A workshop on Social software in Higher Education Wikis, Blogs+Podcasting. Presented by Thom Cochrane with facilitation by Richard Elliott

Web 2.0 “ Web 2.0 technologies are characterised by a dynamic social element, with a focus on collaboration and sharing of material that distinguishes them from traditional Web technologies which merely transmit information between website and client” (The Learning Technologies Group at Oxford University Computing Services 2006). Connectivism Social software

Common Applications Social software Wikis Blogs Podcasting You Tube Second Life

Wikis

Definition of a Wiki “ Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.” http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki Currently biggest Wiki is…..WIKIPEDIA

Some of the features of Wikis are: Content is instantly published Links are easily created Only need a browser to use a Wiki

Some of the features of Wikis are:

Content is instantly published

Links are easily created

Only need a browser to use a Wiki

Some of the features of Wikis are: No need to know complex programming or web languages. Information is easily shared Work well for collaborative activites, such as brainstorming, lists, event planning, and document creation.

Some of the features of Wikis are:

No need to know complex programming or web languages.

Information is easily shared

Work well for collaborative activites, such as brainstorming, lists, event planning, and document creation.

Some of the challenges of Wikis are: Because anyone can post a contribution, people can populate wiki pages with spam. However, most wiki software offers the ability to lock pages down . When several users are editing pages at the same time, conflicts can occur However, there is the ability to view current text plus the text you were working on, allowing you to fit both together .

Some of the challenges of Wikis are:

Because anyone can post a contribution, people can populate wiki pages with spam.

However, most wiki software offers the ability to lock pages down .

When several users are editing pages at the same time, conflicts can occur

However, there is the ability to view current text plus the text you were working on, allowing you to fit both together .

Blogs

“ The web teaches us that we can be part of the largest public ever assembled and still maintain our individual faces. But this requires living more of our life in public. On the Web, the notion of a diary has been turned inside out: weblogs are public diaries. It is likely that the neat line we draw between our public and private selves in the real world will continue to erode, grain by grain…” David Weinberger, Small Pieces Loosely Joined (Perseus 2002, p. 177)

For our purposes today , a Blog is : A site maintained by an individual. Regularly updated. Organised in a ‘newest writings at the top’ style chronology. Often run using a tool that automates the process of posting

For our purposes today , a Blog is :

A site maintained by an individual.

Regularly updated.

Organised in a ‘newest writings at the top’ style chronology.

Often run using a tool that automates the process of posting

Online Family & Friends Global Communities created by Blogging Colleagues

Podcasting

Podcasting: is delivering audio content to iPods and other portable media players on demand, so that it can be listened to at the user's convenience. Listeners can sync content to their media player and take it with them. Because podcasts are typically saved in MP3 format, they can also be listened to on nearly any computer.

Others Web 2.0 developments of interest