Educator Guide
You are exploring details about a digital tool. If you wish to understand how to apply this tool in teaching and improve your digital skills, we suggest starting with our Educator Guide.
Overview
Mural is an online collaboration tool that allows teams to collaborate on digital whiteboards. Mural offers a range of templates and tools to facilitate brainstorming, ideation, and design.
Key Features
Mural's key features include digital whiteboards, sticky notes, diagrams, templates, voting, timer, video conferencing, and more.
How these features can be used in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning:
Mural can be used in the classroom for group brainstorming, project planning, concept mapping, design thinking, and more. With features such as sticky notes, diagrams, and templates, students can collaborate and organize ideas visually. The voting feature can be used to prioritize ideas, and the timer can be used for timed activities. Mural's video conferencing feature allows remote students to participate in collaborative activities.
Benefits
- Mural can enhance collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills. It can save time and increase student engagement by facilitating group work in a virtual setting. Mural can also improve learning outcomes by providing a visual representation of ideas and concepts.
- Mural can save time by providing a virtual space for collaborative work, eliminating the need for physical materials such as sticky notes and whiteboards. The tool's engaging and interactive features can increase student engagement and foster a sense of ownership over the learning process. The visual nature of Mural can improve learning outcomes by providing a clear and organized representation of ideas and concepts.
Getting Started
- To get started with Mural, follow these steps:
- Create a Mural account at https://mural.co/
- Create a new mural or choose from a template
- Add sticky notes, diagrams, or other content to the mural
- Collaborate with others by inviting them to the mural
- Use Mural's features such as voting and video conferencing to facilitate collaboration
Tips o best practices for using the tool effectively:
- Use templates to save time and get started quickly
- Use labels and tags to organize content within the mural
- Encourage students to use Mural's interactive features such as voting and commenting
- Use Mural's timer feature for timed activities
- Provide clear instructions and expectations for how to use Mural effectively
Considerations and potential concern of using the tool
- Complexity: Mural is a robust tool with many features, which can make it overwhelming for some users. Some students and teachers may require additional support and training to use the tool effectively.
- To address this issue, it may be helpful to provide tutorials, resources, or training sessions for users who are new to Mural. Teachers could also create templates or starter boards that guide students through the process of using the tool.
- Cost: Mural is a paid tool, which may be a concern for schools or teachers who have limited budgets.
To address this issue, teachers could consider alternative tools that offer similar functionality at a lower cost. Additionally, some schools or districts may be able to provide funding or support for the use of Mural. - Accessibility: Some students may face accessibility issues when using Mural, such as those with visual impairments or those who use screen readers.
To address this issue, teachers could provide alternative formats for the content, such as written instructions or audio recordings. Additionally, teachers could work with their school’s accessibility coordinator to ensure that Mural is compliant with accessibility guidelines. - Overall, while there are some potential concerns with using Mural, these issues can be addressed with proper planning, support, and resources. With its many features and potential for enhancing collaboration and creativity, Mural can be a valuable tool for teachers and students alike.