Microblobbing in Higher Education

Microblogging - Potentiale an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert & Martin Ebner

Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

The monthly rate of new user accounts on Twitter is currently around 6.2 million new accounts per month (or 2-3 per second) http://www.flickr.com/photos/vividbreeze/480057824

http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/?p=1827 Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

• A large percentage of Twitter accounts are inactive, with about 25% of accounts having no followers and about 40% of accounts having never sent a single Tweet • About 80% of all Twitter users have tweeted fewer than ten times http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/?p=1827 http://www.flickr.com/photos/_nezemnaya_/3349101991

With 75 million total accounts, an active user base of around 20% still leaves around 15 million highly active tweeters http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/?p=1827 http://www.flickr.com/photos/ventriloblog/17960188

Microblogging is a small-scale form of blogging, generally made up of short, succinct messages, used by both users and business to share news, post status updates and carry on Templeton, 2008 conversations http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/601808418

Higher Education occurs usually (not always) in overcrowded lecture halls, students sitting under their laptops http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/601808418

Study 1 (2007) Is microblogging a possibility for a specific community to exchange ideas, interests and information? http://www.flickr.com/photos/billselak/2417001179

Overview Study 1 • Used Microblog application: Jaiku • Own Channel: „elearn“ • Own FlickR account for pictures • Community: 23 German speaking EduBloggers (5 women / 18 men) • Duration: September - October 2007 • Outcome: 240 posting, 201 comments Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

BUT: • Small usergroup (23; 12 filled out evaluation forms) • just testing - 72% „I used it for the first time“ • Outcomes? „not sure there is any potential“ Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Recommendations for HEI • some general pros • additional documentation effects • possibility to monitor students • no time constraints • mobile devices • but no clear scenario for usage Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Study 2 (2008) Can microblogging be used during scientific conferences? Enhancement of live presentations? http://www.flickr.com/photos/billselak/2417001179

„in the background we discussed things more deeply than the guys on the stage“ versus „Twitter can be distracting - you pay less attention“ http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuagedenuit/276092250

before during after http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/430523365

Twitter stream at conference (ED - Media 08)

Results: • About 150 participants (keynote) • 54 tweets / 74 minutes (before/during/after) • 4 categories of tweets: - Citations - Discussion - Hyperlinks - Comments Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

BUT: • Only 10 active users wrote more than 5 tweets • 2 users wrote more than 50% of all tweets Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Similar: ED-Media 2010 Two users accounted 24% of all tweets Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Recommendations for HEI • no continous microblogging on walls! (too much distraction for students and teachers, just a few make the noise) Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Study 3 (2008) Interactive Lecturing by Integrating Mobile Devices and Micro-blogging in Higher Education http://www.flickr.com/photos/billselak/2417001179

Mass Education Instant Feedback Enhancement of lecture slides

Positive results: • Anonymous Feedback • Device Independent • quick and easy Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

BUT: • 33 microblogs in 45 minutes - no real content • hard to follow for teachers Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Recommendations for HEI • timely limited interaction phases (open questions, feedback) are helpful and channel attention • or: a moderator for microblogging Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Study 4 (2008) Can Microblogs and Weblogs change traditional scientific writing? http://www.flickr.com/photos/billselak/2417001179

16 students 4 MB per week 10 weeks

Positive results: • Exchange of information • Useful for fast discussions • Help to share links and ideas Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Differences between Microblogging and Blogging • Blogging is reflective writing, short essays • Microblogging is searching and sharing • more communication/interaction (replies) Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

BUT: • Information Overflow • Only for people with same interests • „maybe“ useful for virtual announcements • students underestimated the work load • continious attention is needed Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Recommendations for HEI • Microblogging seems to be usable for e.g. brainstorming and (fast)collections of links, pictures, videos • Usage for formative assessment: continious contributions, assessed by teachers • limited to fitting lecture topics (no fixed factual knowledge, eventually media related) Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Study 5 (2009) Microblogs in Higher Education – A chance to facilitate informal and process-oriented learning? http://www.flickr.com/photos/billselak/2417001179

On average each student wrote 315 posts. Over a period of 70 days this resulted in around 4.5 posts each calendar day. If the observation time is reduced by holidays (42 days) the number increases to 7.5 posts/each working day

Recommendations for HEI • private talk is normal (about one third) • Microblogging is a COMMUNICATION tool, that includes private talk • if you want to support communication (or microblogging) the task should be open Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

Objectives for the Usage of Microblogging in HEI http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/161/

Microblogging for Optimisation of HEI • Fast interactive, colllaborative collections • documentation and accessibility of collections • quality assurance (monitoring, feedback) Microblogging for Innovation of HEI • tool for new assessment forms (formative assessment) • provides new (more) communication possibilities (between teachers and students) Microblogging - Potentiala an der Hochschule Sandra Schaffert, Martin Ebner - Learntec 2010

You will find Martin at Twitter @mebner ... google to find Sandra

http://elearningblog.tugraz.at	76
http://sansch.wordpress.com	9
http://www.slideshare.net	5
http://www.cirip.ro	4
http://tugtc.tugraz.at	3
http://tugll.tugraz.at	2
http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de	1
http://k2go.posterous.com	1

Microblobbing in Higher Education

by Martin Ebner on Feb 04, 2010

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