Blogging & Social Networking

Alex Hardman

Some thoughts about the social and educational potential for distance learning students

Task

• Small groups (of about 4)

• Quick introduction

• “What is the web/ technology good at?”

2 minutes

Question “What is the web/ technology good at?”

1 minute

Question “What is the web/ technology good at?”

Multiple sources of Information

Communicating Connecting

&

Collaborating

Creating

(video, audio, text, images,

charts, tables)

Broadcasting

&

Sharing

Blogging/ Social Networking ?

Emerging technologies present

new ways of learning

(pedagogies)

Technology = New ways of learning?

Literacy in multiple media

(1) Dede 2005

Technology = New ways of learning?

Distributed collaboration

Technology = New ways of learning?

Learning based on collectively seeking, sieving and synthesising experiences…

…(rather than on assimilating a single validated source such as a book)

(1) Dede 2005

Technology = New ways of learning?

Active learning based on experience that includes frequent opportunities for reflection

(1) Dede 2005

Technology = New ways of learning?

Co-design of learning experiences personalised to meet individual needs

(1) Dede 2005

Hmmm…So What?

“How does this relate to learning?”

“There has never been a closer alignment between the current practices of technologies and

what is put forward as good pedagogy”

(2) Conole 2008

Good pedagogy?

Good pedagogy?

Thinking &

reflection

Conversation

& Interaction

Experience & activity

Evidence & demonstration

(2) Conole 2008

Hmmm…So What?

“Theory is one thing, but what about blogging/ social networking?”

Blogging/ Social networking

1) Social• Supports social, peer and group interaction,

• Facilitates feedback, shared learning experiences, and getting to know each other.

(3) Leslie and Murphy 2008

Blogging/ Social networking

2) Knowledge Construction• Facilitates collaborative, cooperative and

community-centred contribution

• Provides opportunities for sharing ideas, opinions, interpretations and perspectives.

(3) Leslie and Murphy 2008

Research Connect

Discussion

“How could you use Blogging/ Social networking with distance learning?”

References

1. Chris Dede “Planning for Neo-millennial Learning Styles” Educause Quarterly (2005) Volume 28, Number 1, 2005

2. Grainne Conole “New Schemas for mapping pedagogies and technologies” 2008 (http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue56/conole/)

3. Paul Leslie “Post-Secondary Students’ Purposes for Blogging” 2008 The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 9, No 3, ISSN:1492-3831