The Infused Classroom Blog
What is a HyperDoc? A Quick Look
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The Question I Wish Everyone Would Ask: What is a HyperDoc?
Instead, most educators tell me they already know. In fact I have had a lot of teachers tell me they are doing Hyperdocs and some even give me the "yeah yeah" when I ask if they know about Hyperdocs - as if I am asking an "everyone knows how to do add links to a doc" question.
But when I sit down with those same educators to see their "Hyperdoc" it's almost always the same scenario. What I see is not actually a Hyperdoc but a doc with links - so I hope to help educators move forward to a real understand ing of the difference between the two. Because truth be told, these amazing lessons called Hyperdocs can be so much fun to create and also engaging ways for students to to learn!
The doc with links is still a great resource - and can be a great addition to the classroom, but it's time to break down the difference between the two. It's time to better understand a Hyperdoc and a doc with links (also known in the biz as a multimedia text set).
What is a HyperDoc?
A Hyperdoc is a lesson that is specifically designed to create a student-facing, blended learning experience. Inside of this lesson, students have voice; they are collaborating, creating, communicating and critically thinking their way through the content. It is created to help inspire students’ inquiry and curiosity - driving them to exploration, to find answers to their questions, build the background knowledge and supports the application of their new knowledge in order to show what they know. Teachers create these lessons with their students in mind, scaffolding every step to help meet their learning needs.
A HyperDoc is not a program, it’s not a curriculum you adopt, it’s a way of connecting the lesson designing process, to tech integration, to effective pedagogy. It’s about putting the time and thought into the lessons we deliver.
So let's dive in.
What is a HyperDoc and What is Not A HyperDoc?
To understand a Hyperdoc it is important to understand what it is not. This very short video will answer what is a Hyperdoc by looking at a multimedia text set. Although multimedia text sets are docs with links they can be very powerful as you will see. Take a moment to watch this quick interview we did with Lisa Highfill co-author of The HyperDoc Handbook.
What is a HyperDoc - Part One
To see examples of these text sets click HERE. But my two favorites are these two. Immigration and Refugee Text Sets. If you like these simply choose file and then make a copy and then if needed download as a .docx.
Now on to an actual HyperDoc. In this quick video Lisa Highfill continues by explaining the layered power of a blended learning lesson that is know as a Hyperdoc.
What is a HyperDoc - Part Two
Again: a Hyperdoc is a student-facing lesson. Here is a breakdown of the lesson Lisa spoke about in this video.
The great thing is that if you want to learn more - you can head to HyperDocs.co where they have a free academy for learning more.
Essentially, HyperDocs are what you make of them; from the initial construction to the delivery, to the reflection of the learning experience. They are one way, among many proven methods, to shift learning in the classroom.
