Elearning, Collaboration and Community Blog (Periodic Fable)
Contradictions in research into the experiences of learners online
I was intrigued to see that in Canada they are reporting that the use of social networking and other web tools such as Twitter and Facebook is damaging the quality of students' English skills. Apparently academics at Waterloo University, Ontario and Simon Fraser University, British Columbia are finding that many students (a third and a tenth, respectively) are failing at English, i.e. not up to the standard required for academic writing. And they are blaming young people's use of these social networking tools for this problem.
"Emoticons, happy faces, sad faces, cuz, are just some of the writing horrors being handed in, say professors and administrators at Simon Fraser."
At Coventry University in the UK, however, researchers have found the exact opposite, as reported by the BBC a few days ago. In their study of 8-12 year olds they found that children who regularly use the abbreviated language of text messages are actually improving their ability to spell correctly.
So why the contradiction? Is it that the Coventry researchers were studying a younger generation, who have grown up with these technologies? Or that by studying a different age group the definitions of what is good writing are different? As someone who has studied writing with both English and American professors, I'm very aware also that the concept of "writing" is different on each side of the Atlantic, It has seemed to me that there are quite strict rubrics and frameworks for writing in America whereas in the UK children and students are taught good principles but still allowed creativity.
The studies are too different to come to any conclusions, so I suspect on this one, time will tell...
Learner experience research often throws up these kinds of contradictions. ELESIG, the community of practice for those interested in studying the experiences of learners using technology is holding its next symposium on this very subject.
The ninth ELESIG Symposium led by Dr Chris Jones of the Open University will examine contrasts and contradictions in learner experience research. It's to be held on April 29, 2010 from 9:45am to 4pm at the SAID Business School in Oxford. The symposiukm is open to ELESIG members only, but ELESIG is open to anyone with an interest in this area.
In this symposium attendees will share experiences where some commonly held belief or view has been contradicted by the research and vice versa - it's about dispelling some of the myths! There will also be a launch of the ELESIG Resources Collection.
I can think of several other examples of contradictory results (in use of Facebook and podcasting, for a start) to discuss at the symposium, and I'm looking forward to it immensely.
Meanwhile, back to the issue of whether social networking harms writing. As someone who has always championed grammar and spelling (hating especially those stray apostrophes!) I am nevertheless aware that language has always and will always develop as people use it in different ways. As in many other aspects, the era of print has held back this development by putting the printed word into the guardianship of editors like myself. As it did in the era of handwritten manuscripts, spelling and grammar in the digital age are breaking free from editorial control... Even as I frown at the use of "brought" for "bought" and the word "lol" entering spoken conversation, I can't deny the evolution of language. Bring it on, I say, reluctantly!
Online Identity in Higher Education
So, should lecturers "friend" their students on Facebook? It's just one of the issues around Digital Identity that many are in the education and public sector are grappling with at the moment, especially bearing in mind Digital Britain and recent scares over online privacy. I've been informed of a very relevant online course being held this Wednesday that might be of interest. Online identity - a one-day online workshop is being run by Reach Further clients the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development and provides the opportunity for a timely briefing from experts in the field. With Josie Fraser, Steven Warburton and George Roberts as speakers anyone in HE should find this essential background information.
What does good elearning look like?
What are known as “rapid elearning tools”, coupled with excellence in learning or instructional design, can be used to create simple but effective learning materials appropriate for many work-based learning needs or as part of a blended course in an educational context.
I tried out some elearning just recently – a “bite-sized leadership and management” module on emotional intelligence. Intended to take 20 minutes, it was basically just a series of web pages. I found it no better than reading a good book on the subject, and probably not as effective. At least in a book it's easier to keep track of where you are by quickly re-checking the previous page, rather than having to click back for every paragraph. The only interactivity was clicking onto the next web page. While I can appreciate that it's good design to have clear and simple amounts of text on a page of elearning, I finally gave up on a page which had a single sentence on it:
“Task: What behaviours could be developed to enhance each of the remaining three competencies in the matrix?”
This question asked me to consider a matrix which was not on the page in front of me, in fact I had to click back two pages to find the diagram of the matrix, then remember the “three competencies” as I clicked forward again to the question. And there was no way to get feedback on my answer, not even a selection of typical answers. Given that this question was key to the skills that the module was aiming to raise awareness of (it can hardly have developed them), I felt cheated to get an answer for just one of the four competencies and be left to flounder with the other three. It's as if the elearning developer, or the subject matter expert, ran out of time and just gave up writing the course...
