The Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in Economics Teaching* Bhagesh Sachania Information Manager Economics Network *& Research, Policy, Analysis and Public Engagement

What is Web 2.0? Umbrella term for a range of internet applications Examples include blogging and various social network sites Moving static to more dynamic web content Encourage interaction between and within groups User driven and strong emphasis on sharing

Umbrella term for a range of internet applications

Examples include blogging and various social network sites

Moving static to more dynamic web content

Encourage interaction between and within groups

User driven and strong emphasis on sharing

What We Will Cover Blogging Introduction/possible use in teaching Examples Activities Social Bookmarking (Delicious) Video (YouTube)

Blogging

Introduction/possible use in teaching

Examples

Activities

Social Bookmarking (Delicious)

Video (YouTube)

What We Can’t Cover: All the technical and related issues New revised Guide to Using Blogs in Economics www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/ayres_blogs.htm Looks at software options, writing and managing content, risks, specific uses for Economics and the future for blogs

All the technical and related issues

New revised Guide to Using Blogs in Economics www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/showcase/ayres_blogs.htm

Looks at software options, writing and managing content, risks, specific uses for Economics and the future for blogs

Blogs: Key Characteristics Journal format Messages or posts Links Use of tags Invite comments Single or multiple Personal Departmental/Institutional/Corporate

Journal format

Messages or posts

Links

Use of tags

Invite comments

Single or multiple

Personal

Departmental/Institutional/Corporate

Blogs: Key Characteristics Ease of use Non-technical Customisable Accessible Increasingly a social/networking activity

Ease of use

Non-technical

Customisable

Accessible

Increasingly a social/networking activity

Blogs: Educational Uses Online teaching resources/research interests Course web page Online discussion Group blog

Online teaching resources/research interests

Course web page

Online discussion

Group blog

Blogs: Examples Teaching blogs Economics blog aggregators Economics podcast blogs Individual academic blogs Group blogs

Teaching blogs

Economics blog aggregators

Economics podcast blogs

Individual academic blogs

Group blogs

Pedablogy by Steve Greenlaw Excellent US blog on Economics teaching Emphasis on the use of technology in teaching Useful archive going back to 2005, as well as current commentary http://jerryslezak.net/pedablogy/

Excellent US blog on Economics teaching

Emphasis on the use of technology in teaching

Useful archive going back to 2005, as well as current commentary http://jerryslezak.net/pedablogy/

Economics Roundtable Aggregator site of over 120 Economics blogs Can view latest posts, explore links to individual blogs and get a feel for what is happening in the Economics blogosphere Good for identifying blogs in your specific subject area, but lots of posts to read http://www.rtable.net/index/rt/economics/recent /

Aggregator site of over 120 Economics blogs

Can view latest posts, explore links to individual blogs and get a feel for what is happening in the Economics blogosphere

Good for identifying blogs in your specific subject area, but lots of posts to read http://www.rtable.net/index/rt/economics/recent /

Palgrave Econolog Aggregates content from Economics blogs Filters posts into: reviews of papers, conference reports, original research and everything else Zeitgeist and Hot Topics features pick out trends in the Economics blogosphere http://www.econolog.net/

Aggregates content from Economics blogs

Filters posts into: reviews of papers, conference reports, original research and everything else

Zeitgeist and Hot Topics features pick out trends in the Economics blogosphere http://www.econolog.net/

EconTalk Part of the Library of Economics and Liberty website Features extended audio interviews with Economists and others New interviews added every week http://www.econtalk.org/

Part of the Library of Economics and Liberty website

Features extended audio interviews with Economists and others

New interviews added every week http://www.econtalk.org/

Economics in Action Part of the Why Study Economics initiative from the Economics Network Aimed at encouraging broader understanding of Economics, especially among prospective University students Films, audio interview and articles aimed at a popular audience http://whystudyeconomics.ac.uk/blog/

Part of the Why Study Economics initiative from the Economics Network

Aimed at encouraging broader understanding of Economics, especially among prospective University students

Films, audio interview and articles aimed at a popular audience http://whystudyeconomics.ac.uk/blog/

Greg Mankiw’s Blog Supports his teaching at Harvard and his commonly used textbooks Uses the blog to keep in touch with current / former students and discuss current topics http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/

Supports his teaching at Harvard and his commonly used textbooks

Uses the blog to keep in touch with current / former students and discuss current topics http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/

Robert Reich’s Blog Former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, now teaching at Berkeley Extensive comments on current economic policy issues that are also accessible to the general reader Supplements his many TV and radio appearances http://robertreich.blogspot.com/

