Why Teach a fish to swim? A design-based research study incorporating social media into the professional writing curriculum to shape professional practice and identity
Congruent with my status as a PhD student, I was an Assistant Professor in the professional writing minor program at Concordia. I had been asked by the department chair to update the course offerings. The courses were basically rooted in mid to late 20th century writing practices, with the bulk of the content being highly irrelevant, and more academic than practical.
Having prior experience designing a social media component during my time teaching at Penn State, I was eager to get started; however, introducing social media is problematic in Quebec, primarily because Privacy Laws protect students having to participate in web 2.0 environments, to safeguard students from undergoing U.S. State surveillance. For this reason, I decided to run a study to determine how an instructional design could be effective and at the same time non-mandatory?
The study took place over a four-year period from 2012-2016, involved 3 iterations of a yearlong course, and was followed by a retrospective analysis, which included a survey of participants 1-2 and 3 years after the course.
The Impact of Digital Literacy Practices on Learning Outcomes in Higher Educ...J'ette Novakovich
This paper reports the findings of a Stage I meta-analysis exploring the effectiveness of online digital literacy practices performed through social media tools in higher education classrooms as measured by learning outcomes. An extensive literature search culled more than 500 potential articles and resulted in a sample of 51 representative quasi-experimental studies, consisting of 4,630 total participants. Fifty-one effect sizes were extracted and yielded a moderately positive statistically significant weighted average effect size of g+ = 0.315, k=51, p <. 01. This overall effect size suggests that integrating online digital literacy practices into the higher education classroom benefits students on measures of academic achievement and offers significant learning support.
In addition, several moderator variables were tested to determine what factors and literacy practices impact learning outcomes; namely, field of study (STEM, ARTS), conceptualization of tool (social learning theory, delivery tool), peer interaction (yes, no), modality (blogs, collaborative communication text-based technologies, i.e. forums and wikis; podcasts, and virtual worlds), practice (consuming, prosuming behaviors), and the learning outcome measured (course project, knowledge-based exam); moderator effect sizes were statistically significant for the following variables: conceptualization of the tool, practice, and learning outcomes.
Invited opening talk for University of Brighton Pedagogic Research Conference, February 2017
https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/clt/Pages/Events/enhancing%20higher%20education.aspx
A seminar drawn from two projects that explored a range of assessment practices, and examined how they are implemented by establishing and comparing attitudes to assessment amongst tutors and students within three ODL environments: University of London International Programmes, King’s College London (ODL programmes) and the Open University.
The Impact of Digital Literacy Practices on Learning Outcomes in Higher Educ...J'ette Novakovich
This paper reports the findings of a Stage I meta-analysis exploring the effectiveness of online digital literacy practices performed through social media tools in higher education classrooms as measured by learning outcomes. An extensive literature search culled more than 500 potential articles and resulted in a sample of 51 representative quasi-experimental studies, consisting of 4,630 total participants. Fifty-one effect sizes were extracted and yielded a moderately positive statistically significant weighted average effect size of g+ = 0.315, k=51, p <. 01. This overall effect size suggests that integrating online digital literacy practices into the higher education classroom benefits students on measures of academic achievement and offers significant learning support.
In addition, several moderator variables were tested to determine what factors and literacy practices impact learning outcomes; namely, field of study (STEM, ARTS), conceptualization of tool (social learning theory, delivery tool), peer interaction (yes, no), modality (blogs, collaborative communication text-based technologies, i.e. forums and wikis; podcasts, and virtual worlds), practice (consuming, prosuming behaviors), and the learning outcome measured (course project, knowledge-based exam); moderator effect sizes were statistically significant for the following variables: conceptualization of the tool, practice, and learning outcomes.
Invited opening talk for University of Brighton Pedagogic Research Conference, February 2017
https://staff.brighton.ac.uk/clt/Pages/Events/enhancing%20higher%20education.aspx
A seminar drawn from two projects that explored a range of assessment practices, and examined how they are implemented by establishing and comparing attitudes to assessment amongst tutors and students within three ODL environments: University of London International Programmes, King’s College London (ODL programmes) and the Open University.
Techniques and measurement for engaging your audienceJ'ette Novakovich
Nutshell Learning Series: All communication is relational. Incorporating tools to engage your audience and knowing what and how to measure in a nutshell.
Presented at the University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education Faculty Conference, Liverpool, July 2013.
Authors: Kahn, P.E., Lucy Everington, L., Kelm, K., Reid, I. and Watkins, F.
