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Padlet, a versatile digital platform, has significantly impacted teaching and learning methods, especially evident during the pandemic's remote learning phase. It offers a gallery or pinboard interface that enables students and teachers to share work instantly, fostering a collaborative and interactive classroom environment.
For a teacher of design and technology, such as myself, this tool is particularly beneficial for displaying visual content, such as photographs of practical work or design drawings, allowing for real-time sharing and viewing on devices and classroom screens. The platform's capacity for peer assessment is noteworthy. Teachers can set criteria for students to assess each other's work live through comments, promoting critical thinking and feedback skills. This interactive approach not only enhances learning outcomes but also builds a sense of community among students.
A recent and exciting addition to Padlet is the 'I can't draw' function, which leverages AI to generate images from textual prompts provided by students. This feature encourages creativity and the use of descriptive vocabulary by allowing students to visualise and share their imaginative concepts with the class. The function is very easy to use and produces 6 generated images rapidly for the student to choose from and then share.
Example learning activity 1: The aim of this simple activity was for students to consider creative, descriptive vocabulary, and stretch their oracy and literacy skills. All students were encouraged to close their eyes and imagine a ‘bike of the future from the year 2100'. They were encouraged to be really imaginative. They then were asked to open their eyes and share their idea verbally with their partner using their descriptive vocabulary. Once shared they then summarised their description into a written prompt and chose the image that most closely resembled what was in their minds eye. They also shared their written prompt with the rest of the class. The activity was a short engaging introduction to the lesson which set up the creative lesson very well.
Example learning activity 2: This activity involved students designing toothbrushes for specific clients without revealing their prompts. This flipped model prompted discussions about the intended client based on the generated images, further enhancing analytical and deductive reasoning skills, and the retrieval of previous learning about user centred design.
Despite its utility, there is a call for reconsidering the name of the 'I can't draw' function to something more positive. This change would align with the educational emphasis on encouraging students to explore and develop their drawing abilities, reinforcing a growth mindset. The suggestion of names like ‘let’s imagine’ or ‘bring my idea to life’ reflects a more constructive approach, encouraging students to engage with their creative and artistic potentials without self-imposed limitations.
The scenario in this case study is genuine and based upon real events and data, however its narration has been crafted by AI to uphold a standardised and clear format for readers.
Key Learning
Padlet's AI feature, 'I can't draw', demonstrates the power of technology in stimulating student creativity and engagement through visualisation and peer feedback.
Risks
The main risk involves the potential for a negative impact on students’ self-esteem with the current naming of the 'I can't draw' function. Additionally, over reliance on AI for creative tasks might limit the development of manual drawing skills and stifle personal creativity if not balanced with traditional methods.
