Guest post – DigiLearn: Using Wakelet to curate session resources

Author: Jill Dobson – Senior Lecturer in Acute Critical and Emergency Care

As a course team, we wanted to maintain consistency for our students in the delivery of each session we delivered online. The course leader provided the structure for how each session could be delivered, but the way this content was presented was left to each member of the team. We decided that to provide students with resources for each session, Wakelet appeared to provide the easiest and most suitable option.

If you press the home button in the top right corner, you can either begin creating a new collection, or view others that you may have curated at an earlier point.

In Wakelet, you are provided with a wall where YouTube videos, PDFs, documents from OneDrive and URL links can all be added on to the platform. There is also the option to upload a Flipgrid video – adding up to 10-minutes of video content. 

Another benefit of Wakelet, is that you can add contributors. This means that other team members can also add their own resources and ideas to the collection.

I also wanted to add additional resources to the platform but wasn’t sure if this would work. However, when I added the link to a Prezi presentation and a Kahoot! quiz, they both worked in the Wakelet collection too!    

Within the settings tab in the left-hand corner of edit mode, background images can be changed and sharing options can be altered. Once editing is complete, click ‘Done’ in the top right corner and remember to check that the collection has the visibility option that you want: private, unlisted (where only people provided with the link can view), or public.

The link can then be shared/embedded via Microsoft Teams, Twitter, Facebook, Remind, reddit and Google. The collection can also be added into OneNote Class Notebook. Simply paste the link to the collection, and the content will embed itself – https://wke.lt/w/s/hHwFzy.

You can also download a PDF copy of all that has been uploaded. 

The embedded videos work by redirecting to the appropriate website when clicked on.

In the bottom left corner of the home page is a help section, where you can find a training centre to both ask for help, and seek inspiration.

I can’t find any negatives with this platform. It is ideal for students as a ‘one stop shop’ – which is what they usually want instead of navigating around several sites. It also enables a student to see exactly what is expected within the session, and in what order. I believe students will find this very beneficial, and I’m sure we will receive great feedback from embedding this particular approach.