Growth in K-12 online learning continues at a rapid pace, but what do we know about best practice when learners are physically separated from their teachers and peers? Find out about the latest trends and research in online learning environments with a special focus on Idaho as a national leader in providing transformative educational opportunities for learners.
Researching e-portfolios: The current state of playdcambrid
The first in the Europortfolio project's series of open webinars, from February 7, 2014. Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research co-directors Darren Cambridge, Barbara Cambridge, and Kathleen Yancey present on the philosophy behind and design of the Coalition, how its results illustrate the principle of "scaling out," and the four propositions about assessment with e-portfolios and their non-negotiable core that Coalition members are currently exploring.
Education and Technology Partnerships as Intercultural Communities: An Ethnog...CITE
CITERS2014 - Learning without Limits?
http://citers2014.cite.hku.hk/program-overview/keynote-green/
13 June 2014 (Friday)
09:10 – 10:00
Keynote 1: Education and Technology Partnerships as Intercultural Communities: An Ethnographic Perspective
Speaker: Professor Judith GREEN (Department of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara)
Chair: Dr. Susan BRIDGES (Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, HKU)
Overview of the dissertation of Jason F. Rhode, Ph.D. entitled, "Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences"
Digital Learning, Emerging Technologies, Abundant Data, and Pedagogies of CareGeorge Veletsianos
Keynote delivered at the Emerging Technologies in Authentic Learning Contexts Conference (Cape Town, South Africa), drawing links between my research on digital learning, emerging technologies, learner experiences, and the changing higher education landscape.
ELCC 2009 Presentation: Presentation includes faculty example of survey and timeline tools for assessing a common outcome for the GT Pathways courses.
Additional Web 2.0 Assessment Resources are included.
KopFournierCanadianInstituteDistanceEducationResearchPLERita Kop
Facilitating Quality Learning in a Personal Learning Environment through Educational Research
After speculation in the literature about the nature of possible Personal Learning Environments, research in the design and development of a PLE is now in progress. The researchers will report on the educational research involved in the National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Information Technology’s Personal Learning Environment project. This presentation will highlight important components, applications and tools in a PLE as identified through surveys of potential end users. The learner experience and the minimum set of components required to facilitate quality learning will be placed at the forefront.
Techniques and measurement for engaging your audienceJ'ette Novakovich
Nutshell Learning Series: All communication is relational. Incorporating tools to engage your audience and knowing what and how to measure in a nutshell.
Presented at the University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education Faculty Conference, Liverpool, July 2013.
Authors: Kahn, P.E., Lucy Everington, L., Kelm, K., Reid, I. and Watkins, F.
Growth in K-12 online learning continues at a rapid pace, but what do we know about best practice when learners are physically separated from their teachers and peers? Find out about the latest trends and research in online learning environments with a special focus on Idaho as a national leader in providing transformative educational opportunities for learners.
Researching e-portfolios: The current state of playdcambrid
The first in the Europortfolio project's series of open webinars, from February 7, 2014. Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research co-directors Darren Cambridge, Barbara Cambridge, and Kathleen Yancey present on the philosophy behind and design of the Coalition, how its results illustrate the principle of "scaling out," and the four propositions about assessment with e-portfolios and their non-negotiable core that Coalition members are currently exploring.
Education and Technology Partnerships as Intercultural Communities: An Ethnog...CITE
CITERS2014 - Learning without Limits?
http://citers2014.cite.hku.hk/program-overview/keynote-green/
13 June 2014 (Friday)
09:10 – 10:00
Keynote 1: Education and Technology Partnerships as Intercultural Communities: An Ethnographic Perspective
Speaker: Professor Judith GREEN (Department of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara)
Chair: Dr. Susan BRIDGES (Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, HKU)
Overview of the dissertation of Jason F. Rhode, Ph.D. entitled, "Interaction Equivalency in Self-Paced Online Learning Environments: An Exploration of Learner Preferences"
Digital Learning, Emerging Technologies, Abundant Data, and Pedagogies of CareGeorge Veletsianos
Keynote delivered at the Emerging Technologies in Authentic Learning Contexts Conference (Cape Town, South Africa), drawing links between my research on digital learning, emerging technologies, learner experiences, and the changing higher education landscape.
ELCC 2009 Presentation: Presentation includes faculty example of survey and timeline tools for assessing a common outcome for the GT Pathways courses.
Additional Web 2.0 Assessment Resources are included.
