More Social Software That You Can Use In Your Teaching Phil Riding E-learning Advisor Learning Technologies Support Service Information Systems

Social software tools I’m going to look at… social bookmarking tools (furl) social networking sites (flickr) wikis

I’m going to look at…

social bookmarking tools (furl)

social networking sites (flickr)

wikis

Social bookmarking tools (furl) http://www.furl.net You can save and access websites from any computer (at home, work, on the road) can categorise, rate, give keywords (tags) So far, so useful, but there’s more… tells you who else is linking to stuff you are linking to (find new people) tells you what else similar people to you are linking to (find new links) can see who else has tagged sites with your tags can publish your archive as web link, or as RSS.

You can save and access websites from any computer (at home, work, on the road)

can categorise, rate, give keywords (tags)

So far, so useful, but there’s more…

tells you who else is linking to stuff you are linking to (find new people)

tells you what else similar people to you are linking to (find new links)

can see who else has tagged sites with your tags

can publish your archive as web link, or as RSS.

‘ Social bookmarking’ tools Examples are http://www.furl.net and http://del. icio .us/ To bookmark, use a dedicated toolbar icon, or right click… See my furl archive: http://www.furl. net/members/ridingp

Examples are http://www.furl.net and http://del. icio .us/

To bookmark, use a dedicated toolbar icon, or right click…

See my furl archive: http://www.furl. net/members/ridingp

Nifty stuff Can export your archive (by topic if needed) As XML As ordinary bookmarks As a zip archive (for safekeeping) As citation formats (MLA, CBE, BibTeX, EndNote etc.) Can display it on your webpage or blog

Can export your archive (by topic if needed)

As XML

As ordinary bookmarks

As a zip archive (for safekeeping)

As citation formats (MLA, CBE, BibTeX, EndNote etc.)

Can display it on your webpage or blog

How could we use it in education? Class support - make your archive available to students, classify by topic etc. Allow students to contribute. Group project support - students share links, comment, rate. By publishing your archive you could have a ‘What’s Dr.X reading?’ link on your course home page, or wherever… Research - collect links as browse, follow up links suggested by similar people Online bibliography for a paper, thesis - create an archive for each one Discussion group support - collect links suggested in one place …

Class support - make your archive available to students, classify by topic etc. Allow students to contribute.

Group project support - students share links, comment, rate.

By publishing your archive you could have a ‘What’s Dr.X reading?’ link on your course home page, or wherever…

Research - collect links as browse, follow up links suggested by similar people

Online bibliography for a paper, thesis - create an archive for each one

Discussion group support - collect links suggested in one place

…

Flickr ( http://www.flickr.com/ ) is a free digital photo sharing website and web services suite. People share photos there. Also used by bloggers as a photo repository. Its popularity has been fueled by its innovative community tools that allow photos to be ‘tagged’ and browsed with user-defined ‘tags’.

is a free digital photo sharing website and web services suite.

People share photos there.

Also used by bloggers as a photo repository.

Its popularity has been fueled by its innovative community tools that allow photos to be ‘tagged’ and browsed with user-defined ‘tags’.

Using Flickr - finding stuff http://www.flickr.com/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ Browse by keywords http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/mynecktie/

http://www.flickr.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/

Browse by keywords

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/mynecktie/

Open APIs allow interesting developments http://www.airtightinteractive.com/projects/related_tag_browser/app/ http://krazydad.com/colrpickr/

http://www.airtightinteractive.com/projects/related_tag_browser/app/

http://krazydad.com/colrpickr/

Using Flickr - adding your own photos From your computer - directly or using Flickr tools By email From camera phones Always asked to ‘tag’ your photos Do this by content, or project etc. Choose privacy level

From your computer - directly or using Flickr tools

By email

From camera phones

Always asked to ‘tag’ your photos

Do this by content, or project etc.