Former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, now teaching at Berkeley

Extensive comments on current economic policy issues that are also accessible to the general reader

Supplements his many TV and radio appearances http://robertreich.blogspot.com/

VOX Not a blog but a policy portal to analysis and commentary on economic issues Good example of collaborative writing increasing impact Articles aimed at a level between journalism and academic journals Produced by the Centre for Economic Policy Research – also includes audio http://www.voxeu.org/

Not a blog but a policy portal to analysis and commentary on economic issues

Good example of collaborative writing increasing impact

Articles aimed at a level between journalism and academic journals

Produced by the Centre for Economic Policy Research – also includes audio http://www.voxeu.org/

Crooked Timber Another example of a group blog Covers a range of Social Sciences subjects, including Economics One of the few sites where you can learn as much from the comments as from the original blog posts http://crookedtimber.org/

Another example of a group blog

Covers a range of Social Sciences subjects, including Economics

One of the few sites where you can learn as much from the comments as from the original blog posts http://crookedtimber.org/

What’s Changed More portal sites, aggregators and group blogs for Economics Fewer teaching blogs as more material brought into VLEs

More portal sites, aggregators and group blogs for Economics

Fewer teaching blogs as more material brought into VLEs

What’s Changing Greater integration of other Web 2.0 content into blogs from YouTube videos, Delicious links and other applications US stranglehold on the Economics blogosphere will slowly be broken

Greater integration of other Web 2.0 content into blogs from YouTube videos, Delicious links and other applications

US stranglehold on the Economics blogosphere will slowly be broken

Activity 5: (Social) Bookmarking Create a delicious account Add a bookmark form your previous list

Create a delicious account

Add a bookmark form your previous list

Uses Excellent way of sharing and managing all your bookmarks Find out what other people have been viewing: bhageshsachania Choose what to share Who to share with Potential for collaboration (learning/research)

Excellent way of sharing and managing all your bookmarks

Find out what other people have been viewing: bhageshsachania

Choose what to share

Who to share with

Potential for collaboration (learning/research)

What is YouTube? Number one video sharing site on the Internet, top 10 of all Internet sites Approx. 40% share of online video market - if it's not on YouTube, it doesn't exist? Viewers watch 10's of millions of videos each and every day Vast majority of videos are "user generated content" - made by people like you and me

Number one video sharing site on the Internet, top 10 of all Internet sites

Approx. 40% share of online video market - if it's not on YouTube, it doesn't exist?

Viewers watch 10's of millions of videos each and every day

Vast majority of videos are "user generated content" - made by people like you and me

A YouTube profile can Upload videos Assemble videos into playlists with their own URL Recommend videos to other people Subscribe to video providers (e.g. Nobel Foundation)

Upload videos

Assemble videos into playlists with their own URL

Recommend videos to other people

Subscribe to video providers (e.g. Nobel Foundation)

What you need (1) Camera – Flip £90 on Amazon Video editing software (Movie Maker/ iMovie) – no charge Account on YouTube or other video sharing site – no charge Consider a dedicated laptop May need a firewire cable or interface if getting a higher-spec camera

Camera – Flip £90 on Amazon

Video editing software (Movie Maker/ iMovie) – no charge

Account on YouTube or other video sharing site – no charge

Consider a dedicated laptop

May need a firewire cable or interface if getting a higher-spec camera

What you need (2) Something to say! YouTube is a community website, be prepared to engage You don't have to have to be the BBC - it's a world of webcams Perhaps you'd prefer to be Tim Harford instead

Something to say!

YouTube is a community website, be prepared to engage

You don't have to have to be the BBC - it's a world of webcams

Perhaps you'd prefer to be Tim Harford instead

Example: Economics Network Uploading student videos Playlists Recommending Oxford Brookes student presentation videos Monitoring other providers

Uploading student videos

Playlists

Recommending Oxford Brookes student presentation videos

Monitoring other providers

Educational Uses Distance learning Supplementary lectures (e.g. maths skills, presentation skills) Contextualising an issue, e.g. old news footage Perspectives for students to examine critically (news coverage, activist videos, TED lectures) Screen capture (e.g. demonstrating software) Short humour items to break up a long lecture Student video assignment?

Distance learning

Supplementary lectures (e.g. maths skills, presentation skills)

Contextualising an issue, e.g. old news footage

Perspectives for students to examine critically (news coverage, activist videos, TED lectures)

Screen capture (e.g. demonstrating software)

Short humour items to break up a long lecture

Student video assignment?

