Actively Learn

Review on Actively Learn



Actively learn is an online learning tool. It comes with a library of thousands text and lessons. It gives a scope to interact within real time. Teacher can assign different texts or upload their own content. Student can respond to embedded questions, interact with a text by digitally highlighting and annotating. The main objective of this site is to build the best digital reading platform for students and reinvent the reading activities for deeply understanding. Their aim is to help students learn, think and build connections between texts and actively construct knowledge.

Actively learn was founded by Dr. Deep Sran and Jay Goyal in 2012. The company took more than 15 years of work to improve the design, practice and experience of formal education. Actively Learn resources combine embedded content and scaffolds with the intention of supporting student learning and engagement. Texts feature embedded questions, discussion materials, and various reading aids. Both teachers and students can interact directly with the text, leaving comments and feedback. Actively Learn online library, geared towards student’s grades 4 through 12. It added different features a variety of texts including short stories, textbooks, poems, primary sources, plays, and novels. The library also houses materials specific to the science and social studies content areas. Here, Teachers have the option to download texts directly from Actively Learn and use the site’s pre-existing instructional materials. Alternately, teachers can upload their own texts and articles. Teacher can also add their own notes, questions, and multimedia resources directly into the content for students to see. Actively Learn’s data-reporting feature makes it possible for teachers to see how students interact with a text, including the duration spent reading, notes taken, as well as responses to embedded questions. Actively Learn also offers standards-aligned content; teachers can view student progress towards mastering each standard using the data functionality of the online resource. On the other hand, the users can set up class rosters, browse Actively Learn’s catalog, assign and share materials and view data collected by the system. It also includes slideshows for professional development, flyers and informational documents, event sponsorship, videos, tech cheat sheets, and tips from other users. This site offers an online course for teachers on the science of learning to read. The course is divided into three modules, discussing how to active, support and reveal students' thinking.

Students can access content assigned by their teachers. Students can change text settings, view notifications from their teacher and view notes and questions embedded in the text. Text appears on the left side of the student screen. The text with embedded content is highlighted and the content appears on the right side of the screen. Actively Learn chunks text by breaking it up with embedded questions. Students cannot proceed until they answer the question. Responses are posted to the entire class. Once a student has posted their response, after that they can see how their other classmates answered and leave comments. Students receive feedback from their teachers for each question.  Annotations can be kept private or shared with the entire class for discussion and feedback. Students can choose from one of eight preset labels to categorize their notes. They can also choose to create their own custom label. If a Student struggle with a text, there have the option to send a message to their teacher by highlighting the content. They can use different feature. Actively Learn makes it possible to define words in a text, to hear the text read aloud, and to translate it. In reading independently, Actively Learn offers to students various articles. They can choose from over 3,000 articles. Students have the option to share or recommend articles directly with one another. Once an article is completed, it’s added to the student’s reading log. It allows teachers to track student progress and the texts they have interacted with.

Actively Learn’s online resources are easily accessible. One can access by using any device with a web browser. The online resource integrates fully with Google Drive, including Google Classroom. Teachers can assign research projects using Actively Learn. Students can work collaboratively to digitally highlight and annotate a text. Then they can merge their notes into Google Docs. Students also have the option to import articles to keep track of their research. The web design of this site is very interesting and it makes students involved in tasks easily.

Actively Learn site has free access for primary use. It would not be free after some level of performing. This site does not plaster with advertising but have premium versions. The premium benefits are offered when one is ready to take advantage of just some of the benefits they provided like content across subjects, shared curriculum resource, improved reading and learning tool, data-driven instruction, teacher growth. A teacher can upload his or her materials three times or only three materials in a month. The premium versions users can upload more materials.

Actively learn is an online learning platform and it reinvents the reading activities for deeply understanding. Their aim is to help students learn, think and build connections between texts and actively construct knowledge.

The link of this site: https://www.activelylearn.com/

Comments

  1. To be honest with you, I really liked the layout of this tool when I encountered it for the first time. I'm aware of the pros and cons that you have mentioned above. However, the biggest downside of this platform is that it keeps its prominent and intriguing features locked. People need to pay a handsome amount of money to unlock those features. If it was completely accessible (in other words, free), you and I (and other teachers) could use it for teaching reading. Taina?

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  2. Hi Nusrat! I do agree with you. I have a bad experience with this tool. When I started working on it for the first time I posted three articles and deleted them when I tried to post forth one it did not allow then I realized I am not permitted to post more then three within a month. Even when I have tried to use some of the options those are locked and required money for using. Besides some cons it is useful for the teachers and students. I personally like this tool.

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  4. Well, your review was very informative. Here I got a complete idea of how teachers teach their students by using Actively Learn which was very organized. You have described about Online learning system, opening account, working process through Google integration was extra ordinary. It was a very clear and also positive review for those learner who have decided to work with Actively Learn.

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