# Activities and tools

## Definition and distinctions

**Tools** are essentially applications that are used to carry out a particular function. For instance, the Forum tool is a tool that allows students to discuss. 

A **learning activity** is when we apply instructions and content to a tool to achieve a particular learning objective. 

{% hint style="info" %}
For simplicity sake, we might use both terms interchangeably. 
{% endhint %}

## Types of LAMS Tools <a href="#activities-usesforthelamsactivities" id="activities-usesforthelamsactivities"></a>

![](/files/-MUmKynipqjLXdePVcqP)

The LAMS tools are grouped into four categories of learning.

| <p></p><p><a href="/pages/-MUkWNDFJo0BH-CtHIj2#informative-activities"><strong>Informative</strong></a> </p><ul><li><a href="/pages/-MUpSE5JBo8ey_ddWbMx"><strong>Share Resources</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/cNTwPGx2uDvybyU0EchH"><strong>Task list</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/fGQ5fzuFFpU6AJ3AYqJf"><strong>Spreadsheets</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MX5a1D64BxXUNp9A2-M"><strong>Image Gallery</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/hMIGYVhODwg2ZISk1Jjh"><strong>Noticeboard</strong></a></li></ul> | <p></p><p><a href="/pages/-MUkWNDFJo0BH-CtHIj2#assessment-activities"><strong>Assessment</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="#assessment"><strong>Assessment activity</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MZ_6IgSlzTfCOALs13u"><strong>Submit Files</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MZB-Tr1AMD5exalPKZU"><strong>Scratchie</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/O5hGdYb2gS7zvZbjKZSX"><strong>Peer & Self Evaluation</strong></a></li></ul><p></p>                                                                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <p></p><p><a href="/pages/-MUkWNDFJo0BH-CtHIj2#collaborative-tools"><strong>Collaborative</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="/pages/-MX4og015qm8HL6WToXa"><strong>Forum</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/kzuOdBGwrqNiIuHIkGMQ"><strong>Zoom</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MX5OBG3AYPz6IgkPWaG"><strong>Chat</strong></a> </li><li><a href="/pages/-MUWziYLe6uw3bGkO_W1"><strong>doKu</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/J3hEdhyTFIBEelrwjSix"><strong>Whiteboard</strong></a></li></ul><p><br></p>                        | <p></p><p><a href="/pages/-MUkWNDFJo0BH-CtHIj2#reflective-tools"><strong>Reflective</strong></a></p><ul><li><a href="/pages/uWDvDYC6r0ewceHXgub9"><strong>Survey</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/GEkTOAbb6FArP3Ib5YXc"><strong>Data collection</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MX6Np6YRv3uQUe7jV9R"><strong>Mindmap</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MX1bTxxK89av-sP5Xc3"><strong>Q\&A</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/L2vMPlsvbEvZhHIyZLAM"><strong>Vote</strong></a></li><li><a href="/pages/-MXM98L5EGD6izVfiXbQ"><strong>Notebook</strong></a></li></ul> |

[**Design and workflow tools**](/lams/tools/activities-and-tools.md#design-and-workflow-tools)

* [**Gates**](/lams/tools/gates.md)
* [**Branching**](/lams/tools/branching.md)
* [**Groups / Teams**](/lams/tools/groups-teams.md)
* [**Optional activities**](/lams/tools/optionals.md)
* [**Support activities**](/lams/tools/support-activities.md)

## Informative Activities

### [Share Resources](/lams/tools/share-resources.md)

**Share Resources** allows teachers to add content into a design, such as URL hyperlinks, zipped websites, individual files (Adobe PDF's, Powerpoints, etc) and even complete learning objects.

### [**Task List**](#task-list)

**Task list activity**

### [Spreadsheets](#spreadsheets)

The **Spreadsheet Activity** allows a teachers to provide data in a spreadsheet format to students.\
Students can then perform their own calculations on and manipulations of the data and submit their formulas or results for assessment.

