Incorporating Social Media into LIS Distance Education

Extending Our Reach:LIS Education Beyond

Blackboard

Vanessa Irvin Morris, Assistant Teaching Professor

The iSchool at Drexel

WISE Pre-Conference Workshop ALISE 2012 | Dallas, Texas

LIS professionals in this digital age Design web resources Navigate various web platforms competently

Integrating multiple platforms (social media) Cultivating a viable web presence (branding)

Participate in conversations/collaborations Involved in online conversations for professional

practice Providing information services as continuing

education

Rationale

Professionalism-as-Pedagogy Sholle (1994) discusses the way professionalism

can be perceived as a pedagogical strategy in media education In iSchool at Drexel courses, professionalism-as-

pedagogy is applied by requiring students to immerse themselves in real-time interactions via social media

Library 2.0 Has moved librarians from a more traditional

means of service delivery to a more dynamic, interactive, multi-textured model of engaging, teaching, and serving library patrons (Maness, 2006).

Conceptual Framework

Bridging the “professional” with the “personal” Ko and Rossen (2010) state that when involving social

networking sites such as Facebook with online teaching instructors must be mindful to respect students’ boundaries around their “personal” and “private” ways of knowing and being (p. 363).

Baird and Fisher (2006) challenge the boundary notion that concerns Ko and Rossen (2010): millennial students’ learning styles are embedded with

a heightened awareness for embracing social media outlets as pedagogical tools

Conceptual Framework

Social Media Theory “Social media … examined as aspects of media

ecology, communications, web technologies, usability, aesthetics, pop culture, and behavioral practice” (Jacobs, Eckert, & Barnes, 2009).

The social media eco-system views content as ignition for user-sharing, engagement, & feedback for the purpose of “effective exposure impact” simultaneously (Garcia, 2011).

Effective application of social media theory incorporates reflection and inquiry (Irvin Morris & Unsworth, 2012).

Conceptual Framework

LIS Technology Courses INFO552: Introduction to Web Design for

Information Organizations INFO621: Social Media Resource Design for

Information Professionals Other LIS Courses that go beyond

Blackboard INFO650: Public Library Services INFO684: Resources for Young Adults

The iSchool at Drexel

Making the familiar strange Early weeks of course: Start with Blackboard

Introductions All course information

Course Websites INFO552 INFO621 INFO684

From Blackboard…

Incorporate assignments On Blogs (INFO650; INFO684)

Class discussions on www.publiclibraryherald.com On Twitter (INFO621)

Class announcements Class chat (still in development)

On Facebook (INFo621) Class chats Course resources posted on course FB page

On Second Life (INFO552; INFO621) Extra Credit Assignment: INFO552 Office Hours (required): INFO621

Beyond Blackboard…

INFO552: Square One - How to design websites INFO552 – student websites

Electronic Portfolio Community Resources Website

Some examples……….

Beyond Blackboard …

INFO552 – Weeks 1-4

INFO552 – Week 5-10

INFO621 – “Do Social Media to Learn Social Media” A theoretical survey of social media immersion

Solidifying Your Brand: Social Media Policy Formalizing Design: Website Proposal Document Social Media Resource Design: Term Project

Wordpress / Blogger / Tumblr XHTML/CSS Templates Flash Templates Introduction: HTML5/CSS3 Introduction: mobile design, LIS CMS design (Drupal/Joomla) Newer & emerging social media platforms

Beyond Blackboard …

INFO621 – Weeks 4-7

INFO621 – Week 10

Students: Independently increased their skills to include PHP,

Drupal, etc. Redesigned their ePortfolio sites to establish an

established social media brand

Had their Final project designs formally adapted by their client

Hired as web designers

Hired in their chosen endeavor because their design projects put them ahead of the candidate field

Outcomes

Garcia, I. (2011, 17 March). Social-media-integration-theory. Social Media Today. Available: http://socialmediatoday.com/isra-garcia/278936/social-media-integration-theory-model. Accessed January 02, 2012.

Irvin Morris, V. & Unsworth, K. (2012). Morphing distance education into social media communities of practice. Conference Paper. DGI Conference 2012, Social Media and Web Science: The Web as a Living Space. Düsseldorf, Germany.

Maness, J. (2006). "Library 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries". Webology, 3 (2), Article 25. Available at: http://www.webology.org/2006/v3n2/a25.html

Jacobs, S., Eckert, C.A. & Barnes, S. B. (2009). Social media theory and practice: Lessons learned from a pioneering course. 39th Frontiers in Education Conference. San Antonio, Texas. doi: 10.1109/FIE.2009.5350773 

Ko, S., & Rossen, S. (2010). Teaching online: A practical guide (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.

Scholle, D. (1994). The theory of critical media pedagogy. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 8-29.

References