KopFournierCanadianInstituteDistanceEducationResearchPLERita Kop
Facilitating Quality Learning in a Personal Learning Environment through Educational Research
After speculation in the literature about the nature of possible Personal Learning Environments, research in the design and development of a PLE is now in progress. The researchers will report on the educational research involved in the National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Information Technology’s Personal Learning Environment project. This presentation will highlight important components, applications and tools in a PLE as identified through surveys of potential end users. The learner experience and the minimum set of components required to facilitate quality learning will be placed at the forefront.
The course provides necessary knowledge and skill in client intervention and also management intervention process –an essential tools to undertaking any improving organizational strategy which is a part of the graduate programme
The course provides necessary introduction to the essentials of management as they apply to the contemporary work environment. Topics covered in this course are designed to balance the management theory and the management practice. This is crucial for graduate students to help them making better decisions in their organizations.
Similar to Why Teach a fish to swim? A design-based research study incorporating social media into the professional writing curriculum to shape professional practice and identity
Enhancing School Community through Technology Professional Development for Te...Kendra Minor
This presentation provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of each collaborative partner; narrative about the process used to analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate the professional development workshop; and the tools and community generated by the collaborative.
The Non-Disposable Assignment: Enhancing Personalised Learning - Session 2Michael Paskevicius
Slides from our second meeting of three from a course redesign series on creating non-disposable assignments.
As advertised:
Do you want to offer students an opportunity to bring their passions, personal interests, and individual strengths into their coursework?
How can we design assessment which students feel connected to, value, and are proud to share with their peers?
Are you interested in learning how to create a non-disposable assignment for your students?
This 3-part assignment redesign workshop will take you through the steps to create a non-disposable assignment from beginning to end.
Disposable Assignments: "are assignments that students complain about doing and faculty complain about grading. They’re assignments that add no value to the world – after a student spends three hours creating it, a teacher spends 30 minutes grading it, and then the student throws it away” (Wiley, 2013).
This series is about creating a non-disposable assignment. The three sessions will blend a combination of some pre-reading, discussion, and in session time to flesh out the details of a rich assignment that allows students to co-create knowledge, be creative and engage in a personalised learning experience.
We’ll focus on crafting projects which meet your existing or redesigned course learning outcomes, explore tools for students to demonstrate their learning, and identify strategies for conducting peer-review. In the end you’ll end up with plan for implementing your redesigned assignment in Spring 2018 or Fall 2018.
Throughout the three-part workshop we will also be collectively exposing our own learnings to others in the group through a live reflection and blogging site to support our work. We hope faculty can attend all three parts as they are planned with the intent you are coming for the whole series.
Plenary lecture at 2016 NTU Learning and Teaching Seminar - Students as Partn...Simon Bates
Plenary lecture at 2016 NTU Learning and Teaching Seminar - Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching. In this plenary session, I will present some practical exemplars of how student partnerships in learning and teaching, using a range of course examples from across UBC.
The curriculum as a site for SoTL inquiry in support of institutional transfo...CatherineOMahony7
Curriculum reform is a potential catalyst for institutional transformation in Higher Education, but curriculum design is often side-lined and seen as “marginal and subservient to the needs of strategic planning and quality assurance”. This paper explores the potential of the curriculum as the site of SoTL research drawing on insights from an action research project on a staff development activity in support of a curriculum change initiative at University College Cork. It considers the limitations of this research and the complexity of navigating the space between institutional frameworks, academic freedom, and individual practice.
21st century student engagement and success through collaborative project-bas...Beata Jones
How do we empower our students to thrive in the 21st century? How do we design student-centered learning environments in our courses that take advantage of the best, still relevant aspects of the Industrial Age education and infuse them with the necessary elements for our undergraduates to thrive in the Robotic Age? The presentation will explain the framework for course design and classroom strategies to aid in successful implementation of such student-centered, collaborative project-based learning environment in university courses.
Research dissemination within and beyond the curriculumSimon Haslett
Author: Dr Helen Walkington, Oxford Brookes University.
Keynote Presentation at the Research - Teaching in Wales 2011 Conference, 13th - 14th September, Gregynog Hall, Newtown (Powys)
This was a presentation I gave to administrators and instructors at UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as they debated putting more courses online.
Pedagogical Usability Dimension - A paper presentation about an educational design study on learning and teaching experiences of a distance education at Åbo Akademi University in Finland.
