This presentation discusses the use of social software in the Master of Distance Education program at UMUC, and shares lessons learned during the development of several initiatives taking place outside of the online classroom.

1. Using social software in
the MDE
Dr. Stella Porto
Master of Distance Education
Graduate School of Management & Technology
University of Maryland University College
http://www.slideshare.net/sporto/using-social-software-in-the-mde

2. Agenda
• Focus of this presentation
• Introduction
 Background & context
• The Social Software experience in the MDE
 Our activities
 Lessons learned
 Synergy and future
• Final remarks

3. Focus of this presentation
The MDE focus on developing
managers and leaders in the areas
of e-learning & distance education
within different settings, including:
K-12, higher-education, corporate,
non-profits, government and
military.
This presentation discusses a set of MDE initiatives
developed beyond classroom instruction using social
software tools.

4. Introduction:
Context & Background – the MDE partnership

5. Context and landscape
Oldenburg

6. Introduction:
Context & background: the program
• Core competencies
 Managing the DE system in a Corporate
variety of settings Training &
 Planning, budgeting, Learning
development, delivery, and
support of distance education and Faculty Media &
distance training programs Support technology
• Target Audience
 Potential managers of the Distance
distance education enterprise in: Education
 Educational organizations
 Corporate / Business Instruction
Higher
 Government & Military Design &
Education
 Non-profit and associations Support
• Entirely online for part-time Leaders &
working adults Managers
• International
• Collaborative

7. Introduction:
Institutional Student support
• Enrollment management / Registrar
 Admissions
 Financial aid
 Registration
 Advising
 Graduation
• Portal with self-services
• Academic specialist within the
department
• Program director
• Library
• Office of disabilities

8. Social media: what it is

9. Social media: what it can do for us
BEYOND instruction
• Virtual communities: cultivate a blend of challenge and support
 Sharing beyond virtual classroom
 Social network
 Peer support
 Tools: any social network tool or online group tools
• Sandbox for experiments, especially useful for distance
educators
 Learning with technology
 Learning through technology
 Acquiring skills
 Developing technological competencies
 Tools: ALL

10. Social media: what it can do for us
BEYOND instruction
• Individual and collaborative means for producing and sharing
content
 Generation of user content
 Building collective knowledge
 Tools: blogs, wikis, collaborative documents, etc.
• Information diffusion and immediate feedback
 Immediate communication with stakeholders
 Collective feedback and appreciation
 Tools: blogs, social networking, wikis, …
• Expanding knowledge in field of interest
 Sharing new information and utilizing new media
 Program-wide projects
 Tools: audio, video, and image tools, blogs, social networking, …

11. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite
BLOGS
WIKIS VIDEOS
SOCIAL NETWORKING

12. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE Hub
The MDE Hub
• The one-stop-shop for ALL
MDE related information
• Extremely flexible platform

13. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE Blog
The MDE Blog
• Initially was the one-stop-shop
for all MDE information
• Now, works exclusively as a blog
• One-way communication - no
interaction

14. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE Lounge
The MDE-lounge
• Real interaction
• Privacy, listserv mode, discussion
board, simple and not-invasive

15. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE Faculty Forum
The Faculty-forum
• Management effectiveness
• Privacy, listserv mode,
discussion board, simple and
not-invasive

16. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE wiki
The MDE wiki on new technologies
• Knowledge-base
• Information sharing
• Meta-learning

17. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE capstone wiki
The MDE capstone
wiki
• Support for final
capstone: e-portfolio &
research project
• Information sharing
• Direct relationship with
instruction

18. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The capstone tutorial
The MDE tutorial
• Support for e-portfolio
• Precursor of the MDE
capstone wiki
• Direct relationship with
instruction

19. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: MDE Orientation
The MDE orientation
• Workshop with direct
instructor-led support
• Information sharing
• Direct support to instruction

20. The MDE Student Support Social Media Suite:
The MDE internship program
The MDE internship
program
• Getting your feet wet as
a distance educator
• Supporting the program
• Engaging in action
research

21. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE Buddy Program
The MDE buddy-system
• Peer-support
• Student initiative
• Action research project

22. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: social network services
Presence in social
networks
• Connections with
graduates and
prospective students
• Marketing

23. The MDE Student Support
Social Media Suite: The MDE Itinerant Video
The MDE Itinerant
video project
• Graduate initiative
• Celebration of the 10th
anniversary
• Community
involvement

24. Tools and more tools: Allison’s toolbox
Who is Allison?
Allison is an MDE 2008 graduate and an collaborator in the MDE network…

25. Learning lessons…
 There is a need for an active leadership role in all initiatives
 Continuously invite community
 Reach out to new students
 Most participants are lurkers and that’s fine!
 Integrating tools creates synergy
 Students want to get involved, but they need a HAND
 A few active members generate
significant impact
 Being personal is key
 Ongoing projects and activities
 Focus on respond to the needs of
stakeholders

26. Synergy and future
 Projects led and
suggested by
graduates  Virtual
 Relationship conference for 10th
with other anniversary
UMUC units celebration
 Partnerships in  Podcast series
publishing and  Webinars
academic work  Special interest
groups

27. Final remarks
 Thinking beyond the
classroom
 Enthusiasm is contagious
 Experiment, experiment
and experiment…
 Count on your graduates
and students
 Networking is essential to
everyone for different
reasons

28. Thank you!
Questions?
Presentation can be found at:
http://www.slideshare.net/sporto/using-social-software-in-the-mde
Contact: sporto@umuc.edu

30. Introduction:
Background
• Necessary shift from a campus based perspective
 Needs go beyond those addressed in individual courses
• Focus on the needs of this specific target audience
 Part-time
 Full-time employment
 Family duties
 Long time away from school
 Diverse academic and professional background