Audience feedback “ Inspired and emotional. I go all teary-eyed watching this.” “ This guy makes Statistics much more fun. I am speechless to him, a truly amazing guy. “ This is absolute mastery, I'm awed.” “ Educational talk, yet innovative enough to stick in your mind forever.. Sticky Statistics!!” “ I love this man. What I like most of him is the hope in a better future he gives with the strength of solid arguments.”

“ Inspired and emotional. I go all teary-eyed watching this.”

“ This guy makes Statistics much more fun. I am speechless to him, a truly amazing guy.

“ This is absolute mastery, I'm awed.”

“ Educational talk, yet innovative enough to stick in your mind forever.. Sticky Statistics!!”

“ I love this man. What I like most of him is the hope in a better future he gives with the strength of solid arguments.”

Finding more videos (1) Findability on YouTube is awful - try the Education section, try searching for Economics Video can't be indexed in the same way as text - relies on user input / metadata Third parties can help to get beyond the what's popular / new lists

Findability on YouTube is awful - try the Education section, try searching for Economics

Video can't be indexed in the same way as text - relies on user input / metadata

Third parties can help to get beyond the what's popular / new lists

Finding more videos (2) Intute Social Sciences intute.ac.uk/socialsciences Economics Network video index economicsnetwork.ac.uk/teaching/video Subscribe to EN’s YouTube profile youtube.com/economicsnetwork

Intute Social Sciences

intute.ac.uk/socialsciences

Economics Network video index

economicsnetwork.ac.uk/teaching/video

Subscribe to EN’s YouTube profile

youtube.com/economicsnetwork

SlideShare - what is it? Upload PowerPoint presentations so they are freely available online Easily embeddable in other services e.g. blogs Add an mp3 soundtrack / narration and sync it with the slides YouTube for PowerPoint Community features such as tags, comments, favourites, related SlideCasts etc. http://www.slideshare.net/

Upload PowerPoint presentations so they are freely available online

Easily embeddable in other services e.g. blogs

Add an mp3 soundtrack / narration and sync it with the slides

YouTube for PowerPoint

Community features such as tags, comments, favourites, related SlideCasts etc.

http://www.slideshare.net/

SlideShare - an example Initially presented to 25 people at the DEE conference in 2007 Now viewed over over 1300 times, downloaded over 50 times, embedded in 5 other websites Adding an audio track makes a SlideShare much more useful http://www.slideshare.net/cfbloke/the-effective-use-of-blogs-in-economics-education/

Initially presented to 25 people at the DEE conference in 2007

Now viewed over over 1300 times, downloaded over 50 times, embedded in 5 other websites

Adding an audio track makes a SlideShare much more useful

http://www.slideshare.net/cfbloke/the-effective-use-of-blogs-in-economics-education/

SlideShare - possible uses Disseminating lecture material for revision purposes Discuss lecture material using the comments feature to aid understanding As a student assignment assessing virtual presentation skills Find other presentations on your topic - save reinventing the wheel Building up a body of resources over time on a particular topic Drawing together conference / seminar materials using a common "tag"

Disseminating lecture material for revision purposes

Discuss lecture material using the comments feature to aid understanding

As a student assignment assessing virtual presentation skills

Find other presentations on your topic - save reinventing the wheel

Building up a body of resources over time on a particular topic

Drawing together conference / seminar materials using a common "tag"

Stephen Kinsella Great example of using a blog for teaching Uses polls, lecture videos and short articles to support each lecture Brings together content from a range of Web 2.0 sites – Twitter , Delicious , SlideShare etc. http://www.stephenkinsella.net/

Great example of using a blog for teaching

Uses polls, lecture videos and short articles to support each lecture

Brings together content from a range of Web 2.0 sites – Twitter , Delicious , SlideShare etc. http://www.stephenkinsella.net/

Advice and Information Start with a hosted service Have a clear idea about what to produce Examples: personal web page, research blog, course outline Build it into your work routine, so it’s not an extra job

Start with a hosted service

Have a clear idea about what to produce

Examples: personal web page, research blog, course outline

Build it into your work routine, so it’s not an extra job

Intute Intute: Social Sciences - a guide to the best of the web for education and research http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/economics/ Over 1000 high quality economics Internet resources

Intute: Social Sciences - a guide to the best of the web for education and research

http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/economics/

Over 1000 high quality economics Internet resources

Economics Network Economics Network http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk Bookmarks and presentation will be available on

Economics Network

http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk

Bookmarks and presentation will be available on