Student introductions to classmates are a common assignment to include in online classes. This practice is promoted by QM Standard 1.9 Learners are asked to introduce themselves to the class. The introductory discussion board is a great way to begin building student interaction and community in the online classroom. While there are many ways to ask students to share information about themselves, including writing a short discussion entry or recording a short video, Adobe Express offers another way to ask students to introduce themselves to their classmates.
What is Adobe Express?
Adobe Express is an easy-to-use graphic design app that can be used to create images, posters, infographics, videos, web pages, and more.
Why use Adobe Express for student assignments?
One of the competencies promoted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers is the use of technology to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. They also promote communication as a core competency for college graduates. Adobe Express can be used to help students leverage technology to communicate ideas in a variety of digital mediums. Using Adobe Express for assignments allows students to tap into their creativity to convey information or what they have learned in a course.
Additionally, Adobe Express is free to all Penn State students. Penn State and Adobe also provide many resources to help students learn how to use this app. These resources include:
Instructions on how to log in to Adobe Express
Tutorials for using Adobe Express (Penn State page)
Tutorials for Using Adobe Express (Adobe page)
We suggest including links to these resources with assignments you might want to assign.
Adobe Express Assignment Example: The Student-to-Class Introduction
While Adobe Spark can be used for a wide variety of assignments in the course, we will share a few ideas for the introductory discussion board. In order to access the examples, you may need to be logged in to Adobe. Visit Adobe Express and use your Penn State credentials.
Option 1: Students create an “All About Me” poster using Adobe Express.
You can provide students with instructions on how to login to Adobe Express and ask them to create an All About Me poster that includes a few facts that they’d like to share with the class. This example poster was made by Instructional Designer Dani McCauley from a template. Students can download their project and add it to the discussion board or add a link to their project to the discussion board area.
There are many other templates available for students to use. Students can search in Adobe or use examples you share with them.
Option 2: Students create a “My Past, Present, and Future” poster using Adobe Express.
You can provide students with instructions on how to login to Adobe Express and ask them to create a poster that represents their past, present, and future in a visual way. This example poster was created by Adobe to showcase a storyline about a person from their past, present, and future. Students can download their project and add it to the discussion board or add a link to their project to the discussion board area.
Option 3: Students create a “This or That – College Edition” poster using Adobe Express.
You can provide students with instructions on how to login to Adobe Express and ask them to create a poster showcasing their preferences for certain things related to their academics. This example poster was created by Instructional Designer Dani McCauley. For this example, all of the students make a copy of the given example and add their choices by circling their preferences. Students can download their saved copy of the project and add it to the discussion board or add a link to their project to the discussion board area.
Conclusion
While we have highlighted the use of Adobe Express specifically for introductory discussion boards, this app can be used for a variety of other assignments. It can be helpful for students to use the app for the discussion board and then use it again later in the course. By using Adobe Express early in the course for a low-stakes assignment, like the discussion board, students will not be as overwhelmed when the app is used again for a larger assignment later in the course.
If you have questions or ideas you’d like to discuss about using Adobe Express in your course, schedule a consultation with anyone on the CEI Team.