In the kind of collaborative tutor-led course that I often teach, I might not have included these answers in the materials I provided for my students, but the answers would have been developed by discussion amongst the participants with discreet and skilled guidance from myself as the tutor. While that's not possible in a short self-study module like this, I can think of many ways that the learning could have been improved. Perhaps that's for another blog post...
The single-topic blog - favourite examples of humour
An interesting category of blog – usually for light relief – is the single-topic blog. While you might think it's not easy to write constantly on one single topic, it's often the photographs that make the blog – and if you can engage your readers in submitting their own photographs then you have the makings of an almost-cult! Tapping into a vein of inexhaustable content – especially humour - and a topic that interests nearly all of us, and you're onto a winner!
A single-topic blog is an extreme example of meme blog posts. A meme is an idea that spreads across the Internet and engages many bloggers, on their own blogs, in collaborative blog circles or on a single multi-author or multi-contributor blog. Memes include: “4 places I have lived” or “100 books to read before you die” or even "Pictures of cats that look like Hitler"...
Here are some of my favourites, always good for cheering one up after a difficult day when the tech won't work for you... Perhaps you have to visit them to understand..
Awkward Family Photos with a tacky design to match the content.
Cake wrecks Photos of really bad professionally made decorated cakes
Failblog Pictures of things that have gone wrong...
OK, this one isn't a blog, but it meets all the other criteria
Animals on the underground Can you see an animal in the London tube map?
A single-topic blog has advantages for the blogger of being easily optimised for search engines, of having a clear attraction for advertisers and - when a critical mass of readers/contributors have been reached – easily updated. A really strong and amusing concept could make your name – maybe. Humour has to work with your target audience.
How to find content for your blog and keep track of ideas
I’m often asked “How do you find ideas for your blog”? All blog posts start with an idea, a topic, a concept. These ideas to use as blog content can come to you in many ways, from reading trade journals, books and other blogs, to something dropped into a conversation with a colleague.
If something makes you want to say “Yes, but…” or “Just a minute, you’re wrong about that because…” then there’s the potential for a blog post right there. Of course you have to sift the idea, put it through a mental filter, and check if it’s appropriate for your blog.
The 28 varieties of blog post that I teach in my blogging courses are a great way to start if you’re the kind of person who sits down to write a blog post and hates looking at a blank screen. They can help you plan your blog substantially in advance so that blogging never becomes a chore.
Another knack is to “think blog”. If you’re at a meeting or conference or reading a great book about your industry don’t take notes with no end in mind – think blog – use your notes to spark a blog post and write them with the blog post in mind.
Keep track of your blog ideas - exactly how you do it is up to you.
- I often email myself ideas and have started to use a hashtag ["What is a hashtag?"] in my subject line “#myblog” . Then I set up an email rule to filter all the blog post ideas into a folder in my inbox. Next time I sit down to blog, I can glance through the folder for the ideas.
Other ways of keeping track of blog ideas are:
- In a folder on your computer’s desktop (written simply in Notepad and deleted once you’ve used them)
- Store on your mobile phone or PDA
- Use your hands-free mobile in the car to dictate blog post ideas to an answering machine
However you keep track of those ideas, remember to leave time to refine and edit them into an interesting and helpful blog post.
Are we distracted by the multitude of applications open on our computers?
A study at the University of Plymouth once looked at graduate students' use of Web 2.0 technologies when they were studying in their daily working environment. The study found that at least 50% of the applications students had open at any one time were actually leisure applications.
The kind of websites that students were accessing were 4:1 in favour of non-work type over websites relevant to their study. Typically, they spent 3–4 min at one thing before they surfed on to something else.
This has implications for distraction because in effect the students were CHOOSING to be distracted. There were a variety of reasons given for this. Some students said it was essential to have access to social or leisure applications in order to sustain them through long periods of studying. So on their computer, as well as obviously work-related programs such as Office applications, the academic library, and reference citation and data analysis applications, they would typically have email, Google, Instant Messenger, social networks, Twitter and similar open at the same time.
Is it more difficult to study when there is a lot of distraction - or does doing a variety of tasks make it easier? Just because traditionally concentration and focus have been thought to be the ideal way to study doesn't mean that it is the only or even the main way nowadays. I'm on the lookout for any other research which shows the benefit or not of multi-tasking while studying - or indeed, while working.
Innovating Elearning 2009 - Facilitating part of the JISC online conference
I'm delighted to be involved in this year's JISC Innovating Elearning 2009 Online conference which is entitled Thriving, not just surviving. This year’s conference theme reflects the challenges facing further and higher education in the 21st century and it will features keynotes by Charles Leadbeater, Nigel Paine, and ELESIG members Helen Beetham and Rhona Sharpe. There are a variety of other sessions under two themes, each running over two days.
