Collaborative Annotation & think-cell

September Edition

September 27th 2022

Welcome to the September edition of the Rotman Digital Newsletter.

We hope you're enjoying the return to campus!

This month we are introducing a new "Featured Research" section of the newsletter. We plan to feature a relevant piece of research each month to keep the community updated on the latest trends in pedagogy and business education. These featured articles will also be added to the Rotman Digital Research page. We hope you enjoy this month's article on assessing critical thinking in business education.

The University is on the hunt for a collaborative annotation tool that can be added to our Academic Toolbox. Collaborative annotation tools allow students, instructors and TAs to comment directly on course documents promoting a free-flowing exchange of ideas. Think of it as a layer of conversation on top of a course reading. We feature some already-available solutions below.

We also feature a tool called think-cell and remind the community that our partnership with think-cell is ongoing. think-cell is a time-saving tool for creating visually impressive presentations. It is available to all students, faculty and staff at Rotman. Learn more below.

Lastly, we've included a blog post that discusses the distinction between gamification and incentivization in Ed Tech. These two concepts are often used interchangeably but the difference is important. Read more below.

For more information on course design, video creation, and Quercus please visit rotmandigital.ca. If you have feedback, questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, please reach out to us at rotmandigital@rotman.utoronto.ca.

For Quercus questions, email us at q.support@rotman.utoronto.ca.

Assessing Critical Thinking in Business Education

Critical thinking requires an active evaluation of ideas and information rather than a simple absorption of knowledge. This research article by Angelito Calma Valeria and Cotronei-Baird in the The International Journal of Management Education explores how to better-assess critical thinking in business education.

The researchers assessed a set of 2000-word reports written by students at a large research-intensive university in Australia. Using a framework developed by the authors, they identify the extent to which students demonstrate the acquisition of critical thinking skills. They offer meaningful suggestions for learners on how to approach an assessment, and for instructors on how to create more effective assessments.

Click here to read the full article.

Collaborative Annotation Tools + RSFQ Review

Collaborative annotation tools make it possible for a number of people to simultaneously annotate a document and share those annotations with others. Currently, The University's three collaborative annotation solutions are Microsoft Office 365, Leganto and Hypothesis. Click here to learn more about these tools.

The Collaborative Annotation Solution for the Academic Toolbox is currently undergoing an RFSQ review. The vendors will present their solutions to the U of T community once the Evaluation Committee have completed their review. Click here to read the latest updates.

think-cell: Create High-Impact Data Driven Presentations Fast

think-cell helps users create impressive professional presentations, fast. Rotman Digital has partnered with think-cell to provide free access to the Rotman community.

Eight of the top 10 global management consulting firms and 90 of the Fortune 100 use think-cell. Create 40+ chart types including waterfall, Gantt, and Marimekko in just 2-3 minutes each.

Click here to learn more and download think-cell for free.

Gamification vs Incentivization in EdTech

Gamification is a way to add challenge and fun to tasks. Developers use gamification to create learning experiences that encourage engagement and collaboration. In this blog, Tess Gadd discusses the difference between gamification and incentivization, and how to use them in course design. Click here to read the blog and learn more.

Access previous editions of the newsletter here