Social Software in Higher Education

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?

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.”

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: • 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

Capitalizing on the wisdom of crowds

Transparency

Portability

Social software applications in education

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 • 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

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Social Software in Higher Education

by Meredith Farkas

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