Using Class Notebook for collaborative group work
Most of us are familiar with the idea of using Teams to collaborate with colleagues even if it’s just using the chat and meeting features. By setting up a ‘Class Team’ for a module cohort you will get access to a range of student collaboration options and one of these is Class Notebook.
What is Class Notebook?
Part of the Class Teams feature in Office 365, Class Notebook is a digital notebook for your group where students and teachers can share work with each other. Each Class Notebook includes 3 areas:
Content Library
A read-only space where teachers can share content with students.
Collaboration Space
An area where students and teachers can edit content collaboratively. Teachers can see inputs by students in real-time and add comments and feedback. You can subdivide the collaboration space and give students access to relevant sections.
Student Notebooks
An area of the class notebook for each student on the team. These are shared between the individual student and the teacher but can’t be seen by other students.
Using the collaboration space for group projects
When students work in groups on a project they need somewhere to share their ideas, develop content and present their results and this can be achieved through the Class Notebook collaboration space.
Each page in a Class Notebook collaboration space is a blank canvas – in fact if you are familiar with the Microsoft Whiteboard you’ll find that a Class Notebook collaboration page works in a very similar way.
What can you and your students do on a page?
- Type or write freehand
- Sketch
- Record audio
- Attach files and video recordings
- Embed multi media content such as YouTube – see a list of all embeddable platforms
- Add images and screen clippings
- Insert quizzes and surveys using MS forms
- Work on Maths equations
Structuring the Class Notebook collaboration space
You can provide students with a structure within the collaboration space by providing named sections to guide them through their project. Or you can give them free-reign to create their own sections.
Monitoring contributions of individual students
You can view the author of each contribution to a collaboration space by turning on the ‘view authors’ feature. You’ll then see a student’s initials displayed against anything they have personally added.
Some other uses for Class Notebook
Formative assessment and feedback
Within individual student notebooks or within the collaboration space for groupwork, set pieces of work that you will look at and provide feedback on at key points. There is the option to write comments or record audio feedback that will appear directly on the page.
Guided notetaking
Structure the students’ notebooks to reflect the structure of the module and provide spaces for them to take notes, in the various lectures, seminars and self-directed learning
Portfolio or logbook
Ask students on a specific area of learning such as a group project, industry placement or research project to keep a portfolio evidencing the development of their work. You can access the portfolio and provide feedback at key points.
More information on using class Notebook
You can find more information on how to use Class Notebook from this Microsoft Support web page