Applying accredited community-based learning and research into your curriculu...CampusEngage
The Campus Engage Participate Programme presentation was delivered to Higher Education Educators as part of the Universal Design Conference, November 2015
Applying accredited community-based learning and research into your curriculu...CampusEngage
Campus Engage Participate Programme Presentation to Educators delivered at the Universal Design Conference November 2015
Similar to Why Teach a fish to swim? A design-based research study incorporating social media into the professional writing curriculum to shape professional practice and identity (20)
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Biological screening of herbal drugs: Introduction and Need for
Phyto-Pharmacological Screening, New Strategies for evaluating
Natural Products, In vitro evaluation techniques for Antioxidants, Antimicrobial and Anticancer drugs. In vivo evaluation techniques
for Anti-inflammatory, Antiulcer, Anticancer, Wound healing, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective, Cardio protective, Diuretics and
Antifertility, Toxicity studies as per OECD guidelines
Normal Labour/ Stages of Labour/ Mechanism of LabourWasim Ak
Normal labor is also termed spontaneous labor, defined as the natural physiological process through which the fetus, placenta, and membranes are expelled from the uterus through the birth canal at term (37 to 42 weeks
Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
Personal development courses are widely available today, with each one promising life-changing outcomes. Tim Han’s Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course has drawn a lot of interest. In addition to offering my frank assessment of Success Insider’s LMA Course, this piece examines the course’s effects via a variety of Tim Han LMA course reviews and Success Insider comments.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Why Teach a fish to swim? A design-based research study incorporating social media into the professional writing curriculum to shape professional practice and identity
2. “There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to
meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says
"Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a
bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes
"What the hell is water?”
3. Introduction and overview:
• Introduce the context
• Explain the methodology
• Review the literature
• Provide a theoretical framework
• Highlight some of the findings
• Discuss contributions
4. Methodology: Design-based research
Phase 1
Analysis of
practical
problems
•Justification of the problem
•Preparing the experiment in collaboration with educators and researchers
•Placing the experiment in a theoretical context
Phase 2
Development
of solutions
•Informed by existing design principles and technological innovations
•Data collection takes the form of a literature review
•A form of needs assessment that leads to the development of first prototype
Phase 3
Iterative
testing cycles
•Testing of solutions in practice
•Refine guiding design principles and research questions
•Data collection: course artifacts, surveys, and interviews.
Phase 4
Reflection
•Conduct retrospective analyses
•Produce design principles
•Enhance solution implementation
•Establish trust in the findings
5. Justification of the problem:
• Challenges faced by professionals
• Challenges presented by the technology
• Challenges presented by learners
• Challenges faced by academia
6. Analysis of the practical educational problems
surrounding social media and the neoliberal
paradigm:
• Modern capitalism “demands the individual embraces mobility as a
condition for progress and develops the capacity to continuously
adapt to changing economic and social circumstances” (Patsarika
(2014).
• Flexible on-demand workers are removed from traditional labour
roles and collectives and are “faced with having to make themselves
up” (Jensen & Prieur, 2015, p. 3).
• Education has taken on the charge of moving past classroom
boundaries toward the professional world, with students navigating
different identities, between the personal, the here-and-now, and
the in-the-make professional (Pastarika, 2014, p. 527).
7. Questions addressed by study:
• What problems might educators face when
integrating social media practices into a
professional writing course for multi-majors?
• How can social media technologies facilitate
professional identity formation to bridge the
transition from the everyday practices of
learners to professional practices?
8. Review of the literature:
• Pedagogy of writing: Kellogg, 2006, Hayes &
Flowers, 1980, Ryan, 2014
• Transference theory: Perkins & Salomon, 1989
• Situated learning: Lave & Wegner 1991
• virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP): Nistor
& Fisher, 2012
• Online identity development: Aresta, 2015,
2013; Handley, 2006 and others
• Transformative learning: Archer, 2004;
Bamberg, 2012
9. Theoretical framework: virtual
Communities of Practice:
Domain knowledge
Time in virtual
Community of Practice
Development of expertise
Participation
Role in virtual Community of
Practice
Expert
Status
10. How the course incorporated a virtual
community of practice into the design:
11. Identity development: Adapted from Hanley, 2006
Identity
development
Identity
regulation
Identity work
Development of
practice
Experimentation
and feedback
Adaptation and
transformation
Observation
Participation
13. Data collected:
• Social media survey
• Open-ended questionnaires
• Google analytics
• Twitter activity
• Course artefacts
• Social media project memo
• Instructor observations on significant
events during the year, what worked
and failed
• Course evaluations
• Follow-up survey
14. 1st Iteration findings examined barriers
to performance
Fears
Ruining
reputation
The
unknown
Lacking
relevance
Criticism
Not being
original
Over-
exposure
Exposure
15. The 2nd iteration utilized narrative inquiry
to establish a more transformative learning
environment:
16. 3rd Iteration adjusted the course
design to improve the cognitive load
and frame the social construction of
the technology:
17. Difference between the traditional
composition process and the 21st century
process:
Traditional composition theory:
• Lectures led by the instructor on the project and
writing craft (no visual or digital tool lesson)
• Learners brainstorm and write first draft
• Peer draft workshop session with a focus on
correctness
• Revise and edit the draft
• Turn it in to the instructor for feedback (grades) and
might include a memo to the instructor regarding
decisions made in the writing process.
