Social Software in Higher
Education
Meredith Farkas
Distance Learning Librarian
Norwich University

Our students have changed radically.
Today’s students are no longer the
people our educational system was
designed to teach.
-Mark Prensky, “Digital Natives, Digital
Immigrants.”

The typical student?

The typical student?

The Typical student?

If Higher Education
Listened to Me…

Millennials (born after 1980)

Millennials (born after 1980)
• “Some of the best teachers I’ve had are the
ones I connect with personally… I think that
really encourages learning.”

Millennials (born after 1980)
• “Some of the best teachers I’ve had are the
ones I connect with personally… I think that
really encourages learning.”
• “Most of my classes are just fact
memorizations… I had one professor who set
up his history course around the experience of
doing research, writing a paper, and trying to
get it published… and at the end of the course
we had something we could try to get
published.”

Millennials

Millennials
• “If we could speak to our professors [via IM],
it would feel like they’re on our level, more
accessible.”

Millennials
• “If we could speak to our professors [via IM],
it would feel like they’re on our level, more
accessible.”
• “Universities need to provide a way for shy
students, or for Millennials, or for any student
to connect to the University and other people
there. A discussion board, a forum or some
sort of social networking can allow students
to meet others like them, something that
might not happen face-to-face.”

Millennials
• “If we could speak to our professors [via IM],
it would feel like they’re on our level, more
accessible.”
• “Universities need to provide a way for shy
students, or for Millennials, or for any student
to connect to the University and other people
there. A discussion board, a forum or some
sort of social networking can allow students
to meet others like them, something that
might not happen face-to-face.”

Generation X
(1965-1980)

Generation X
(1965-1980)
• “A professor should be more than just a ‘talking
head’ up in front of the class; the professor needs
to be seen as a person… Technology can be one
way to make that connection.”

Generation X
(1965-1980)
• “A professor should be more than just a ‘talking
head’ up in front of the class; the professor needs
to be seen as a person… Technology can be one
way to make that connection.”
• “Many faculty treat us as if we were in high school
– taking attendance for example. We’re all adults.
We should be responsible for our own learning.
Let me know what is required of me and then let
me get there. Facilitate my way there, provide me
with the resources.”

Baby Boomers (1946 –
1964)

Baby Boomers (1946 –
1964)
• “Provide a Web component for each and
every course”

Baby Boomers (1946 –
1964)
• “Provide a Web component for each and
every course”
• “Today’s students are significantly busier
than they were when I was working on my
undergraduate degree in the 1970s… If
higher education listened to me, faculty and
administrators would relate better to their
students. They need to know more about
their students.”

What is social software?

My definition

My definition
To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at
least two of the following conditions:

My definition
To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at
least two of the following conditions:

My definition
To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at
least two of the following conditions:
• it allows people to communicate, collaborate and
build community online.

My definition
To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at
least two of the following conditions:
• it allows people to communicate, collaborate and
build community online.
• it can be syndicated, shared, reused or remixed, or
it facilitates syndication.

My definition
To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at
least two of the following conditions:
• it allows people to communicate, collaborate and
build community online.
• it can be syndicated, shared, reused or remixed, or
it facilitates syndication.
• it allows people to easily learn from and capitalize
on the behavior or knowledge of others.

Characteristics of Social
Software

Easy content creation
and sharing

Online collaboration

Conversations

Conversations

Conversations

Capitalizing on the wisdom of
crowds

Capitalizing on the wisdom of
crowds

Transparency

Transparency

Portability

Social software
applications in education

Blogs

Blogs
• Frequently updated website where postings are
displayed in reverse chronological order.

Blogs
• Frequently updated website where postings are
displayed in reverse chronological order.
• Uses
– Course management system

Blogs
• Frequently updated website where postings are
displayed in reverse chronological order.
• Uses
– Course management system
– Faculty communication with students

Blogs
• Frequently updated website where postings are
displayed in reverse chronological order.
• Uses
– Course management system
– Faculty communication with students
– Reflective learning

Blogs
• Web journal where postings are displayed in reverse
chronological order.
• Uses
– Course management system
– Faculty communication with students
– Reflective learning
– Language or writing practice

Blogs
• Web journal where postings are displayed in reverse
chronological order.
• Uses
– Course management system
– Faculty communication with students
– Reflective learning
– Language or writing practice
– Alternative discussion forum

Wikis

Wikis
• Allow a group of people to collaboratively
develop a Website with no knowledge of
HTML.

Wikis
• Allow a group of people to collaboratively
develop a Website with no knowledge of
HTML.
• Uses
– Courseware

Wikis
• Allow a group of people to collaboratively
develop a Website with no knowledge of
HTML.
• Uses
– Courseware
– Group projects

Wikis
• Allow a group of people to collaboratively
develop a Website with no knowledge of
HTML.
• Uses
– Courseware
– Group projects
– Collaboratively-developed resource guides

Podcasting

Podcasting
• Audio broadcast in MP3 format syndicated via
RSS.

Podcasting
• Audio broadcast in MP3 format syndicated via
RSS.
• Uses
•Lectures and guest speakers

Podcasting
• Audio broadcast in MP3 format syndicated
via RSS.
• Uses
•Lectures and guest speakers
•Student projects

Podcasting
• Audio broadcast in MP3 format syndicated
via RSS.
• Uses
•Lectures and guest speakers
•Student projects
•News and marketing

Podcasting
• Audio broadcast in MP3 format syndicated via
RSS.
• Uses
•Lectures and guest speakers
•Student projects
•News and marketing
•Language classes, music classes

Screencasting

Screencasting
• Movie taken of one’s computer desktop (with
narration)

Screencasting
• Movie taken of one’s computer desktop (with
narration)
• Uses
– Recording Lectures

Screencasting
• Movie taken of one’s computer desktop (with
narration)
• Uses
– Recording Lectures
– Commenting on student papers

Screencasting
• Movie taken of one’s computer desktop (with
narration)
• Uses
– Recording Lectures
– Commenting on student papers
– Tutorials

Five Weeks to a Social
Library

Benefits of blogging
• Humanizes the instructors
• Blogging to reflect on learning
• Jill’s epiphany about blogs
• Blogging to get feedback, start a conversation
• Tiah on libraries in social networking
software
• Janelle on getting others interested in wikis
• Blogging to create a record of transformative
learning
• Regan on Second Life
• Regan on Second Life: Take Two

Things to consider

Avoid
technolust

Don’t
assume all
of your
students
are tech-
savvy

Play with
technology!
Kick the
tires!

Don’t be afraid to try things out
with your students...
or to have them fail

Consider the
maintenance
burden and
sustainability of
any technology.

These are just tools!

Questions?
Meredith Farkas
mfarkas@norwich.edu
AIM: librarianmer
http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/
http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com