Digital scrapbooks: A new age teaching tool

Academic scrapbooks are no more arts-and-crafts assignments, it is now a digital teaching strategy to encourage students to understand concepts clearly and remember them. Enter the digital scrapbook, an almost magically interactive way of studies that has caught the attention of teachers worldwide.   

What are digital scrapbooks?  
Digital scrapbooks are digital collages that can be as short as a poster style single slide presentation or a whole digital book similar to the physical practical books or term projects students do in school. The digital scrapbook may include annotated notes, video, audio, links, photos, and anything that is needed to make the experience fuller.   

How are teachers using the digital scrapbook?  
Teachers are asking students to demonstrate what they have understood by putting a digital scrapbook together. While creating this soft copy of a typical scrapbook, students are getting the chance to create a serious academic notebook. They are able to use visual presentation for any subject, including STEM, to clearly present what they have understood, what are their queries and their opinions. This is a format that is as suitable for geometry coming alive with embedded 3D graphics, as well as a presentation on history or geography.  

Is the digital scrapbook a form of plagiarism?  
On the contrary, kids who were prone to photocopying or obtaining Wikipedia print outs blindly are now paying attention to the material they are assembling. The copy-paste method cannot be used without first checking the material here, and students are re-editing, collating or re-writing ideas that seem to go best with their topic. Not just school, but even a lot of undergraduate college teachers are happier with the digital scrapbook as it’s a better option than the rampant plagiarism that affects hard copies.   

Why are digital scrapbooks more acceptable to students?  
Digital scrapbooks are being favoured by a lot of students too because they are finding it easier to retain concepts they have presented so thoroughly. They are being able to get into greater depth, they can focus on the topic more, and are not bound by form, i.e., it need not be all text. Many students are discovering interest areas and new skills through the digital scrapbook.