Revision composition theory:
• Lectures led by the instructor on the project and by
the students on writing and visual craft, and by
either for the digital lessons (on demand and
voluntary)
• Learners brainstorm and write first draft
• Two peer draft workshop sessions with a focus on
correctness and one on the relational aspects of
the writing
• Revise and edit the draft
• Publish on ePortfolio with a meta-cognitive memo
for employers.
• Receive feedback on portfolio piece from instructor.
• Publish on community blog for feedback from
readers (analytics as an measurement of success)
• Perform a personal reflection, as a process piece,
read by the instructor, grade given for completion,
not for the public on professionalism, where you
are today and where you want to be.
• Participate in a social media session in classroom
as a virtual community
19. The work of identity formation:
Identity
Possible self
Reflexive self
Now self
Performative
self
20.
21. Contributions to the field of education:
• Identified the appropriate learning theories and designed course artefacts
that would inform social media competencies and shape professional
identity formation
• Explored the psychological, social and cognitive processes influencing
social media practice in an academic setting
• The course design illustrated how to establish an effective virtual
Community of Practice in an academic setting
• Operationalized a transformative learning environment, focused on being
and becoming, rather than knowledge acquisition
• Provided a template for a humanistic-neoliberal course design that
presents the challenges of informing a self-reflective individualized
professional identity
Today, I’m presenting on my dissertation entitled: …
To provide context: Congruent with my status as a PhD student, I was an Assistant Professor in the professional writing minor program at Concordia. I had been asked by the department chair to update the course offerings. The courses were basically rooted in mid to late 20th century writing practices, with the bulk of the content being highly irrelevant, and more academic than practical.
Having prior experience designing a social media component during my time teaching at Penn State, I was eager to get started; however, introducing social media is problematic in Quebec, primarily because Privacy Laws protect students having to participate in web 2.0 environments, to safeguard students from undergoing U.S. State surveillance. For this reason, I decided to run a study to determine how an instructional design could be effective and at the same time non-mandatory?
The study took place over a four-year period from 2012-2016, involved 3 iterations of a yearlong course, and was followed by a retrospective analysis, which included a survey of participants 1-2 and 3 years after the course.
INTRODUCTION
Context of the study: Congruent with my status as a PhD student, I was also an Assistant Professor in the professional writing minor program at Concordia University. I had been asked by the department chair to update the course offerings. The courses were basically rooted in mid to late 20th century writing practices with the bulk of the content being highly irrelevant and more academic than practical.
Having prior experience with the designing a social media component during my tenure at Penn State, I was eager to transfer some of our innovative instructional designs to our program. However, introducing social media is problematic in Quebec for a number of reasons: Privacy laws in Quebec. Received permission from various ruling bodies (Department, Teaching Excellence and Research Board) to integrate social media into the curriculum in spite of its disparity to the current course descriptions and run a study testing its effectiveness.
This figure illustrates the phases for conducting a design experiment as proposed by Reeves, 2006.
Anderson and Shattuck (2012) reported the following conditions for DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH: (1) being situated in a real educational context, (2) focus on the design and testing of a learning environment, (3) use mixed methods data collection, (4) involve multiple iterations, (5) involve a collaboration between researchers and practitioners, (6) employ an evolving design that leads to practical design principles and grounded theory, and (7) have an impact on actual practice.
Amiel and Reeves suggest that our basic understanding of technology needs to shift and focus not just on the hardware, but also “on the complex interactions of human, social, and cultural factors” (p. 30).
They noted that frequently educational technologies have failed to deliver in terms of impact on educational outcomes (p. 29-30).
and believe that traditional investigative methods, such as predictive research, provide insufficient guidance regarding the use of such tools in educational settings (p. 30).
Moreover, Reeves, Herrington, and Oliver (2005) found, “Many researchers continue to conduct studies that principally seek to determine the effectiveness of the delivery medium, rather than the instructional strategies and tasks” (p. 96).
They further contend: “Indeed it would be idealistic to expect significant and transferable results from a one-time study of a technological intervention.
Using iterative cycles of design and re-design allows for the investigation of these critical variables and limitations, generating more transferable and useful results” (p. 35).
