Design and Analysis of Integrating Course Technology Learning Tools: Blogs, Wikis, Twitter, and Second Life
For my final project in EDHI 611, I have selected to use the design and analysis paper option, and have focused on enhancing a current course delivery through the use of active learning and constructivism theory as well as engagement theory. My area of focus includes experiments with different types of technology used for educational purposes. According to Lamb [i], true constructive learning requires educators to relinquish control, to some degree in order to foster more collaborative learning activities. With this in mind, I begin my focus on creating a learning environment with the technology and tools that allow for course collaboration.
After researching and what I have currently implemented in the course, the focus of this design and analysis will include Blogs, Wikis, Twitter, and Second Life. I see this as the most relevant choice for me since I am involved with a web design course and will continue with instructing courses of this nature. With this course, currently set up as an online delivery method, it is natural to seek out more technology tools to integrate into the course design. This will offer and expose students to various modes of presenting their course work. Since most of the students will be familiar with the technologies of blogs, wikis, Twitter, and possibly Second Life, I would hope to see an elevated level of engagement.
My research on the use of the technology of Second Life has led me to plan and prepare to incorporate it into a few class sessions. I have a second life account and have watched a few demonstrations on what educational sites can provide for my students’ learning experience. It has been eye opening to see how much use there currently is of class participation on Second Life. Even a professor at Ball State has been using Second Life for an English course! I enjoyed the video concerning this course and have learned a few ideas!
I find the following communication and collaboration information to be helpful and encouraging for integrating Second Life within my online course structure.
And with the cousre already designed to include blogs, and wikis, I have incorporated a survey monkey questionnaire to assess how students in my summer class are reacting to their assignments that will pose a few questions concerning the use of wikis and blogs in the web design course. I am collecting responses to the questionnaire from the students at this time. So far, with the responses returned I see positive results from including wikis and blogs in this course, which is very encouraging!
For twitter, I will set up a way for students to tweet on one of the assignments. I have researched and found ways to begin developing and planning course sessions to include Twitter reflections. I see this as another way to develop student engagement and active learning. It is my hope that students will take the initiative to continue tweeting on the subject matter beyond the course assignment.
As stated in the study, Investigating Pedagogical Value of Wild Technology by Sunil Hazari, et al, “There needs to be a shift from instructor-delivered teaching, to student-facilitated learning where peer groups play as important a role as a teacher in a traditional (face-to-face) classroom environment. The "sage on the stage" model would give way to "guide on the side" paradigm. The new tools could integrate features such as immediacy of response (e.g. instant messaging alert), student-led discussions (e.g. Blogs and Wikis), multimedia presentations, peer editing, and extend course management tools to mobile phones, and PDA type devices that are prevalent among digital natives.” [iii]
For my final project in EDHI 611, I have selected to use the design and analysis paper option, and have focused on enhancing a current course delivery through the use of active learning and constructivism theory as well as engagement theory. My area of focus includes experiments with different types of technology used for educational purposes. According to Lamb [i], true constructive learning requires educators to relinquish control, to some degree in order to foster more collaborative learning activities. With this in mind, I begin my focus on creating a learning environment with the technology and tools that allow for course collaboration.
After researching and what I have currently implemented in the course, the focus of this design and analysis will include Blogs, Wikis, Twitter, and Second Life. I see this as the most relevant choice for me since I am involved with a web design course and will continue with instructing courses of this nature. With this course, currently set up as an online delivery method, it is natural to seek out more technology tools to integrate into the course design. This will offer and expose students to various modes of presenting their course work. Since most of the students will be familiar with the technologies of blogs, wikis, Twitter, and possibly Second Life, I would hope to see an elevated level of engagement.
My research on the use of the technology of Second Life has led me to plan and prepare to incorporate it into a few class sessions. I have a second life account and have watched a few demonstrations on what educational sites can provide for my students’ learning experience. It has been eye opening to see how much use there currently is of class participation on Second Life. Even a professor at Ball State has been using Second Life for an English course! I enjoyed the video concerning this course and have learned a few ideas!
I find the following communication and collaboration information to be helpful and encouraging for integrating Second Life within my online course structure.
What 3D business applications are available today for use in learning environments in Second Life? Today, there is a wide assortment of business productivity and creativity applications within Second Life. These include widgets for: running Powerpoint presentations, white boarding, brainstorming, dynamic audience polling, and many others. To find business applications, you can search the SL Marketplace.
