For many the rug was pulled out from under us when school districts recently shut their physical facilities and shifted to remote instruction, mainly via online. Not only do resources vary from district to district, so does the proficiency teachers have with various digital tools. I also find that we are being bombarded with resources from many well intended providers. I really do not want to add to that list, instead I would like to highlight ONE digital tool that is simple to master and implement whether you are a “techy” type or are more the pencil and paper type – HyperDocs.

What are HyperDocs?

While teachers have utilized assignments with hyperlinks for some time now HyperDocs, coined by teachers Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, and Sarah Landis, are more than worksheets with links. HyperDocs are digital documents where the components of the learning cycle are pulled together in one place. All the hyperlinks and resources needed for the student are in the document. What really distinguishes HyperDocs is that they reflect effective pedagogy by connecting lesson design with tech integration.  I cannot stress enough that HyperDocs are not online worksheets. A first step to creating HyperDocs is understanding the components of effective lesson design.

What are the components of effective lesson design?

• Objective(s): What will the student be able to do when the lesson has been completed? All effective lessons start with a clear objective(s) of what students will learn and be able to do as a result of the lesson. Effective objects guide the teacher in planning the learning experiences during the lesson and guide students in where the learning is headed.
• Initiation into the lesson: How will students’ attention be captured to stimulate their thinking and engage their learning? Activities that initiate the lesson should pique students’ interest, and activate prior knowledge. Many lesson planning formats refer to this as the engage phase.
• Building Knowledge/Skills: How will students gather information/knowledge/skills needed to master the objective? Consider where and how students can access the information needed for the lesson. Model literacy strategies for gathering information. Provide supports for recording (note-taking) when gathering information, such as graphic organizers. Debrief with direct instruction or review student work to check for student understanding of the information gathered.
• Processing Information: What will students do with the information gathered or how will they practice the skill they have learned? Design activities in which students apply the information gathered. Consider how the activity demonstrates a student’s understanding of the information and/or how the activity demonstrates a student’s mastery of a skill.
• Assessing learning: How will students demonstrate retention of the information and/or mastery of the skill? Consider utilizing performance assessments, exit tickets, entrance tickets prior to the next lesson.

Many HyperDocs reflect a lesson format of EXPLORE/EXPLAIN/APPLY.  So think of HyperDocs as digital lessons, not just a worksheet or activity.  Take a look at this HyperDoc to see how the lesson format is exemplified.

Why use HyperDocs?

HyperDocs are easy to implement, especially if you are overwhelmed by all the digital tools available. There are a lot of resources available about HyperDocs and that can be overwhelming too. I recommend this video as a starting tutorial and this site for more information about HyperDocs. As you become more proficient with HyperDocs you will find many resources for how to create in other formats beside just documents.

HyperDocs allow your students to self-pace and work independently and also offer you the flexibility of making changes without starting all over. Additionally, HyperDocs faciltiate differentiation of lessons for various students. Be careful to curate all of the links/resources so that you don’t throw too much at the students.

I hope that you find HyperDocs as a solution for packaging digital content as we all shift our practices in this challenging time.

More examples of hyperdocs for social studies here.