Institutional Social Networking System As A Learning...

eLearning Forum Asia 2011NTU Singapore 1

Institutional Social Networking System As A Learning EnvironmentIdentifying opportunities and realities

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eLearning Forum Asia 2011

Tunku Abdul RahmanCollege 2



VLE IS DEAD!

• The ascent of PLE with a plethora of Web 2.0 technologies.

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Personal Learning Environment

• The term personal learning environment (PLE) describes the tools, communities, and services that constitute the individual educational platforms learners use to direct their own learning and pursue educational goals.

• A PLE is frequently contrasted with a learning management system in that an LMS tends to be course-centric, whereas a PLE is learner-centric. www.educause.edu/eli

• Individualization• Expression• Contribution• Socialization• Self regulation• Diversification• Aggregation

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Common Assumption

• Provide the technological tools that students frequently use in their personal lives.

• They will be empowered to achieve greater learning outcomes.

Web 2.0

Learning

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Institutional Social Network Environment 6



elgg – Open Source Social Networking Engine 7


Main Page (CeLComm) 8



Personal Dashboard 9


Features 10



Technological Affordances

• Allow students to express themselves and make social connections

• Allow students to contribute their own content

• Allow students to create their own activities and interactions

• Allow students to engage in group activities and collaborative learning

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Pilot Study

• The pilot study was conducted for 14 weeks with students of a single programme and led by an academic staff who was given the liberty to exercise her own ideas while receiving feedbacks from a learning technologist.

• The objective is to identify the potential of this social networking platform as a personal learning environment (PLE) through the patterns of usage identified in this pilot study.

• 180 users, 1 lecturer, 1 learning technologist

• English Language course

• Student activities are collected as data.

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The Question

• Will the provision of a personal learning environment (PLE) with social networking features that students are familiar with enhance their learning activities?

Social Networking

Learning

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Specific Questions

• How do students really use the social network system as a learning environment?

• Will the affordance of the social network system automatically guarantee the development of a successful personal learning environment?

• What are the factors influencing the usage of the social network system as a learning environment?

elgg

Learning

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Findings

• Findings based on student activities in elgg.

Student Activities

Group Forums

TweetsBlogs

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Files


File Upload

• Minimal activities

• Music & image files

• Non-academic

• Minimal interactions

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Student Activities

Group Forums

TweetsBlogs

Files



Tweets & Profiles

• Minimal activities

• Minimal feature usage

• Minimal social networking


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Student Activities

Group Forums

TweetsBlogs

Files


Blogging Activities

• Directed activities

• Course requirement

• 420 postings

• Personal experience


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Student Activities

Group Forums

TweetsBlogs

Files



Groups & Forums

• Directed activities• Course requirement• 15 groups• 15 forums• Blended environment• Short & personal

comments• Interactions within

blended and facilitated environment

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Student Activities

Group Forums

TweetsBlogs

Files


Findings

• Most activities occur in blogs and group forums

• Directed activities

• Course and teacher centric

• Minimal student and peer-initiated learning activities

Student Activities

Group Forums

TweetsBlogs

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Files



Preliminary Answers

• How do students really use the social network system as a learning environment?• Based on course requirement and

teacher direction

• Will the affordance of the social network system automatically guarantee the development of a successful personal learning environment?• No, but when affordances are provided

and coupled with teacher facilitation, it could develop into one.

• What are the factors influencing the usage of the social network system as a learning environment?• Further study required

elgg

Learning

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Discussions

• Students will not automatically participate in learning activities or social activities in an institutionalized PLE despite the technological affordances.

• Students will need didactic input in the form teacher facilitation in a face-to-face (F2F) environment in order to participate in online learning activities in the PLE.

• Technological affordances similar to what students use in their personal social lives do not guarantee automatic participation in an institutionalized PLE.

• Students perceive an institutionalized PLE as formal rather than personal or social. This reduces the interest to participate in any form of activities (be it personal, social or learning) inside the institutionalized PLE.

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Summary

• Although technological affordances contribute to the ideal development of a PLE, it is not guaranteed without proper facilitation and change of perception.

Technological Affordance + Facilitation? +

Perception Change?

Learning?

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Wholistic Perspective

LearningTechnological

Instructional

Informational

Social

Personal

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Thank YouContacts: Lee Yik Sheng ([email protected])Dr Piong Teck Wah ([email protected])Slides Download (http://leeysnel.blogspot.com)

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Date post:	21-Mar-2020
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