An introduction to cloudworks: a social networking site for sharing & discussing learning and teaching Gráinne Conole, Open University, UK JISC Eluminate session 4 th November 2009 http://cloudworks.ac.uk

Harnessing web 2.0 practices Teachers/designers want examples , want to share/discuss ! Many repositories of good practice , but little impact Can we change practices through use of web 2.0 ideas? Blogging Facebook Twitter Slideshare Flckr Youtube Commenting Live commentary Tagging RSS feeds Embedding Following

Open design: Social and collective

Key concepts Clouds: core objects in cloudworks Cloudscape: collections of clouds Activity streams: dynamic filters of new activity Follow & be followed: Personal activity stream and peer recognition

Clouds: core objects in cloudworks

Cloudscape: collections of clouds

Activity streams: dynamic filters of new activity

Follow & be followed: Personal activity stream and peer recognition

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Clouds Clouds: Ideas Design or case studies Tools or resources Questions or problems

Key concepts: Cloudscapes Cloudscapes: Conferences Workshops Course team Student cohort Research theme Project

Key concepts: Cloudscapes Cloudscapes: Conferences Workshops Course team Student cohort Research theme Project

Key concepts: Cloudscapes Cloudscapes: Conferences Workshops Course team Student cohort Research theme Project

Filtering and serendipity Filtering – personalisation and tailoring RSS feeds for people and cloudscapes Different levels of email alert Activity streams Public activity stream (all activities on the site), Cloudscape activity streams, User activity streams Tabbed views – all, clouds, cloudscapes, comments links, references, extra content Serendipity Active clouds on home page Featured cloudscapes on home page Browse clouds, cloudscape, tags, people Search for keywords

Filtering – personalisation and tailoring

RSS feeds for people and cloudscapes

Different levels of email alert

Activity streams

Public activity stream (all activities on the site), Cloudscape activity streams, User activity streams

Tabbed views – all, clouds, cloudscapes, comments links, references, extra content

Serendipity

Active clouds on home page

Featured cloudscapes on home page

Browse clouds, cloudscape, tags, people

Search for keywords

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds Cloudscapes

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds Cloudscapes Comments

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds Cloudscapes Comments Links

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds Cloudscapes Comments Links References

Key concepts: Activity streams Clouds Cloudscapes Comments Links References Extra content

Follow & be followed Similar to following in twitter Can follow cloudscapes & people Indicates things & people you are interested Anything you follow appears in your personal cloudstream

Similar to following in twitter

Can follow cloudscapes & people

Indicates things & people you are interested

Anything you follow appears in your personal cloudstream

Theoretical perspectives “ Social objects” Social networking makes little sense if we leave out the objects that mediate the ties between people Engeström Design framework for sociality Enabling practice Mimicking reality Building identity Actualising self Bouman et al .

Approach Agile development : initially build in Drupal, now Codeigniter Series of phases: design decisions, development, evaluation Empirical evidence Web stats including google analytics Interviews “ Cloudfests” and focus groups Workshops and conferences Observation and reflective diaries Critical friends group and design summits

Agile development : initially build in Drupal, now Codeigniter

Series of phases: design decisions, development, evaluation

Empirical evidence

Web stats including google analytics

Interviews

“ Cloudfests” and focus groups

Workshops and conferences

Observation and reflective diaries

Critical friends group and design summits

Principles Open , drawing on web 2.0 practices Clouds as core objects – social, cummulative, intelligent Intentionally both built around “communities”/’clusters of interest” Cross-boundary , both filtering/personalisable and serendipitous Dynamic and evolving through use alongside real events as well as virtual ones Variety of types of activities and uses, but focus always on sharing, finding and discussing educational ideas and designs

Open , drawing on web 2.0 practices

Clouds as core objects – social, cummulative, intelligent

Intentionally both built around “communities”/’clusters of interest”

