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Role of Social Media in
Learning
13 - 14 November 2013
Dr. Venkat V S S Sastry
Head of Applied Mathematics & Scientific Computing
v.v.s.s.sastry@cranfield.ac.uk
@venkat_sastry

• Learning is conversational
• Facilitates conversation
• Informal learning
• Collaboration
• Peer-to-peer learning
• Powerful tool to disseminate
information
• Helps leaners acclimatize
better in their new
environment
• Types of learning content
• Procedural knowledge
• Declarative knowledge

Times of India, 28 April 2013
Media per se does not
enhance learning,
it facilitates learning
Horizon Reports
2012

Four to Five Years

Massively Open Online
Courses
Tablet Computing

Game-Based Learning

Games and Gamification

Learning Analytics

Two to Three Years

Mobile Apps
Tablet Computing

Over year or Less

2013

Learning Analytics

Gesture-Based
Computing

3D Printing

Internet of Things

Wearable Technology
Tools current students
are using now
90

80
70

60
50
coursework

40

general

30

20
10

0
wikis

SNS

video-sharing

Source: Dabbagh and Kitsantas (2012)

web-based
calendars

blogs

micro-blogs

social bookmarking
The Challenge

How best to design learning content
that exploits multi-channels that
encourages
conversation, collaboration and
information aggregation?
Strategy

Integrate informal and
formal learning using
PLEs, social media, and
self-regulated learning

PLE

(EDUCAUSE, 2009)

Plan
SelfMonitor

Reflect

Self-regulated learner (Zimmerman, 2008)

Evaluate
Learning Content

PDFs
HTML
MP3
SWF

22,200,6
44, 32%
42,661,1
16, 62%
4,435,26
7, 6%
14,072, 0
%

32,321,309 afh1.pdf
4,460,346 JSCET.pdf
3,795,986 back1405.pdf
492,900 Military%20Harassment.pdf
361,601 student-en.pdf
274,415 dd2285.pdf
267,919 ecl_sample_test.pdf
127,628 IMS Pre-Departure Briefing Script.pdf
115,614 ProhibitedandPermittedItems.pdf
100,083 ABCs of auto insurance.pdf
64,051 ATF.pdf
45,599 RS_IMS_Guide.pdf
38,224 International_Military_Student_Chec
32,522 JSCET_176.pdf
30,161 Auto insurance terms and definitions
29,813 Saving money on auto insurance.pdf
29,533 SAMM_C10_T3.pdf
26,175 Understanding no-fault insurance.pdf
25,439 How credit scores affect your insuran
Proposed design should
include
• Make the content learner centric
• Make the content shareable across different channels
• Provide opportunities for the learner to engage with
the content
• Enable collaboration and conversation
• Enable learners to cite from attached material
• Define some simple tasks they need to complete;
Reward them with some “badges”
• Provide opportunities to test themselves to make sure
they understood/completed the key pieces of
information
• Engage with alumni in facebook-style community who
can support the new students
• Make full use of pedagogical affordances offered by
social media
Cultural aspects

Source: http://geert-hofstede.com/united-states.html
A community page on
Facebook

These discussions
need to be
moderated for any
factual inaccuracies.
A conversation in
Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2396543407334&set=bc.AbqRnmo_TPdVZb
#preDISAM

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Role of social media in learning

  • 1. Role of Social Media in Learning 13 - 14 November 2013 Dr. Venkat V S S Sastry Head of Applied Mathematics & Scientific Computing v.v.s.s.sastry@cranfield.ac.uk @venkat_sastry • Learning is conversational • Facilitates conversation • Informal learning • Collaboration • Peer-to-peer learning • Powerful tool to disseminate information • Helps leaners acclimatize better in their new environment • Types of learning content • Procedural knowledge • Declarative knowledge Times of India, 28 April 2013
  • 2. Media per se does not enhance learning, it facilitates learning
  • 3. Horizon Reports 2012 Four to Five Years Massively Open Online Courses Tablet Computing Game-Based Learning Games and Gamification Learning Analytics Two to Three Years Mobile Apps Tablet Computing Over year or Less 2013 Learning Analytics Gesture-Based Computing 3D Printing Internet of Things Wearable Technology
  • 4. Tools current students are using now 90 80 70 60 50 coursework 40 general 30 20 10 0 wikis SNS video-sharing Source: Dabbagh and Kitsantas (2012) web-based calendars blogs micro-blogs social bookmarking
  • 5. The Challenge How best to design learning content that exploits multi-channels that encourages conversation, collaboration and information aggregation?
  • 6. Strategy Integrate informal and formal learning using PLEs, social media, and self-regulated learning PLE (EDUCAUSE, 2009) Plan SelfMonitor Reflect Self-regulated learner (Zimmerman, 2008) Evaluate
  • 7. Learning Content PDFs HTML MP3 SWF 22,200,6 44, 32% 42,661,1 16, 62% 4,435,26 7, 6% 14,072, 0 % 32,321,309 afh1.pdf 4,460,346 JSCET.pdf 3,795,986 back1405.pdf 492,900 Military%20Harassment.pdf 361,601 student-en.pdf 274,415 dd2285.pdf 267,919 ecl_sample_test.pdf 127,628 IMS Pre-Departure Briefing Script.pdf 115,614 ProhibitedandPermittedItems.pdf 100,083 ABCs of auto insurance.pdf 64,051 ATF.pdf 45,599 RS_IMS_Guide.pdf 38,224 International_Military_Student_Chec 32,522 JSCET_176.pdf 30,161 Auto insurance terms and definitions 29,813 Saving money on auto insurance.pdf 29,533 SAMM_C10_T3.pdf 26,175 Understanding no-fault insurance.pdf 25,439 How credit scores affect your insuran
  • 8. Proposed design should include • Make the content learner centric • Make the content shareable across different channels • Provide opportunities for the learner to engage with the content • Enable collaboration and conversation • Enable learners to cite from attached material • Define some simple tasks they need to complete; Reward them with some “badges” • Provide opportunities to test themselves to make sure they understood/completed the key pieces of information • Engage with alumni in facebook-style community who can support the new students • Make full use of pedagogical affordances offered by social media
  • 10. A community page on Facebook These discussions need to be moderated for any factual inaccuracies.

