1. 1 Meeting the Challenge of Community: Online Social Networking to Facilitate Online Distance Learning

2. 2 Web 2.0 = The Social Web Content more easily generated and published by users Collective intelligence encourages democratic use 2 (Gunawardena, et al., 2009) (Boulos & Wheeler, 2007, cited in Gunawardena, et al., 2009)

3. 3 Online Social Networks in Higher Ed According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (2005) –ICT strongly present in higher education –More significant impact on administrative services –Less significant impact on pedagogic fundamentals 3

4. 4 Why Use Social Networks (SNS)? Web 2.0 platforms provide new and engaging opportunities for learning, teaching and research with an emphasis on – Collaboration – Constructive learning – Interactive Communication 4

5. 5 Course Management Software vs Social Networking Sites 5 CMS - Developed for management and delivery of learning - Limited to administrative that can be managed - Developed for teachers and administrators SNS - Developed for management and delivery of learning - Limited to administrative that can be managed - Developed for users (Dalsgaard, 2006)

6. 6 The Always-On Generation Students bring SNS experience –High rates of use (see left) –Positive attitude –Advanced skills –Creative opportunity for instructors and learners –Increased rapport with learners 6 (Windley, 2003, cited in Baird & Fisher, 2005)

7. 7 (“Ning Traffic,” 2009) Why Ning? Facebook skills easily transfered to Ning environment Customizable features go beyond CMS tools Robust support and resources for teaching and learning 7

8. 8 Ning Features Email - Comment walls Blog - to post course material Discussion board Video sharing Photo-sharing Chat- tells you who is online Create groups - private and public 8

9. 99 Ning Community

10. 10 Learning Application 10 Blogs ➺ Lecture, course notes Discussions ➺ Reaction papers, interview notes, reviews of media Text boxes ➺ - Important class documents - Class links - Online academic support

11. 11 Learning Application 11 Videos ➺ Course media materials Learner-generated content Photos ➺ Charts, graphs Chat room ➺ Synchronous meetings, online office hours Announcements ➺ Deadline reminders Important class info

12. 12 Teaching Extras Analytics - tracking Alerts announcements Archives RSS boxes for news feeds Text boxes Widgets (grade books, calendar) Easy to add in other tools (audio, wikis) 12

13. 13 Using Ning - Challenges Accessibility needs improvement Advertisements Lack of integration with campus record systems and CMS Lack of content migration Course creation and revision more time consuming 13

14. 14 Other Considerations FERPA and other university policies – Privacy and security – Student grades and accessibility Class management parameters Technical support considerations – Self-sufficient tech support – Ning developers 14

15. 15 Course Issues Establish security and privacy parameters Determine content parameters for student pages Customize tabs for course needs Determine how Web 2.0 apps can be used 15 RSS Feeds Audio/Video

16. 16 Impact: Content Learners benefit from more opportunities to interact with course content Learners generate and share content Learners build classroom community 16

17. 17 Impact: Interaction Learners discuss and post comments on all aspects of course content Learners share information, including class notes Learners share their work for interaction and review 17

18. 18 ITC 19525 18

19. 19 Student Pages 19

20. 20 Student Pages 20

21. 21 Student Pages 21

22. 22 Assessment Quality Matters Rubric (handout) Midterm evaluation for course to remedy challenges Midterm online peer evaluation Student assessment of course as part of assessment assignment and final project Traditional campus evaluation 22

23. 23 Model: Community of Inquiry Cognitive presence Social presence Teaching presence 23 (Teaching and Learning Center, 2007)

24. 24 Student Gains SNSs foster “social capital” SNSs promote “next generation” skills – Creativity and innovation – Communication and collaboration – Research and information fluency – Technology operations and concepts – Digital citizenship 24

25. 25 Epistemological Approach Constructivism – “Reality is constructed by individuals and social groups based on their experiences with and interpretations of the world” (Reiser & Depmsey, 2007, p. 46) – Dependent on: human experience perceptions mental and human constructs 25

26. 26 Theoretical Approaches (Learning) 26 Situated Learning Theory ➺ Learning occurs through participation in community Social Constructivism ➺ Learning strongly linked to social context 5 “E Model” ➺ Engagement Exploration Explanation Elaboration Evaluation

27. 27 Final Outcome Centered Around Learner: FOCAL Model Utilize networking capabilities of Internet Develop online “thought communities” Emphasize Community of Practice (CoP) to – Create – Discover – Apply existing wisdom – Develop wisdom potential 27 (Gunawawardena, et al., 2004)

28. 28 Social Networking Spiral 28 * Uses Web 2.0 tools * Emphasizes 5 phases of learning process 1. Context 2. Discourse 3. Action 4. Reflection 5. Reorganization (Guwarnada, et al., 2009)

29. 29 Student-Centered Approach to e- Learning 29 (Dalsgaard, 2006)

30. 30 Final Thoughts SNSs address educational challenges of millennial learners Ning offers attractive features to educators and students Constructivist, Socially Mediated theoretical models, with motivational features 30