The objective of conducting design-based research is to solve complex problems in educational practice and advance knowledge regarding the process of designing and developing learning environments (van den Akker, Gravemeijer, McKenney, & Nieveen, 2006).
Due to the complexities surrounding the practice of social media, a design-based research methodology was selected, allowing for a more careful and cautious exploration of the learning environment.
INDUSTRY
Social technologies are the most frequently used tools in corporate communication. (McKinsey)
Organizations are primarily using social media to disseminate information, rather than engage interactively with users (Briones et al., 2011; Lovejoy, Waters, & Saxton, 2012; Waters & Jamal, 2011; and Xifra & Grau, 2010).
Using social media strategically, rather than operationally, continues to be a challenge for practitioners (DiStaso & McCorkindale, 2012; Li & Bernoff, 2011; Paine, 2011).
Corporate executives reported a number of risks associated with social media use,
leaking confidential information,
risk of inappropriate sharing of intellectual property,
distracted employees,
employees posting content that reflects negatively on the company, and inappropriate discussions using social technologies
the bulk of information published advocating social media was promotional material and contained minimal reflection regarding the negative risks and issues. taylor & kent
Corporations are reporting that there is a need for more employees with social media skills, and applicants with this type of skill set are preferred over applicants with work history. (Wegner & Owens)
TECHNOLOGY:
Educators and learners must recognize the reality that the current stakeholders in our educational systems are corporations (Krause-Jensen & Garsten, 2014).
The use of digital technology in education is implicated in the struggle over the distribution of power” (Selwyn & Facer, 2014).
Social media, although advertised as freedom devices, actual usage increasingly legitimizes surveillance and social control (Doran, 2014).
Technology practice is socially constructed, based on perceived affordances and constraints.
Pinning down how to use it is difficult for educators for this reason, not to mention, it’s a moving target… and a “disruptive” one.
LEARNERS:
Students rarely participate in sophisticated uses of web 2.0 (Burhanna, 2009; Corrin, 2010; and Jones et al, 2010.
Lack the skills to create quality User-generated content
effectively engage and grow networks
Learners clear about their beliefs regarding the separation of education and social spaces, they also have concerns regarding privacy issues (p. 531).
The integration of social media into the curriculum is problematic for a number of personal reasons (Burhana, 2009; Carr et al., 2013; Friesen & Lowe, 2012; Vance, 2012).
ACADEMIA:
Research has found a limited number of business communication courses offer significant coverage of social media (p. 32).
Moshiri and Cardon (2014) reported, “Memos and letters continue to be the forms of written assignments more common than online discussion, blogs, wikis, and other social tools” (p. 32).
Moshiri and Cardon voiced concern that instruction was not including enough social media and online content to provide learners with the necessary skills for the 21st century workforce (p. 32).
Moshiri & Cardon (2014) Educators neglect to do the following:
Understand the relevance of the tools
The criteria to determine social media content
Identify barriers to performance
Gain competence in social media practice
Choose appropriate pedagogies to introduce it
Because social media tools are implicated in power struggles and pose a risk, students self determined participation in the social media component of the course.
This study has also taken charge, moving past traditional classroom boundaries, by systematically examining how to integrate a “mobility’ component into the curriculum, through social media, in the form understanding and implementing online professional online identity development.
Thus, Doran observed, “The neoliberal citizen is thus a paradoxical figure; at once “free” – that is, self-managing and autonomous – while at the same time subject – and subjugated – to a governmental power that regulates and manages conduct through the strategic deployment of such freedom (p. 68).
Jensen and Prieur (2015) describe this change as paradigmatic and societal with an effect that the well-being o the individual relies not just on their competitiveness, but also on the commodification of the personal, which has become central to establishing the labour market value of human beings (p. 6).
Thus, Jensen and Prieur (2015) note, “The neoliberal ideology brings about the conception that individual traits, characteristics, choices, and efforts determine individuals’ success” (p. 6).
Flexible on-demand workers are removed from traditional labour roles and collectives and are “faced with having to make themselves up” (Jensen & Prieur, 2015, p. 3).
The prevailing ideology driving this focus is the libertarian belief of the primacy of the individual (Foucault, 1991), an ideology that largely draws on John Locke’s theory on control for action coming from within the individual and the organization of society on merit, resulting in themes of personal responsibility and self-management, with limited intervention from the state.
This libertarian belief system has not only been highly adaptable and resilient; it has become a powerful social imaginary with deeply embedded political values, shaping educational policy for the past four decades, and has led to a marketization of education in the form of a business model approach as opposed to education’s traditional role model as serving and acting as a public good (Selwyn, 2013; Hyslop-Margison & Naseem, 2010; and Jensen & Prieur, 2015).