Hinweis der Redaktion

  1. Holistic Approach to Technology Enhanced Learning. Visit http://cmapspublic3.ihmc.us/rid=1LGVGJY66-CCD5CZ-12G3/. This is an interactive concept map.Learning Styles Don’t Exist by Daniel Willingham, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUk&feature=youtu.be
  2. Two themes continue to dominate are Tablet Computing and Learning AnalyticsA key trend (Horizon Report 2013, p 7) – “There is an increasing interest in using new sources of data for personalizing the learning experience and for performance measurement.”
  3. Nada Dabbagh, Anastasia Kitsantas, Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning, The Internet and Higher Education, Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 3-8, ISSN 1096-7516, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002.
  4. PLEs empower students to take charge of their learning (Rubin, 2010) and (McGoughlin and Lee, 2010)EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (2009) defines PLEs as “tools, communities, and services that constitute the individual educational platforms that learners use to direct their own learning and educational goals”
  5. Learning content: International Military Student Pre-Departure Briefing, DISAMThe PDF content is include as further reading material and not integrated into the SWFWhat are the learning objectives?
  6. What is the scope for using some thing similar to PfP LMS?
  7. What about the USA?If we explore the US culture through the lens of the 5-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of American culture relative to other world cultures.Power distanceThis dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us.  Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. It has to do with the fact that a society’s inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. The United States score low on this dimension (40) which underscores the American premise of “liberty and justice for all.”  This is also evidenced by the focus on equal rights in all aspects of American society and government. Within American organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise.  Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently.  At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.   IndividualismThe fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.The United States, with a score of 91 on this dimension, is a highly individualistic culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families.  There is also a high degree of geographical mobility in the United States and most Americans are accustomed to doing business with, or interacting, with strangers. Consequently, Americans are not shy about approaching their prospective counterparts in order to obtain or seek information. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative.  Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.Masculinity / FemininityA high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the “winner” or “best-in-the-field.” This value system starts in school and continues throughout one’s life – both in work and leisure pursuits.A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).The United States score 62 on this dimension and is considered a “masculine” society.  Behavior in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. As a result, Americans will tend to display and talk freely about their “successes” and achievements in life, here again, another basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Typically, Americans “live to work” so that they can earn monetary rewards and attain higher status based on how good one can be.  Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.Uncertainty avoidance    The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways.  The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score.The US scores 46 on this dimension and therefore, American society is what one would describe as “uncertainty accepting.” Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or foodstuffs.  Americans tend to be more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression.  At the same time, Americans do not require a lot of rules and are less emotionally expressive than higher-scoring cultures.   Long-term orientationThe long term orientation dimension is closely related to the teachings of Confucius and can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue, the extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view.The United States scores 29 on this dimension and is a short-term oriented culture. As a result, it is a culture focused on traditions and fulfilling social obligations. Given this perspective, American businesses measure their performance on a short-term basis, with profit and loss statements being issued on a quarterly basis.  This also drives individuals to strive for quick results within the work place.  There is also a need to have the “absolute truth” in all matters.What about China?If we explore the Chinese culture through the lens of the 5-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of Chinese culture relative to other world cultures.Power distanceThis dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.At 80 China sits in the higher rankings of PDI – i.e. a society that believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable. The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power abuse by superiors. Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in general optimistic about people’s capacity for leadership and initiative. People should not have aspirations beyond their rank. IndividualismThe fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”.In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.At a score of 20 China is a highly collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) are getting preferential treatment.  Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) is low. Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal relationships prevail over task and company.Masculinity / FemininityA high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational behaviour.A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).At 66 China is a masculine society –success oriented and driven. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will sacrifice family and leisure priorities to work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Leisure time is not so important.  The migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in order to obtain better work and pay in the cities. Another example is that Chinese students care very much about their exam scores and ranking as this is the main criteria to achieve success or not.  Uncertainty avoidance    The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways.  The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score.At 30 China has a low score on uncertainty avoidance. Truth may be relative though in the immediate social circles there is concern for Truth with a capital T and rules (but not necessarily laws) abound.  None the less, adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life. The Chinese are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. Chinese are adaptable and entrepreneurial.  At the time of writing the majority (70% -80%) of Chinese businesses tend to be small to medium sized and family owned.Long term orientationThe long term orientation dimension is closely related to the teachings of Confucius and can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue, the extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view.With a score of 118 China is a highly long term oriented society in which persistence and perseverance are normal. Relationships are ordered by status and the order is observed. Nice people are thrifty and sparing with resources and investment tends to be in long term projects such as real estate. Traditions can be adapted to suit new conditions. Chinese people recognize that government is by men rather than as in the Low LTO countries by an external influence such as God or the law. Thinking ways focus on the full or no confidence, contrasting with low LTO countries that think in probabilistic ways.
  8. 50 hashtags on learning (source: http://gettingsmart.com/2013/10/update/ )Engage with learners using micro-blogging sites