Choose privacy level

Using Flickr - nifty stuff Automatically post photos to your blog, even from a cameraphone… Can access Flickr on mobile phone or PDA… Get RSS feeds for individual tags… Zeitgeist - allows you show your Flickr pictures on your webpage (blog, homepage etc.)… Create public or private groups…

Automatically post photos to your blog, even from a cameraphone…

Can access Flickr on mobile phone or PDA…

Get RSS feeds for individual tags…

Zeitgeist - allows you show your Flickr pictures on your webpage (blog, homepage etc.)…

Create public or private groups…

How could you use it? As a source of graphics for worksheets etc. or as content - http://flickr.com/creativecommons/ Use hotspot tool to draw attention to aspects of pictures - http://flickr.com/photos/ha112/901654/ As a repository for student photos/project work… Students can comment on pictures…

As a source of graphics for worksheets etc. or as content - http://flickr.com/creativecommons/

Use hotspot tool to draw attention to aspects of pictures - http://flickr.com/photos/ha112/901654/

As a repository for student photos/project work…

Students can comment on pictures…

A word about ‘folksonomy’ ‘ Folksonomy’ - folk + taxonomy Refers to the collaborative way that information is categorised on the Web . Contributors of stuff to the Web associate their own personal ‘tags’ with it (instead of relying on a centrally controlled set of labels). This stuff includes blog entries, photos, URLs, etc.

‘ Folksonomy’ - folk + taxonomy

Refers to the collaborative way that information is categorised on the Web .

Contributors of stuff to the Web associate their own personal ‘tags’ with it (instead of relying on a centrally controlled set of labels).

This stuff includes blog entries, photos, URLs, etc.

A ‘tag cloud’

Wikis Name derives from Hawaiian ‘wiki wiki’ = ‘quick’ A web site that can be edited by a number of people. Uses simple formatting rules It’s easy to create new pages and links between pages Previous versions are automatically stored They’re never ‘finished’

Name derives from Hawaiian ‘wiki wiki’ = ‘quick’

A web site that can be edited by a number of people.

Uses simple formatting rules

It’s easy to create new pages and links between pages

Previous versions are automatically stored

They’re never ‘finished’

Examples of wikis Out there wikipedia .org wikibooks .org wikitextbook .co.uk http://www. wikiville .org. uk/index . php/Main_Page At UCL Testing Material Culture course (Anthropology) An example wiki in Moodle

Out there

wikipedia .org

wikibooks .org

wikitextbook .co.uk

http://www. wikiville .org. uk/index . php/Main_Page

At UCL

Testing Material Culture course (Anthropology)

An example wiki in Moodle

Wikis in education We’re still exploring how they could be used They offer exciting opportunities for supporting constructivist, collaborative learning Allow analysis of the process as well as the end product (if you want) Use them for online brainstorming; as a place to collect ‘clippings’ during web searches; to develop collaborative documents (saves mailing Word dox around) etc.

We’re still exploring how they could be used

They offer exciting opportunities for supporting constructivist, collaborative learning

Allow analysis of the process as well as the end product (if you want)

Use them for

online brainstorming;

as a place to collect ‘clippings’ during web searches;

to develop collaborative documents (saves mailing Word dox around)

etc.

Hints from experience Students need to be prepared - both technically and in the concept Better to have narrow focus and specific deadlines Good ‘wiki’ problems are open and have multiple solutions Combine wiki work with face-to-face tutorials Best if lecturer keeps out of the wiki - let students ‘own’ their wiki

Students need to be prepared - both technically and in the concept

Better to have narrow focus and specific deadlines

Good ‘wiki’ problems are open and have multiple solutions

Combine wiki work with face-to-face tutorials

Best if lecturer keeps out of the wiki - let students ‘own’ their wiki

Wikis - issues Bypassing the publisher - good or bad? Quick - and dirty? Reliable - more, or less? Vandalism Who’ll contribute? Why? Control, or serendipity?

Bypassing the publisher - good or bad?

Quick - and dirty?

Reliable - more, or less?

Vandalism

Who’ll contribute? Why?

Control, or serendipity?

Wikis - a new way of thinking about teaching? (Just let go…) Inventing the World Wide Web involved my growing realisation that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way. ( T im Berners-Lee, Weaving the Web) The particular pedagogical challenge is one of control: wikis work most effectively when students can assert meaningful autonomy over the process, […] it involves challenging the social norms and practices of the course […] (Lamb, 2004) http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0452.asp?bhcp=1 http://www.profetic.org:16080/dossiers/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=110

Inventing the World Wide Web involved my growing realisation that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way. ( T im Berners-Lee, Weaving the Web)

The particular pedagogical challenge is one of control: wikis work most effectively when students can assert meaningful autonomy over the process, […] it involves challenging the social norms and practices of the course […] (Lamb, 2004)

http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0452.asp?bhcp=1

http://www.profetic.org:16080/dossiers/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=110

If you have any questions about this presentation or would like further information or advice please contact: [email_address]

If you have any questions about this presentation or would like further information or advice please contact: [email_address]