I will be facilitating a session on 24th and 25th November in Theme 1: "Develop me! Support me! Engage (and retain) me!" with Becka Currant, Neil Currant, Neil McKeown.
The session is about the excellent work that's been and is being done at Bradford to support and introduce new students to the University, before they arrive, as they arrive and as they settle in. A Ning social network has been used to encourage students to talk to one another and to staff during induction, as well as special eportfolio features and learning objects to ease transition.
Research has identified that the initial experiences of University can have a significant impact on subsequent student engagement (Tinto, 1995; Longden and Yorke, 2007). Work at Bradford and Bournemouth Universities has identified that students who make early contact with academic and social infrastructures are more likely to remain involved in their course (Currant and Keenan, 2008). To support this process, the University of Bradford has decided to use new technologies and e-learning during the crucial initial induction phase, as well as to support and improve student academic skills to aid retention. Social networking, e-portfolios and reusable learning objects have been used to create an integrated package (Develop Me!) of transition, induction and study skills support for students to complement the face to face work. This session provides an overview of the Develop Me! approach and highlights some of the extensive evaluation that has been conducted into the approach. Participants will also have the opportunity to find out more about a new digital storytelling initiative (called U-SED) which aims to capture students experiences as they happen and provide insight into the process of engagement.
I'm looking forward to a lively debate about ways to support students, especially those in transition, but also about the pros and cons of using social media technologies such as Ning to support education. And the methods used to find out what the stduents thought of it are a third interest.
Last I heard this was going to be the biggest JISC online conference ever. If you come along, do drop into our discussion!
Webinar best practice #1
I had quite a busy week of webinars last week, running a successful webinar on E-portfolios for the ELESIG community at elesig.ning.com. I also attended two fascinating webinars, one on bidding for European funding from the Digital Communications Knowledge Transfer Network and one on Digitisation at the British Library, from the ELKS network.
Webinars can be used as part of an e-learning strategy, to communicate with and support customers as part of a social media marketing campaign, or a tool for running remote meetings and presentations to your remote team as part of a flexible working strategy. All online communities should consider webinars as an effective synchronous addition to the events and information services offered to members. It's important however, for the webinar to be interesting and useful, and there are a few simple steps you can take to ensure its success.
A successful webinar is planned well before it starts:
- Select the topic carefully with your intended audience in mind
- Keep the topic and the title interesting, attractive and short
- Invite guest speakers if possible
- Send an invitation & ask people to register in advance of the webinar.
- Send a reminder email with the agenda and full instructions about how to access the webinar and how to test their system
One of the most important recomendations, especially if you are new to running a webinar, is to test, test and test again, with colleagues or friends as attendees, in advance. Technology will still be different on the day, but try to keep everything as close as possible to the way you have set it up and that worked in the test.
Videocasting with Blip.tv
Blip.tv is an alternative to YouTube, but is not precisely the same kind of thing. Blip.tv is “a next-generation television network.” which makes available user-produced web tv shows. Rather than viral videos or those intended to sell a product or service, blip.tv focuses on original Web shows. It invites “sitcoms, news magazines, nature shows, dramas, science fiction shows or tech review shows: ... about wine or beer, poker or exercise and healthy living.”
Their services include technology, workflow automation, business development, distribution, marketing and advertising sales. As of July 2009 they claim 22,000,000 viewers who watch blip.tv shows every month.
“The most important thing is that you have a brand of some kind, that you release new episodes on a somewhat regular basis, and that you're intending to build a show and a fan base.” An advertising programme is available with revenuws shared 50/50 with the show producer. It automatically distributes content across the web, including to YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo, TiVo etc.
To set up a blip.tv account:
- Access blip.tv
- Click Sign Up! (top right hand corner)
- Fill in your details and accept the terms and conditions, then click Sign Up
Uploading a video only takes a couple of clicks, and you can add tags to your shows to make them easier to find.
Some of my recent discoveries on blip.tv include:
- 20 uses for an iPod in education
- How to make a 14-point origami star http://blip.tv/file/1724471/
- Cupcake Show #8: Chocolate Cupcakes
Overall, very easy to use, and better quality than YouTube, plus useful distribution tools. However, it still seems that most of the business-oriented videos are pretty much advertising products or services, despite blip.tv's claims!
All about Reach Further
Still loving Wordle as a tool for visualising key words and content
Copyright © 2009 reachfurther
Weetwood Hall, Otley Road, Leeds, LS16 5PS. Tel: 0113 278 1800
Registered in England and Wales Company registration number 05973122