This form of governance enacted “via our hearts and minds and the technologies of neoliberalism closes down dissent and the perception of alternatives”, and many researchers argue that it is not possible to resist neoliberalism without being, in effect, a neoliberal subject (Archer, 2008; Beck & Young, 2005, p. 193; Davies & Petersen, 2005; and Jensen & Prieur, 2015).
Thus, education has taken on the charge of moving past traditional classroom boundaries toward the professional world, with students navigating different identities, between the personal, the here-and-now, and the in-the-make professional (Pastarika, 2014, p. 527).
Within the framework of higher education, social media can perform two roles for learners, beyond serving as a means to foster workforce competences; participation on social networks can also serve to shape the professional identity of learners prior to graduation (Benson, Morgan, and Filippaios, 2014; Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009).
Insert QUESTIONS!
Academic research into the usage and best practices for social media component for the curriculum will serve both the profession and academia. The study examined in three phases the psychological, social and cognitive factors impacting performance on social networks and addressed the following research questions.
Hayes & Flowers: Writing is an Ill-structured task.
Kellogg identified a number of overlapping skillets that foster expertise—- across all fields of writing:
• Problem solving.
• Language use.
• Managing cognitive load.
• Domain specificity.
• Rapid access to long-term memory.
• Relationship of the readership.
• Managing the Emotional Challenges A number of researchers have found that the problem is with
A number of studies have established that classroom settings fail to transfer the skills that are required for practicing communication (Dias, Reedman, Madway & Par, 1999; Freedman & Adam, 1996; Henry, 2000; and Kramer-Simpson, Newmark, & Ford, 2015).
Perkins & Salomon transference theory, 1989:
Lave and Wenger’s (1991) social theory of learning argues that social participation is at the center of the learning process. In this sense, community, according to Lave and Wenger (1991)
“Communities of Practice” or (CoP), or individuals joined by relationships that share common practices and activities.
Furthermore, Nistor and Fisher (2012) incorporated the concept of how identity in the CoP the activity of the individual shapes social elements within the community and foster identity and expertise
Nistor and Fisher confirmed that domain knowledge predicts participation.
The importance of Nistor’s finding is that educators can now move past learning analytics as predictors of behaviour to utilizing learning analytics to understand ways to design instruction in vCoP that fosters expertise and ultimately identity.
Figure 1: CoP model. The graphic illustrations how a member’s role in a vCoP combined with domain knowledge and levels of participation and time spent in the community shape the development of expertise, which leads to the negotiation of a central role. (Nistor & Fischer, 2014; Lave & Wagner, 2006)
Furthermore, Nistor and Fisher (2012) incorporated the concept of how identity in the CoP has both an individual and social component in the sense that the activity of the individual shapes social elements within the community.
In a preliminary validation of their model Nistor and Fisher confirmed that domain knowledge predicts participation. Nistor et al were able to confirm a CoP in the vCoP setting, using learning analytics (Siemens & Gasevic, 2012).
The importance of this finding is that educators can now move past learning analytics as predictors of behavior to utilizing learning analytics to understand ways to design instruction in vCoP that fosters expertise and ultimately identity.
The course designed included three virtual realms….The first one included a community website for publishing projects, the second one involved social media applications and networks, and the third one was located on the course website where process/product portfolios were developed.
Online presence is classified into three permeable categories: personal, professional and organization (Fraser, 2009).
Personal presence involves interacting with friends and family and has the highest level of concern with regards to privacy and safety concerns (Fraser, 2009).
Professional presence involves using networking sites to discuss professional and academic achievements, including the presentation of portfolios and involves issues related to reputation and credibility.
And lastly, organizational presence involves the use of tools and platforms on the behalf of the employer.
Online identity can be understood as a continuum of information referred to and published by the individual that validates the self (Aresta et al, 2015), including, for example, profiles (Boyd, 2008; Cover, 2012; Greenhow & Robelia, 2009), content (Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear, & Leu, 2008; Costa & Torres, 2011; Greenhow & Robelia, 2009; Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009; Zhao et al., 2008), and authenticity (Buckingham, 2008b; Childs, 2011).
Learning objective: Students will strive to establish expertise in one specific domain area.
Design Principle: Domain experts have an advantage over generalists (McCutchen, 2000).
Intervention: Students will select one topic to write bout the entire course, and based on this interest, will join or found a blog to publish projects.
