The document discusses using social software like blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, and RSS feeds to enhance collaborative learning and research practices. It notes that students are already familiar with these tools and using them can help engage students actively in creating content by interacting with others. This allows students to move from novice to master levels by interacting with course material. Social software can also benefit researchers by allowing them to more easily interact and share resources and knowledge with one another. The document provides examples of how different social tools like blogs, wikis and RSS feeds can be implemented in courses and research.

1. Social Software for Education: Collaborative Learning & Research Practices Rollins College, January 10, 2008 Donnie Sendelbach, Lake Forest College Bryan Alexander, NITLE

2. Workshop Overview 0. Introductions and overview Web 2.0 and social software Blogs Wikis Social Bookmarking RSS and aggregation Next Steps

3. Web 2.0 and Social Software What is Web 2.0? What is social software? Why “social?” What do students use and how do they use it? Overview

4. How Can Social Software Help Students, Instructors & Researchers? If students already know how to use these tools, what are instructors bringing to the table? What is the pedagogical goal in using technology? How can these technologies help research?

5. Benefits of using social software Students actively engage in creating content by interacting with others. How People Learn Moving from novice to master involves interacting actively with subject matter. It can extend or enhance the classroom experience.

6. More Benefits of Online Interaction Quiet students sometimes dominate online. Instructor may perceive where student has misunderstood material. Guest speakers can participate. Instructor can have class online when off campus.

7. Benefits for Research Scholars able to interact more with each other. They can share resources and knowledge.

8. Expectations Students are expecting more use of social software at colleges. Faculty should plan realistic use of software in small steps.

9. Blog Interactive online journal Regular postings Comments from readers Writing for an audience

10. Brainstorming Would certain courses you teach benefit from a blog project? How would you structure the assignment? How could blogging help your research?

11. Break We will start again at 3:00 p.m.

12. Wikis Easy-to-edit web page Multiple editors Changes recorded

13. Brainstorming How could you use a wiki in one of your courses? How could you use a wiki with professional contacts?

14. Social Bookmarking People share resources on a common topic. One discovers others’ bookmarks and their contact’s bookmarks and so on.

15. RSS Feeds and Aggregation “ Really Simple Syndication” Way to collect new information automatically on a given topic/from a given source Aggregator to gather RSS feeds into one web site for easy reading

16. Wrap-Up Next steps What do you want to use? How do you want to use it? What help do you need?

17. NITLE on the Web NITLE http://nitle.org Liberal Education Today http://b2e.nitle.org