Cross-boundary , both filtering/personalisable and serendipitous

Dynamic and evolving through use alongside real events as well as virtual ones

Variety of types of activities and uses, but focus always on sharing, finding and discussing educational ideas and designs

Design decisions: Phase 1 Based on cloud metaphor Seeded the site Limited social features Tagging by pedagogy, tool, discipline No private content User profiles Five cloud types Data from: workshops, focus groups, surveys, “cloudfests” Findings Privacy and provenance Sustainability Barriers to sharing Lack of spontaneous use “ What’s in it for me”? Needs to be: fun, motivationing, useful Phase 1 Evaluation

Based on cloud metaphor

Seeded the site

Limited social features

Tagging by pedagogy, tool, discipline

No private content

User profiles

Five cloud types

Data from: workshops, focus groups, surveys, “cloudfests”

Findings

Privacy and provenance

Sustainability

Barriers to sharing

Lack of spontaneous use

“ What’s in it for me”?

Needs to be: fun, motivationing, useful

Phase 1

Evaluation

Design decisions: Phase 2 Amalgamated cloud types Increased social features Fostered communities – cloudscapes Added follow functionality Set up “My cloudstream” Data from range of source plus a usability report Findings Growing interest and activity Good around events, but lack of enough spontaneous use Navigation needed improvement Phase 2 Evaluation

Amalgamated cloud types

Increased social features

Fostered communities – cloudscapes

Added follow functionality

Set up “My cloudstream”

Data from range of source plus a usability report

Findings

Growing interest and activity

Good around events, but lack of enough spontaneous use

Navigation needed improvement

Phase 2

Evaluation

Design decisions: Phase 3 Total redesign, look & feel Added RSS feeds & email alerts Embedded content possible Merged tag categories Added links & references Activity streams available Findings Significant increase in use of the site as a result of new design and functionality New patterns of behaviour New niche, conduit between twitter, blogs and other sites Divided views about the concept of “clouds” Phase 3 Evaluation

Total redesign, look & feel

Added RSS feeds & email alerts

Embedded content possible

Merged tag categories

Added links & references

Activity streams available

Findings

Significant increase in use of the site as a result of new design and functionality

New patterns of behaviour

New niche, conduit between twitter, blogs and other sites

Divided views about the concept of “clouds”

Phase 3

Evaluation

Some stats…. 1360 registered users Aspect Everyone Team Non-team Cloudscapes 117 49 68 Clouds 1386 935 451 Comments 1882 613 1269 Links 1581 1165 416 Added Sept.

Emergent patterns of use Events: conferences and workshops ALT-C conference , 8-11 th September 2009 http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1870 Discussions: Flash debates Is Twitter killing blogging? http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloud/view/2266 Eliciting expertise and open reviews Literature review of educational technologist http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1872 Aggregating resources En Rumbo Spanish course http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/776

Events: conferences and workshops

ALT-C conference , 8-11 th September 2009

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1870

Discussions: Flash debates

Is Twitter killing blogging?

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloud/view/2266

Eliciting expertise and open reviews

Literature review of educational technologist

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/1872

Aggregating resources

En Rumbo Spanish course

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloudscape/view/776

Summary Evidence of new practices occurring on the site Genuine “buzz” about the site increasingly Mix of web 2.0 functionality and nice alignment with existing web 2.0 tools Supporting a range of learning and teaching activities , but remaining true to the core principles and vision Cloudworks champions on the rise Come and play in the clouds!!!

Evidence of new practices occurring on the site

Genuine “buzz” about the site increasingly

Mix of web 2.0 functionality and nice alignment with existing web 2.0 tools

Supporting a range of learning and teaching activities , but remaining true to the core principles and vision

Cloudworks champions on the rise

Come and play in the clouds!!!

An introduction to cloudworks: a social networking site for sharing & discussing learning and teaching Gráinne Conole, Open University, UK November 2009 http://cloudworks.ac.uk