Exploring Web 2.0 to support online learning communities: where technology meets pedagogy Giselle Ferreira, Wendy Fisher, Jon Rosewell & Karen KearTERG/Department of Communication and Systems/COLMSCT

Overview

• 9:00 Introductions • 9:50 Hands-on 1: Exploring ning• 10:30 Coffee Break• 11:00 Hands-on 2: Exploring Web 2.0 applications scenarios

Who are you?• Where do you work and what do you do there?

• Pick a Web 2.0 tool that you could use in a course you teach. Convince your line manager that this is a really good idea!

The Open University

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/explained/distance-learning.shtml

Open Distance Learning Model

LearningResources Student

Central Academic

Tutor

TutorAssess

Communications TechnologiesAnalogue Digital Web / VLE

Face to Face CMCs Virtual

Telephone Email

Mobile phone

Skype

Text / SMS / MMS

Cassette and video tape

CD / DVD Podcast

RSS

TV Broadcast Video / screencast

Tutorial Chat rooms

Instant messaging

Virtual classroom

Virtual world

Discussion and debate

Conferencing

Forums

Social networking

Blog / Twitter

Paper handout File Transfer Wiki

1960s / 1970s 1980s / 1990s 2000s / Blended era

Beechener, K and Fisher, W 2009 Blending Technology with Pedagogy

Wendy’s interests

•Supporting Tutors in their use of technology•Monitoring tutor performance•Experiential approach •Constructivist approach•On-line community for BFPO students •Social Networking and on-line community

Giselle’s interestshttp://www.cands.org/Home/people/giselle-ferreira

• Broad area: Impact of Internet technologies on teaching and learning practices

– Web-based tools– Open Educational Resources and Open Learning

Environments • Theme: Boundaries

– ‘teacher’ vs. ‘learner’– ‘formal’ vs. ‘informal’ learning– ‘content’ vs. ‘presentation’

Project 1: ATELIER-D• Achieving Transformation, Enhanced Learning and Innovation through Educational Resources in Design

•The ‘atelier’ in Design Education– Collaborative: learning with others– Constructivist: learning by doing

• The ‘online atelier’– Tools: trials– Pedagogy: integration

•

Project 2: ‘Ethics and technology’

OpenLearn

Centre for Excellence in Teaching and LearningCentre for Open Learning of Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology

Participation in forums – context• The Open University

–distance learning for 40 years–about 200,000 students–159,000 students online

• Online forums for teaching and learning–more than 20 years–now 448,000 postings per month–variety of purposes

T180 2004J Forum

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60

80

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120

140

Individuals

No

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sts

T189 2007E Cafe

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50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Individuals

No

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The few and the many…

–a few students post many messages–many students post a few messages

Digital photography:creating and sharing better images

• Distance education students• About 1500 students, twice a year• No face-to-face, no personal tutor• Peer support

– Moderated conferences– OpenStudio photo-sharing site

A learning journey

Karen’s interests

• Technology and Education Research Group (TERG)– www.open.ac.uk/blogs/terg/

• Research on wikis and forums– for online tutorials and group projects

• Research on synchronous conferencing– for online tutorials

Wikis for group projects

• Most groups used the wiki for contributing material and the forum for discussion– “The wiki and the forum are both important and useful to the tasks, the wiki

is best for creating an actual collaborative document and the forum is good for the discussion supporting and surrounding the topic.”

• Nearly all students thought it was useful to have both tools available – “These tools have different uses, so we used each tool for what it was good

at.”

• Some groups also used live chat– “Let’s not forget the chat facility too - a very useful tool for troubleshooting or

immediate problems.”

Elluminate conferencing

Links• Wendy’s final COLMSCT report ‘Do we engage the student in e-assessment by personalising lecturers’ feedback interventions?’ http://www.open.ac.uk/colmsct/resources/details/detail.php?itemId=48bff7c02ccac• Wendy’s twitter page: http://twitter.com/Fisher1 • ATELIER-D: blog at http://designthinking.typepad.com/atelierd/ and Website at http://design.open.ac.uk/atelier-d/ • OpenLearn: http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn • iSpot: http://www.iSpot.org.uk• TERG Blog: http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/terg/index.php • TERG OU ICL 2009 Ning Network: http://tergou.ning.com/ • TERG OU ICL 2009 Wiki: http://icl2009web2.pbworks.com/ • Department of Communication and Systems: http://www.cands.org• COLMSCT: http://www.open.ac.uk/colmsct