### [Image Gallery](/lams/tools/image-gallery.md)

The **Image Gallery** tool allows teachers and students (when enabled) to upload a series of images. These images can be then be reviewed and rated.

### [Noticeboard](/lams/tools/noticeboard.md)

**Noticeboard activity** provides a simple way of providing information and content to the students.

## Assessment Activities

Assessment tools provide a fast and efficient way of collecting Learners responses to a topic.

### [Assessment](/lams/tools/assessment.md)&#x20;

The **Assessment activity** allows teachers to create powerful exams with a variety of question types and features

### [Submit Files](/lams/tools/submit-files.md)&#x20;

The **Submit files activity** allows students to submit assignments.&#x20;

### [Scratchie](/lams/tools/scratchie.md)&#x20;

The **Scratchie activity** is an specific implementation of the IF-AT cards and a novel form of assessment when students can have multiple attempts at a question until they find the correct answer.&#x20;

### Multiple choice

{% hint style="warning" %}
To be deprecated in favour of Assessment in LAMS v5.0&#x20;
{% endhint %}

The MCQ activity allows teachers to create&#x20;

## Collaborative tools

Collaborative tools involve Learners working together to achieve learning out allows teachers to create a series of tasks which are marked off as completed by students. Each individual task may be compulsory or not, or require the completion of other tasks to become available.comes.

### [Forum](/lams/tools/forum.md)&#x20;

The **Forum Activity** provides an asynchronous discussion environment for learners, with discussion threads initially created by the teacher.

### [Zoom](/lams/tools/zoom-video-conference.md)&#x20;

The **Zoom integration activity** provides a simple way to integrate [Zoom](https://zoom.us) web conference features into LAMS designs.

### [Chat](/lams/tools/chat.md)

The **Chat Activity** runs a live (synchronous) discussion for learners.

### [doKu](/lams/tools/doku.md)

The [doKu tool](/lams/tools/doku.md) **is a collaborative real-time editor**, allowing students to simultaneously create and edit a text document. As they edit the document, students can see each other editing in real time.

### [Whiteboard](/lams/tools/whiteboard.md)

The whiteboard **is a collaborative real-time editor**, allowing students to simultaneously create and edit a text document. As they edit the document, students can see each other editing in real time.

## Reflective tools

### [Survey](/lams/tools/survey.md)&#x20;

The **Survey Tool** is similar to Multiple Choice, in that it presents learners with a number of questions. However, unlike Multiple Choice there are no right or wrong answers - the system just collates all answers for analysis by the teacher.

### [Data Collection](/lams/tools/data-collection.md)

The **Data Collection tool** allows Authors to create database style lists for Learners to populate.

### [Mindmap](/lams/tools/mindmap.md)

The **Mindmap activity** allows teachers and students to create, edit and view mindmaps to enhance idea generation and visualisation.&#x20;

### [Q\&A](/lams/tools/q-and-a.md)

The **Question and Answer Activity** allows teachers to pose a question or questions to learners individually, and after they have entered their response, to see the responses of all their peers presented on a single answer screen.

### [Voting](/lams/tools/vote.md)

The **Voting Activity** allows teachers to create polls.

### [Notebook](/lams/tools/notebook.md)

The **Notebook Activity** is a tool for teachers to allow learners to record their thoughts during a lesson. Excellent tool for reflection and introspection. The Notebook activity is doubly powerful, as it can be added to the end of specific activity.

### [Survey](/lams/tools/survey.md)

**Survey** and **Voting** can be used to create a 'double reflection'; Learners first provide their own reflective responses, and can then reflect on trends and patterns in the cumulative data.

## Design & workflow tools

### [Gates](/lams/tools/gates.md)

&#x20;**Gates** allow teachers to create *Stop Points* during a lesson.

### [Branching](/lams/tools/branching.md)

### [Teams / Groups](#teams-groups)

### [Optional Activities](/lams/tools/optionals.md)

### [Support Activities](/lams/tools/support-activities.md)


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