Measured outcome: Google analytics
Trustworthiness and credibility of the results
Triangulate data---to confirm findings
Second coder utilized to interpret qualitative data
Outside researcher distribute consent forms and collect and withhold sensitive data until grades were turned in.
In terms of data triangulation: While the learners reported great results in their end-of-year social media project memo, the data from the questionnaires and Google analytics argued otherwise.
The course design was a fail. And in other respects a success since it identified the gap in performance between everyday practices and professional ones and the barriers to performance.
This iteration applied Archer’s social theory on reflexivity and agency to guide and frame reflexivity, in order to enhance learning. It proved beneficial as it turned the focus of education to “being and becoming” rather than solely on the tools, knowledge and skills embedded in the majority of course content objectives (Barnett, 2009; Case, 2015; and Dall’Alba & Barnacle, 2007).
Archer’s work was appropriate since it was focused on the reflexivity of self-conscious social subjects committed to the achievement of their personal projects” (Herepath, 2014, p. 9).
It also introduced a “strategy as practice” approach, which considered the positionality of learners and was well suited to promotional social media practice (Herepath, 2014).
The third iteration looks good, not just based on paper reports, but through analytics.
The cognitive load is enormous when you introduce virtual communities and digital tools.
The final course design utilized a more organic and cyclical approach. Six projects, six cycles, with all of the components enfolded into the process, i.e. social media became a process and not a product. More effective overall. Participation became professionalism since that was the overall goal… professionalism in the classroom to facilitate a thriving community.
The first iteration was focused on the performative aspects of identity and neglected the reflexive self. By fully incorporating Aresta’s model, and utilizing a more transformative pedagogy, focused on being and becoming, students were able to participate more fully and confidently in a virtual community of practice and shape their professional identity.
The following guiding design principles were supported by the findings:
Experiential learning provides learners with opportunities to practice authentic work skills (Boone, 2011).
Writing expertise is more effectively developed through situated learning in a Community of Practice (Kellogg, 2006)
Managing cognitive load is key to developing expertise (Kellogg, 2006)
A deliberate practice environment improves performance (Ericsson, Krampe & tesch-Romer, 1993)
Approaches to effective learning should involve a pedagogical approach that is relational between teachers and students (Bolstad & Gilbert, 2008)
Domain experts have an advantage over generalists (McCutchen, 2000)
Effective instructional design considers the impact of social interaction and psychological safety on knowledge development (Xu & Yang, 2010).
Innovative learning activities should be designed with the wider context of the course in mind and the relevance or purpose effectively explained to learners (Price & Kirkwood, 2011).
Reflection promotes learning and the transference of mental models to long-term memory (Lombardi, 2007).
Negative emotions can break patterns of habitus when spurred by internal conversations and these same conversations can promote a higher level of consideration and respect of other users online (Holmes, 2015).
Constructing and developing agency for professional purposes, will help provide students with skills that are required for everyday survival (Biesta & Tedder, 2006; Gregory & Jones, 2009).
Reflexivity practices benefit students during the revision stage of the writing process and will help foster agency when writing (Ryan, 2014).
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: Furthermore, Alon and Herath (2014) reported that global corporations seek graduates who are able to use current technologies to solve real-world problems (p. 44). Experiential learning, “in which students experience a direct encounter with the phenomenon under study, reflect on that experience, draw general conclusions, and test their newly acquired knowledge through subsequent performance” (Boone, 2011, p. 2), is an effective means to establish technological skills (Boone, 2011).
DELIBERATE PRACTICE is another essential design principle incorporated into the course design. Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Ro ̈mer (1993) identified the following characteristics of deliberate practice: striving to improve performance, intrinsic motivation, practice tasks within reach of the learner’s current ability, feedback that facilitates understanding of results, and frequent repetition” (p. 396).
Limitations of the study include having utilized a convenience sample.
Yearlong course…. Sustaining attention and interest was difficult.
Perhaps, more follow-up questions should have been conducted to further clarify student responses.
There are individual differences in participants’ ability to express themselves
A number of biases are related to self-reporting, including, selective memory, telescoping, attribution, and exaggeration.
Instructor and researcher bias
The notion that there are no alternatives to neoliberal frameworks is in and of itself a neoliberal notion.
Academia must address and incorporate neoliberal professionalism, but at the same time recognize that academia’s objectives remain relevant and can provide alternatives and amalgamations to neoliberal concepts.
It’s time to recognize this as being so, and address neoliberal concerns in academia and strive to find a way forward past its limitations. …..:)
May you, the committee, be blessed and give birth to many PhD’s. Thank you!