway through social media (Facebook or Twitter).
Concerned about privacy? Sway has an array of privacy options, from private (only you can view), to public (where everyone can view). For more controlled viewing, you can share a link with students and revoke viewing privileges at any time. If you use Sway through your institution’s Microsoft Office 365, then you can also limit viewing to only members of your organization.
Make Sway more interactive by adding assessments. Simply create a question or quiz by using Microsoft Office Forms and embedding the form link into your Sway. If you are looking for a great collaborative tool, use Sway to let students work on their presentation in a virtual environment, or add Skype to your Sway activity and it becomes even more collaborative. Sway is also a great tool for students to use for eFolio projects.
Looking ahead to 2018, start out the new year with this free, interactive, collaborative technology tool in your toolbox. Sway is an easy way to add technology in your course. For more information on getting started with Sway visit https://sway.com/education/ or https://sway.com/.
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