What is it?

Symbaloo is an online organisational tool, that allows users to build a personalised web interface; where a user can bookmark important search engines and sites.

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This tool can allow educators to build a platform that provides their students with all the resources needed for their learning, whilst also providing options for differentiation within the classroom.

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This tool can be used in a variety of applications including:

• Scaffolding lessons

• Group work

• Building research skills

• Creating interactive interfaces

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Overview of Benefits

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The Simplicity of the Interface

When using the interface, it is easy to navigate through the customisation and set up options allowing a user to be able to quickly create a web mix to fit their needs. The user can easily drag around different tiles to organise and create learning or information categories, which can allow users such as teachers to scaffold lessons or resources for their students.

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Sharing ability

When using this tool, I found its sharing capabilities one of its most beneficial components. This allowed users to add other users web mixes to their home Symbaloo page for their own use; whilst also giving the user the option to be able to embed their Symbaloo web mix on their own websites or learning management system for teachers. This allows multiple users to access the same Symbaloo web mix and work using the links, which can provide teachers with great opportunities for lesson planning and student collaboration. 

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Symbaloo Learning Paths

One feature that I found would be extremely beneficial for teachers is the Learning Paths option available on Symbaloo. This feature allows a user to structure a lesson using a Symbaloo web mix, that will have other users such as students following a path similar to a create you own journey story. This function gives users objectives to complete to be able to move through the learning path. For students implementing this in class, can make it more interactive and enticing for students to complete their enquiries.

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Overview of Weaknesses

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Cost of Use

When exploring the application I found that some of the more advanced features that professional would benefit from like collaborative web mixes and learning paths are only available to paying or sponsored members. Although I only found this a minor inconvenience, having full functionality or even just the collaboration feature added to the free version would allow for many more users to benefit.

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Visual Appeal

Personally I found the visual aesthetics of the web mixes to look unprofessional for older users. The simple visuals and colours are great for younger users in accomplishing their needs and research; however, for older users and professionals, I see a need for a more stylised interface, that could be used as a homepage or desktop feature. Through creating this differentiation, I think more users would feel comfortable about using this as an all-round organisational and learning tool. 

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Customisation Limitations

When using the application, I found that the customization options were limited for the actual interface. The user is unable to change features such as the shape of the web mix or search engine utilised; which for users such as myself are components that I view as important in an ICT research tool as they allow me to personalise my own interaction experience. For many educators and students, this many deter its use for research, as their are various other search engines that can provide more structured and valid information.

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Links to Learning Theories

Under the SAMR model, Symbaloo could either be described as a modification if using the paid version or an augmentation tool with the free version. This difference comes from the addition of collaboration and creation options added in the paid version. Given this, the Symbaloo application could be described as a visually organised bookmarks tab which allows users to create bookmark pages for others to use; of which the addition of visuals can be used to structure a lesson allowing the tool to move past a substitution tool and into an augmentation tool for the teacher. However, with the paid additions, the tool also allows for collaboration between users such as students and the teacher, allowing them to create a space of shared knowledge across their devices.

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How to use it in the classroom

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Explanation of Use in the Classroom

In the classroom, I found that Symbaloo had it's greatest strength in helping teachers give students choice in their learning. Given this, an example of its use could be seen in working through a topic-specific case, where the teacher could use Symbaloo to give students the option of which case study to choose.

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For example, if students were learning about the geographical processes regarding a Volcano, the teacher could use Symbaloo to organise information about 3 different volcanoes and then give the students the choice of which volcano they could like to do a case study on. On the Symbaloo interface, the teacher can include images, information, statistics and other forms of information that will allow all students to complete the same task and objectives, but covering different volcanoes of interest.

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Through using Symbaloo in this manner, the teacher is able to structure a case study in a 'choose your own adventure' method; which gives students more choice in their learning and can help build interest in the subject. As well as this, it allows the class to become more student-centred and give the students a sense of accountability in their studies. 

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Curriculum Code for Class Example

• The geographical processes that produce landforms, including a case study of one type of landform, such as mountains, volcanoes, riverine or coastal landforms (ACHGK050)

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Example

Below is an example of a Symbaloo display that a teacher may use for the example above. Feel free to test out the application with the links incorporated.

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Symbaloo | The leading visual resource management tool to organise and share your favourites. (2020). Retrieved 2 May 2020, from https://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/13eOcRH1Sd