This document summarizes core learning theories including constructivism, critical constructivism, social aspects of cognition, and dimensions of learning. It discusses key concepts like knowledge creation through socialization. The document then examines issues around integrating social media into higher education including how students experience learning, the role of student literacy, and how learning, literacy and social media shape each other. It outlines an action research study involving social learners and collection of data through questionnaires, blogs, discussions and reports. The study aims to understand social media use and issues in organizations through a participatory research approach.

1. Learning 2.0,
August 21, 2012
By Juan D. Machin-Mastromatteo
@judamasmas

2. Core Theories
 Constructivist learning (Piaget/Dewey)
 Critical constructivism (Kincheloe, 2005, 2008)
 Role of social interaction in the development of cognition (Vygotsky,
1978; Ackerman, 1996; Mayer, 2004)
 Dimensions of learning: cognitive, social, emotional (Illeris, 2003)
 Information skills: access, use, evaluation (Lau, 2006)
 Affinity Spaces (Gee, 2009)
 Participatory Action Research in Education (Freire, Fals-Borda,
Whitehead &McNiff, McIntyre, Herr & Anderson)

3. Brief Epistemological Assumptions
 The concepts of learning and knowledge are closely connected
 Knowledge is created through socialization (Vygotsky, 1978;
Nonaka& Takeuchi, 1995) and can be discovered (Whitehead
&McNiff, 2006) as people possess tacit knowledge within (Polanyi,
1958).
 Teachers are capable of generating personal theories by
systematically studying their practice (Whitehead, 1989)

4. What significant issues, challenges and opportunities emerge when social
media are integrated into learning environments in higher education?
a) How do students’ experience learning when they are engaged in a
learning activity that integrates social media?
b) In what ways is students’ engagement dependent upon their literacies?
c) In what way do learning, literacy and social media mutually shape each
other?

5. Machin-Mastromatteo (2010,2011,2012), built upon Bawden& Robinson
(2009)
 Trust
 Loss of identity
Emerging issues Machin-Mastromatteo (2012)
 Crowdsourcing
 Decision making  Balance of
 Quality control identities/voices/roles
 Users’ satisfaction  Fast changing features
 Information overload  Need for marketing SN
 Permanence tools
 Repackaging  Users’ underestimation
 Privacy
 Negative
consequences

6.  Information Literacy
as in Zurkowski (1974), Virkus (2003),
Tuominen, et al.(2005), Lau (2006)…
 Digital Literacy (computer, ICT…)as
in Shapiro and Hughes (1996), Eshet-
Alkalai (2004)
 New Literacies
as in Lankshear and Knobel (2007)
Literacies New
Literacies

7. Participatory Action Research
 Self and collective reflection on the subject of study
 Researcher is part of and makes interventions on research
 Cyclical process of exploration, knowledge construction and action through
questioning, reflecting, investigating, developing plan implementing, refining,
questioning… (McIntyre, 2008)
PAR is a philosophy of life as much as a method, a sentiment as much as a conviction
(Fals-Borda, 1997)
PAR leads researchers into unfamiliar pathways… think in new ways… generating
provocative new ideas. (Whyte, Greenwood, & Lazes, 1989)

8.  LIS Master
 Divided in groups
 Pilot Study (2011), Final Study (2012)

9. Collection of Data
 Diagnostic Questionnaire
 Blog
 Social Learners’ Input
 Class Discussions
 Blog
 Social Media Sites
 Social Learners’ Reports
 2nd Questionnaire
 Interview

10. 1 Introduction
Diagnostic Questionnaire / Action Research / Methods / Literacies / SM
2 Access 3 Use 4 Evaluation
Issues of SM
User practices SM in organizations SM
Content curation
Information needs inlibraries
Creation of SM sites
Location / Selection Evaluation of SM
Tool integration
Accessibility issues
5 Wrap up
2nd Questionnaire / Interviews
Assignments:
 Individual reflection on own use of SM (2)
 Create social site for an information service (3)
 Evaluate an established social site (4), revisit (3)

11. Thank you!!
machin@tlu.ee
judamasmas@gmail.com
@judamasmas
http://judamasmas.tumblr.com
www.judamasmas.com