A Happy New Year to all .
I thought I’d start the year by passing on some really interesting information from Alan MacCorquodale on the use of social networking tools in education. As there has been a lot of debate around the VLE and web technologies, I thought it would be a good topic for debate at our next EDDG (Educational Development and Discussion) meeting. The links (including the podcast) below give some food for thought but if you scroll down even further there is more information available. I’ve been asked to vary the days of the EDDG meetings so I’ve planned the next one for Tuesday, 20th January , 12.15 pm in room 810 , and Thursday 22nd , 12.15 in room 810 . It’s the same topic for both days, but hopefully this gives more people the opportunity to come to a meeting.
Can you let me know if you plan to come to one of the meetings and if you would like your name added to the EDDG distribution list . More information about EDDG can be found on the EDDG blog: http://eddg.blogspot.com/ .
Karen
Karen Lawson
Teacher Fellow
RSC NewsFeed
eNews from the JISC Regional Support Centres in Scotland
Report: Using Social Networking (Web 2.0) in HE
Web2.0 - extended mindcloudmapOriginally uploaded by kosmar.ipernity.com
In the last edition of NewsFeed we highlighted the JISC Podcast: Listening to Students-Changing the Learner Experience, which contained an interview with Sir David Melville, chair of The Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience. The Committee have recently published a commissioned report on “A review of current and developing international practice in the use of social networking (web 2.0) in higher education” [Word Doc, 1.4Mb, 141 pages]. The review looks at:
The areas in which Web 2.0 is being used, including academic and administrative support;
The drivers to use of Web 2.0 in these areas;
The issues encountered and the responses made;
The perceived advantages and disadvantages of Web 2.0 use; and
Prospective developments in Web 2.0 use.
To support the review the Committee highlights the following relevant activities in this area:
Web 2.0 technologies for learning: the current landscape –opportunities, challenges and tensions, BECTA
Learners’ use of Web 2.0 technology in and out of school at KS3 and 4, BECTA
Student expectations study: Findings from preliminary research, JISC
Great Expectations of ICT, JISC
Information behaviour of the researcher of the future, JISC
Effective use of social software by further and higher education in the UK, Open University (Funded by JISC)
Learning Literacies for a Digital Age, Glasgow Caledonian University (Funded by JISC)
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3 comments:
I hope those people at the "cutting edge" are teaching their students to use tools like twitters, facebook and bebo responsibly. I could demonstrate how the information stored in these sites can be used to steal an identity by creating a profile so good it can be used to get bank loans and mortgages. Don't believe me have a look at http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/242967/your-private-life-exposed-online.html. Our "cutting edge experts" might not be quite as expert as they imagine.
Also I would argue it is "horses for courses". It rather depends upon what you are trying to teach and to whom. A couple of years ago I did a course for fun that involved a lot of mathematics, physics and structural engineering. I was the course anorak doing it for fun but the rest of the group who were "doing it for real" could be split into two groups: a group of RAF technicians from Leuchars and Lossiemouth and a bunch of civilian students not unlike our own who were either wanting to join the RAF or make a career in civil aviation.
The theory was by enlarge done by distance learning and using a VLE, while the practical work was done a RAF Leuchars or Perth Airport. Taking the maths as an example I had no problems with it nor did the RAF types virtually all of us got distinctions. But the civilians found it very difficult without a teacher. A case where distance learning was good for one group but absolutely hopeless for another.
I'm also worried that we are getting caught up in "teaching methods" and loosing sight of the importance of the content. I have a friend who is nobody's fool as her research papers and her gold medal for her work in foetal lung research testifies. She spotted four of our distance learning units that appealed to her and I was despatched to enrol her on the first of the units. Her opinion of the first unit was scathing in the very least as she found it to be badly written and boring. She has now decided instead of paying SCE for the privilege of plodding through badly written and expensive distance learning units with little or no tutor support she might just as well pay less for a well-written text book from Borders or Waterstones and teach her self. Needless to say she wont be doing the other three units.
I also feel that for distance learning to work their has to be some value added that cannot be obtained by simple self-study. In the case of my course it was superb units as good as any text book, written by lecturers who had had long careers in the RAF or FAA or in civil aviation or in two cases both. I also got to see work done in parts of RAF Leuchars that you definitely don't get to see on Air Show days - for example I got to crawl all over a fast jet undergoing a major service.
As another example when I did my A+ exams I bought a text book for £40 and old PC for about £70 together with about £30 of spares. I did the theory in my local coffee shop and the practical work on my kitchen table. When I had passed the exam I sold the upgraded PC for about £90, which means my A+ cost be about £50. We charge £450 for our A+ distance learning course and even Stowe College charge £250.
In short I rather think that a balanced approach to all things is preferable to the "jumping on the bandwagon" and "lets go for the latest gadgets" approach.
Colin T
I'd agree, Colin, that we need to match the delivery method to the particular student group (ie. your reference to "horses for courses"). But isn't that an example of thinking about teaching methods? I can't see how (or why) we should ever separate "teaching methods" from "content" - to me they are inextricably linked. The day we stop thinking about teaching methods is the day we cease to be teachers.
I tend to agree with you Jerry. I also think that people often get the use of social networking tools and distance learning confused. Within the contaext of FE I think many students enjoy the f2f contact, and I certainly wouldn't want to forgo that, but there are additional supports and exchanges that we can utilise through the use of web2 technology.
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