{"id":9060,"date":"2026-04-22T16:35:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.northampton.ac.uk\/learntech\/?p=9060"},"modified":"2026-04-27T13:15:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:15:52","slug":"choosing-the-right-nile-tool-to-encourage-student-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northampton.ac.uk\/learntech\/2026\/04\/22\/choosing-the-right-nile-tool-to-encourage-student-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Right NILE Tool to Encourage Student Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Choosing the right tool in NILE can sometimes feel overwhelming. With a wide range of options available, it\u2019s not always obvious which activity to use when thinking about student engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To support academic tutors with this decision\u2011making, Richard Byles, Learning Technologist at the University of Northampton, runs a workshop called <strong>Enhancing and Measuring Student Engagement through NILE Tools<\/strong> and as part of this, he has created a table of tools that helps staff compare and evaluate them based on pedagogic purpose, rather than guesswork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>NILE engagement activities table<\/strong> brings together commonly used engagement activities, like polls, journals, Padlet activities, quizzes and discussions, and sets them out alongside considerations such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>what the activity is designed to achieve<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how it supports learning and engagement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>accessibility considerations for diverse learners<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>potential risks around inappropriate use of AI<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>time commitment for both students and staff<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how tutors might respond when engagement is low<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So, rather than trying to work out what is the &#8216;best&#8217; tool, tutors can make more informed decisions. Richard wanted to encourage tutors to choose a tool based on questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What kind of engagement am I trying to encourage here?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is this activity inclusive and realistic for my students?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How will I know whether it has been effective?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The resource is intended to be used flexibly, whether you are planning a new module, rethinking an existing activity, or simply exploring alternatives to familiar approaches within NILE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By focusing on pedagogy, accessibility, and student experience, Richard&#8217;s activity table can support a more purposeful use of the wealth of NILE tool available to foster meaningful engagement, rather than engagement for its own sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is a link to his resource, which he welcomes you to use and if you need help, you can contact your Learning Technologist to schedule any training you need on the tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-272d07f2-c486-4b96-8013-cd35970bd892\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.northampton.ac.uk\/learntech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/NILE-engagement-activities-table-1-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NILE engagement activities table<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.northampton.ac.uk\/learntech\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/NILE-engagement-activities-table-1-1.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-272d07f2-c486-4b96-8013-cd35970bd892\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Choosing the right tool in NILE can sometimes feel overwhelming. With a wide range of options available, it\u2019s not always obvious which activity to use when thinking about student engagement.<\/p>\n<p>To support academic tutors with this decision\u2011making, Richard Byles, Learning Technologist at the University of Northampton, runs a workshop called Enhancing and Measuring Student Engagement [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[135,389,269],"class_list":["post-9060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-un-case-studies","tag-nile","tag-student-engagement","tag-ultra"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Choosing the Right NILE Tool to Encourage Student Engagement - Learning Technology Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.northampton.ac.uk\/learntech\/2026\/04\/22\/choosing-the-right-nile-tool-to-encourage-student-engagement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Choosing the Right NILE Tool to Encourage Student Engagement - Learning Technology Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Choosing the right tool in NILE can sometimes feel overwhelming. With a wide range of options available, it\u2019s not always obvious which activity to use when thinking about student engagement. 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