Augmenting Student Learning through the use of Web 2.0 Technologies, an introductory study. Mike John. Computer Based Teaching and Learning Research Unit.

Augmenting Student Learning

through the use of Web 2.0 Technologies,

an introductory study.

Mike John.Computer Based Teaching and Learning Research

Unit Faculty of Advanced Technology

University of Glamorgan

wmjohn@glam.ac.ukOnahill.blogspot.com

QUESTIONS

• What?

• So what?

• What next?

Three Concepts.

Three Concepts.

• Digital Natives

Three Concepts.

• Digital Natives • Transformation of the Web

Three Concepts.

• Digital Natives • Transformation of the Web • Importance of Reflection

Reflective Practice

KolbSchon

Entwistle

Moon

Wenger+

Lave

Dearing(PDP?)

The Methodology

• Internet Application Development students(138)• Weekly blog entry reflecting on lecture 10% of module mark.• 138 students monitored via RSS, observations

made recording when blog entries were written, posted, or edited.

• All work archived and assessed• Interviews and questionnaires used to obtain

information relating to student digital experience, use of social software and the blogging assignment.

Before we started ……………

Before we started ……………

Before we started ……………

• What if?

Before we started ……………

• What if?

• You know what sort of students we have here ….

Before we started ……………

• What if?

• You know what sort of students we have here ….

• It will be on the web!

Daily Frequency

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70 73 76

Day Number

Number of Posts Series1

Students said positive things70% thought it was a useful activity

• kept them engaged• concentrate in lectures, • made them think, revisit notes,• make links

Students said positive things60% thought it helped their learning

• had to go over lecture material, • straighten out thoughts, • think about my subject • blogging was interesting made me think

Note ……. ESL students

Students said negative things• it seemed pointless • just rewriting my notes• spewing my thoughts on a blog no

way helps my learning

Students said negative things• it seemed pointless • just rewriting my notes• spewing my thoughts on a blog no way

helps my learning

This tells us more about some students’ understanding of the learning process than a response to Web 2.0 technology.

We thought that

Blogging had positive outcomes

We thought that

Blogging had positive outcomes

• for the student (s)

• for the lecturer (s)

• for the Faculty / University

Benefits for Students.

• Regular practice in writing, for an audience, for a purpose

• A medium for reflection• A reason for note taking!• A place to ask questions• Revisit notes, order their thoughts,

respond to lectures• Medium of communication

Benefits for Lecturers

• Information about students collectively• Information about individual students• Feedback about lecture• Channel of communication• Information about the course• Digital competencies

• Being connected (RSS)

Benefits for the Faculty

• Improved presence in search engines• Student retention (?)• Lecture attendance• Improved communication• Improved feeling of community• Meeting pastoral responsibilities (?)• Organisational stuff

Changes this year …..

Embedded the blogging activity

Two terms / higher mark

Scaffolding of the activity

Deadlines / Linking / Commenting

The Bottom Line!

• The keeping of reflective, online learning journals has a positive influence upon the quality of teaching and learning resulting in desirable outcomes for :-

• The student• The lecturer• The faculty and the university

What Next?

• Production of pedagogical guidelines• Enforced linking / reading of peer blogs• Comments by lecturer• Integrating blogs with PDP and development of

ePortfolios• Blogging of practical activities• Collaborative blogs• Live blogging of lectures / tutorials• Hosting of blogs (?) cf Warick• Integrating mobile learning technologies• Work with students / staff from other faculties

Simba on Flash.

Simba on Flash.

“The tutorial was my chance to show off, what I spent the last 2 sleepless nights practicing. I was proud of

my works, making words bounce around in the screen, making two sentences rotate in a uniform

manner, I felt like a father seeing his first born son, going off to college, until I looked over my shoulder to see Will my arch-rival, making words flash around on the screen, popping up like flowers in spring time,

kind of made my son look like a disappointment.

BUT I still love my flash program...I will keep changing and advancing it day by day, until Will admits mine is

better than his.”