How is collaboration in Second Life different from sharing a conference call, Webex, or video conferencing technologies, Teleconferencing, Webex, LMSs and video conferencing? These technologies are all important collaboration tools that organizations use every day for distance learning and collaboration. Second Life provides a sense of presence that many people find more engaging and compelling than many other types of conferencing, as well as providing a 3D space to share information. In addition, informal discussions are easy to have after a meeting or class, since your Second Life experience doesn’t end when the moderator terminates a session.[ii]
And with the cousre already designed to include blogs, and wikis, I have incorporated a survey monkey questionnaire to assess how students in my summer class are reacting to their assignments that will pose a few questions concerning the use of wikis and blogs in the web design course. I am collecting responses to the questionnaire from the students at this time. So far, with the responses returned I see positive results from including wikis and blogs in this course, which is very encouraging!
For twitter, I will set up a way for students to tweet on one of the assignments. I have researched and found ways to begin developing and planning course sessions to include Twitter reflections. I see this as another way to develop student engagement and active learning. It is my hope that students will take the initiative to continue tweeting on the subject matter beyond the course assignment.
As stated in the study, Investigating Pedagogical Value of Wild Technology by Sunil Hazari, et al, “There needs to be a shift from instructor-delivered teaching, to student-facilitated learning where peer groups play as important a role as a teacher in a traditional (face-to-face) classroom environment. The "sage on the stage" model would give way to "guide on the side" paradigm. The new tools could integrate features such as immediacy of response (e.g. instant messaging alert), student-led discussions (e.g. Blogs and Wikis), multimedia presentations, peer editing, and extend course management tools to mobile phones, and PDA type devices that are prevalent among digital natives.” [iii]
[iii]
Source:http://piedmonteddathenscohort.pbworks.com/f/Investigating+Pedagogical+Value+of+Wiki+Technology.pdf
Other Sources:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second_Life_Education
http://chronicle.com/article/After-Frustrations-in-Second/64137/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Second-Life-in-the-Higher-Education-Classroom/275526501892
http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/BBC/Training/ProfDev/BuildBlocks101.aspx
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/06/6-examples-of-using-twitter-in-the-classroom/
http://www.facultyfocus.com/free-reports/twitter-in-higher-education-2010-usage-habits-and-trends-of-todays-college-faculty/
http://www.insidehighered.com/twitter_directory
http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/twitter-higher-education-2010-usage-habits-and-trends-today%E2%80%99s-college-faculty
http://learning.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=7995
http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/ebarkley/themes/index.html
http://www.funderstanding.com/instruction.cfm
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/tfu/design.cfm
http://www.thenationalacademy.org/readings/designing.html
http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/yhutchinson/
http://kml2.carnegiefoundation.org/html/poster.php?id=30
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/WalkerTeachingResourceCenter/FacultyDevelopment/ConceptMapping/
http://informationr.net/ir/1-1/paper2.html
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second_Life_Education
http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/BBC/Training/ProfDev/BuildBlocks101.aspx
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/06/6-examples-of-using-twitter-in-the-classroom/
http://www.facultyfocus.com/free-reports/twitter-in-higher-education-2010-usage-habits-and-trends-of-todays-college-faculty/
http://www.insidehighered.com/twitter_directory
Source:http://piedmonteddathenscohort.pbworks.com/f/Investigating+Pedagogical+Value+of+Wiki+Technology.pdf
Other Sources:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second_Life_Education
http://chronicle.com/article/After-Frustrations-in-Second/64137/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Second-Life-in-the-Higher-Education-Classroom/275526501892
http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/BBC/Training/ProfDev/BuildBlocks101.aspx
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/06/6-examples-of-using-twitter-in-the-classroom/
http://www.facultyfocus.com/free-reports/twitter-in-higher-education-2010-usage-habits-and-trends-of-todays-college-faculty/
http://www.insidehighered.com/twitter_directory
http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/twitter-higher-education-2010-usage-habits-and-trends-today%E2%80%99s-college-faculty
http://learning.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=7995
http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/ebarkley/themes/index.html
http://www.funderstanding.com/instruction.cfm
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/tfu/design.cfm
http://www.thenationalacademy.org/readings/designing.html
http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/yhutchinson/
http://kml2.carnegiefoundation.org/html/poster.php?id=30
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/WalkerTeachingResourceCenter/FacultyDevelopment/ConceptMapping/
http://informationr.net/ir/1-1/paper2.html
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second_Life_Education
http://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/BBC/Training/ProfDev/BuildBlocks101.aspx
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/06/6-examples-of-using-twitter-in-the-classroom/
http://www.facultyfocus.com/free-reports/twitter-in-higher-education-2010-usage-habits-and-trends-of-todays-college-faculty/
http://www.insidehighered.com/twitter_directory