37

Overview

LiveBinders Introduction (3:27)

Description

LiveBinders is a free online program that allows teachers to create classroom textbooks, evidence-based documentation, and e-portfolios.   The free option permits the development of up to 5 different binders with file size limitations. The binders are updated in real time, can be private or public and are easily accessible for students.  A pro option does exist which costs $9.99 (USD) per month and allows for unlimited binders with several extra options.

Justification for Using this Tool

Working in education it is extremely important to have the ability to network and share curriculum information with colleagues.  Livebinders provides a platform for information to be organized, stored and shared.  The owner of the binder can add individuals as collaborators with editing capabilities for content information. This tool can also be used by students when working on projects which require online group collaboration through Computer-Supported Collaborative learning (Clark & Mayer, 2011).  Hammond (2016) noted that online group collaboration increases the transferrable skills necessary for employment and societal participation.Graphics and videos can be incorporated into the binder to address various learning needs and increase visual esthetics. Carmicheal, Reid, and Karpicke (n.d.) outline that the inclusion of video stimulates greater course performance and positively impacts students’ motivation, confidence, and attitude towards their course.  The Redundancy Principle also outlines that narration improves learning when paired with graphical representations of a concept (Clark & Mayer, 2011). The binder is user-friendly, information is organized into tabs like a table of contents supporting the Segmenting Theory where information is broken down into smaller more manageable topics to help increase understanding (Clark & Mayer, 2011).  Students can access the binder for free from different electronic devices with internet capabilities. Incorporating Livebinders into education can help decrease textbook costs while increasing student accessibility to curriculum tools.

Strategies for Use

Strategy 1

LiveBinders Getting Started (2:39)

Short video outlining how to sign up for LiveBinders.

Strategy 2

Creating Your First Binder (5:45)

Short Video outlining how to create your first binder, and different functions available in the program.

Helpful Resources

Resource 1 – Educators Guide to LiveBinders

This blog post provides detailed information surrounding different ways that LiveBinders can be incorporated into the classroom.

Resource 2 – 4 Steps to Creating a Digital Binder for Free

This tutorial outlines step by step how to easily create a digital binder using LiveBinders.

Resource 3 – LiveBinders for the Classroom

This blog post provides detailed information surrounding different ways that educators and students can use LiveBinders.  The post also outlines the positives and negatives associated with this tool.

References

Carmicheal, M., Reid, A., & Karpicke, J. (n.d.).  Accessing the Impact of Educational Video on Student Engagement, Critical Thinking and Learning: The Current State of Play. Sage Publishing. Retrieved from https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/hevideolearning.pdf

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-Learning and the science of instruction (3rd ed.). San Fransico, CA: Phieffer.

Hammond, M. (2017). Online Collaboration and Cooperation: The Recurring Importance of  Evidence, Rationale and Viability. Education Information Technologies (22) 1005–1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9469-x

Author