1.
Which of the tools Siemens lists have
you used before and/or do you see how you might use them in your teaching?
Have
used
Blog – the blog was used in a class on
technology, to show the students how to use blogs. They had to create their own
blog and make comments on each others, much as we are doing in this course.
Wiki – in the same class we formed a wiki
for the students to contribute to. They were given a topic each and encouraged
to edit each other’s pages. They were all in the same room at the same time, so
being able to talk to each other really detracted from making it an online
activity.
Social networking – Facebook. This was used for a ‘quick fix’ when
the learning management system wasn’t available. We set up a page just for the
selected students who needed the learning materials. I could upload documents,
powerpoint, links to videos etc. The students were able to comment and ask
questions and I could see who had seen the posts. The only problem was that
posts would be elevated when someone made a comment, so the lesson material
would be out of order and people tended to miss things.
Games – I’ve only introduced this since I
started this course. The students were given a link to a page and told which
game I wanted them to try. After they had conquered it, they voluntarily tried
others. It was motivational for them because they had instant results and
feedback, so they knew if they had to improve in an area, and it was highly
interactive. Ally (2004) mentions these requirements often.
Audio/podcasting – I have linked to podcasts, but not
created my own. I like the theory of providing students with lectures to listen
to, so they can spend class time on other activities. Ally (2004) suggests that
learner should receive information in a variety of sensations, so making it
aural offers an alternative format for learners.
OER – I have used a variety of resources
available on the Internet. I try to have readings, videos and online
interactive tutorials to provide variety and appeal in the lessons.
Haven’t
used
Social bookmarking – I can see potential for using this
to encourage teamwork and sharing, which are important aspects of
constructivist theory.
Image sharing – We should encourage the students to use
this for the sharing aspects as well as that it seems to be featured in a lot
of libraries.
Microblogging – All the students have some face to face
and class time, so we can give them information and links at that time.
Webconferencing – I have been a student in this, but not
hosted one. I know the advantages and would like to include them in my classes,
but currently we are not doing any online courses. All the students have some
face to face and class time, so a web conference is not necessary.
Aggregation
– I’ve just started making use of RSS
feeds for this subject. I have subscribed to everyone’s blogs. It’s a great
idea to keep up with any changes without having to check in regularly to see if
anything has happened. It could be used for learners to be alerted whenever new
material has been posted to a class page on a blog site for example.
2.
How important is web 2.0 to you and
your students?
My
students need to be familiar with web 2.0 because it is part of their
vocational choice. Libraries use blogs, wikis, Facebook, Flickr etc. Currently
it is not part of the teaching strategy except where it is actually what needs
to be learnt. The students use web 2.0 to learn about web 2.0, so it could be
called authentic learning. When we introduce our online course, many of these
features will be useful as learning strategies, not just blogging for the sake
of blogging. Siemans and Tittenberger (2009) suggest blogs are useful for
reflection, whilst wikis are good for collaboration. There are many ways web
2.0 tools can be used to enhance learning.
3.
What do you see as the pedagogical
implications of incorporating social networking and web 2.0 into instructional
design?
Social
networking and web 2.0 sit very neatly with constructivist theory. Ring and
Mathieux (2002 in Ally, 2004, p4) suggest online learning should have “high
authenticity…high interactivity and high collaboration”. When we are using
blogs to teach about blogs, it is authentic. Social networking encourages
collaboration and requires interactivity. Siemans and Tittenberger (2009)
discuss social networking as an external learning network in their theory of connectivism,
where individuals connect with each other, the work and experts.
4.
Do you use a lot of rich media and what
are the implications for over using rich media?
“The defining characteristic of rich media is
that it exhibits dynamic motion. This motion may occur over time or in direct
response to user interaction” (University
of Washington, 2013). This suggest videos or interactive quizzes with a lot of
action. I believe all media has a place as long as the content is relevant and
contributes to the learning experience. As Siemans and Tittenberger (2009)
suggest, it is not desirable to select one media format over another. “The
brain processes different media differently” so a variety of media would be
more suitable to meet all the learning requirements. Too much rich media could
saturate one form of brain processing – apart from other mundane issues such as
expense and bandwidth.
References
Ally, M.
(2004) Foundations of educational theory for online learning in T. Anderson, and F. Elloumi, Theory and Practice of Online Learning.
(Online, accessed 30 June 2013)
Siemans,
G. and Tittenberger, P. (2009) Handbook
of emerging technologies for learning. (online, accessed 24 June 2013)
I agree with your rich media concerns. In speaking with employers and the use of e-learning in delivery to their staff they express concerns about internet reliability in remote areas. Rich media reminds me of rich food, after too much you just want to go and lie down in a quiet place.
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