Using Google Jamboard as an Interactive Group-work Platform

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges in conducting a library literacy session via zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic was to create a platform where the students could work in a group. While a majority of the students quickly became accustomed to working in a breakout room setting, it was still difficult for them to fully engage with their classmates. It was also challenging for instructors to measure the students’ engagement level while everyone was working online. In this presentation, I will discuss how I used Google Jamboard for a higher-level Japanese Studies undergraduate class in the Spring 2021 semester. I assigned a Google Jamboard for each student, and they constructed an online “research concept map” where they listed possible keywords in English and Japanese for their capstone project. All Jamboards were shared among the students, so each student was also asked to add keywords in their classmates’ Jamboards. As a bonus of using an online board, some students inserted images, which resulted in a more dynamic and visual board and offered opportunities for the students to start a vivid conversation. The use of Google Jamboard also helped the faculty member and me to monitor the students' progress.