Mapping Knowledge and Building Community With MURAL
Erin McKenney, North Carolina State University
Keywords:
Inquiry, Connection, Co-Creation
Key Statement:
I use MURAL to structure inquiry-based learning activities. Students engage with each other to connect and apply concepts across the semester, co-creating community and understanding.
Abstract:
I use MURAL, a free digital whiteboard, to enhance student learning and build classroom community. Structuring inquiry-based activities enables students to think more critically and creatively. The collaborative exercises help students actively engage with course content and with one another to make connections across topics, apply concepts in new contexts, and co-create a shared knowledge base. As the semester progresses, this evolving repository supports deeper understanding and provides a foundation for authentic research. MURAL supports participation, visual thinking, and intellectual community, making it a powerful tool for instructors seeking to promote meaningful engagement and collaborative learning in their courses.
Hear it from the author:
Transcript:
I incorporate open access digital tools across my courses to help students build metacognitive
skills and community. MURAL’s free, infinite digital whiteboard has been particularly helpful for
providing structure for my dual-listed course on Gut Microbial Ecology. My MURAL board is
essentially a giant table with a different topic in each column, and rows to organize the different
inquiry-based activities that we complete across the first 9 weeks of class. On Monday I lead a
discussion-based lecture with breaks for students to complete an Infoquest (Google search) or
interpret published research figures, and on Wednesday we complete topical jigsaw exercises
and data analysis. I “pre-seed” the table with prompts on black sticky notes to guide each
activity. For jigsaw exercises, students color-code their sticky-notes to correspond to the paper
they read; but they can choose the color for all other activities. Students love having a
predictable framework for class: knowing what’s coming frees up bandwidth for them to think
creatively and critically, and really revel in connecting the dots during in-class discussion. So,
anecdotally, the outcomes are great – but I’m keen to explore different metrics to formally
measure those outcomes. I’ve included a QR code on my poster so you can explore my class
MURAL page. I’d love to hear any suggestions or ideas you have!
References:
Cortes-Romero, N. (2022). A reflective case analysis of an interactive and collaborative teaching practice under unexpected circumstances: The use of the MURAL digital tool. encatcSCHOLAR.
Pinto, M., & Leite, C. (2020). Digital technologies in support of students' learning in higher education: Literature review. Digital Education Review, (37), 343–360.
Rafiq, S., Iqbal, S., & Afzal, A. (2024). The impact of digital tools and online learning platforms on higher education learning outcomes. Al-Mahdi Research Journal (MRJ), 5(4), 359–369.