How do you engage students with Information Literacy content throughout a semester course? Six librarians teaching different sections of a course in the Interactive Media Studies department bypassed institution-supported course management software. Instructors chose Ning, a free site that allows individuals to create public or private social networks. Each network was customized to meet the section's individual learning outcomes. We will discuss how instructors engaged students utilizing tools such as Twitter, RSS feeds, blogs and podcasts via Ning, specific examples of how the tools enhanced student learning throughout the semester, as well as lessons learned from challenges faced along the way.
Librarians at Miami have the option of teaching a 3-credit hour course on information in the digital age. Rather than using traditional institution-supported course management software, six of the librarians chose to use Ning. Ning is a site that allows users to create public or private social networks, and we found that using Ning offered a level of flexibility that was unmatched in the traditional CMS.
Each network was customized to meet the instructor’s individual learning outcomes. This is a snapshot of the front page of one network. Each box that you see here is customizable and the entire front page may be organized in any way the network owner sees fit. Instructors may emphasize or de-emphasize whatever applications would like. Over the next few slides, you will see specific examples of how technology was applied in the various sections.
The blog feature is standard with each Ning network. Some instructors included blogging assignments throughout the semester, in which students were required to both write a few blog posts and comment on others’ posts. Other instructors used the blog to disseminate course materials, such as readings and announcements.
Photo sharing is another standard feature of a new Ning. Students are required to complete a photo editing assignment, and then upload their altered photo to the class Ning.
Discussion boards are another standard feature. These are used to encourage student interaction on an instructor or student-led prompt, or to transmit assignment or course information.
Using API, you also have the ability within Ning to link to other social sites. That’s been used most frequently in our classes to link with Twitter, and you can see examples for how that’s been used above. We have used twitter both as a way for students to interact with each other, and for instructors to interact with students.
Groups were used to specify group projects and give students a space in which to collaborate and create. Groups may be either created and assigned, as they were in the top example, or students may elect to join groups based on interest, as in the lower example. Students have the ability to comment, contribute to a discussion forum, send messages to their group, as well as put just about anything in the text box, including widgets.
