1. Social media and learning on the
cloud
Dr John Hannon
La Trobe University, Melbourne
17 September 2012
1
2. Where is social media?
Social media are:
“web- and mobile-based technologies which are used to turn
communication into interactive dialogue among organizations,
communities, and individuals.
“… allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content
“… Social Media are social software which mediate human
communication.”
(Wikipedia)
The cloud: a bank of machines in a warehouse
2
3. Is social media radical?
But learning has always “turned communication
into interactive dialogue …”
SCALE a radical transformation of the modes of
production of interaction, communication, and
EMERGENCE dissemination, collectively referred to as Web
2.0, which makes emergent behaviour
possible at an unprecedented scale, pace,
and breadth of participation.(Williams et al.
2012: 44)
Industrial revolution traditional modes of learning
Information revolution “learning-directed technologies”
3
4. Tensions from the e-learning literature #1
Social networking & social learning are separate domain
Most students embrace the digitalised world of social
networking…, although this does not necessarily
transfer to learning. (Williams et al. 2012: 40)
4
5. Tensions from the e-learning literature #2
Different models of networking:
the social as commercial vs educational
… social networking offers only a truncated capacity to
foster disagreement and debate because dominant
programmes and models primarily foster conviviality
and ‘liking’. (Friesen & Lowe 2012: 184)
5
6. Tensions from the e-learning literature #3
Institutional responses to social media in universities
frame as a technology issue - try to contain social media
frame as a learning issue - eg. harness informal learning
experiences and link to formal structures of learning
6
7. How can universities respond to social media?
Shift focus:
1. From “hijacking” social media to “digital literacies”:
That is, on practices of knowledge generation
and learning among students
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8. How can universities respond to social media?
Shift focus:
1. From “hijacking” social media to “digital literacies”
2. From containment of learning environments to mobilities
of learning
That is, crossing institutional boundaries
eg. experiential learning such as fieldwork
via geo-located knowledge development
(Ravenscroft et al. 2012)
8
9. How can universities respond to social media?
Shift focus:
• From “hijacking” social media to “digital literacies”
• From containment of learning environments to mobilities
of learning
• From software training to staff development for user-
generated knowledge and collaborative, emergent learning
9
10. Examples of social media for learning
1. Institutional to learner-centred
Core institutional infrastructure Moodle, AdobeConnect,
(LMS/VLE) PLE via Mahara
Package/bundle of tools not Wordpress, Skype
provided by institution, but maybe
facilitated and semi-supported, eg.
open source systems
Student initiated social software dropbox, google docs,
and non-institutionalised tools for google hangout, google
working together on learning – groups
collaboration, groupwork, filesharing
Use of lifestyle technologies facebook,flickr
10
11. Futures
Learning ecologies rather than learning systems
Ellis & Goodyear (2010): learning ecologies bring a
focus on the relationships between the elements that
comprise the system under study, rather than their
differences
11
12. Futures
Managing learning as ecologies
Modes of Domains of Types of Organisation Modes of
application knowledge production
learning
Prescriptive Predictable Prospective Hierarchy, Centrally
learning complicated institutional determined
control control for users,
systems replicated
for scale at
high cost
Emergent Complex Retrospective Collaboration, Open &
learning adaptive coherence self- distributed,
systems organisation created by
users
Framework for emergent learning and learning ecologies
Williams, R., Karousou, R. & Mackness, J. (2011).
12
13. Futures
Flexible learning understood as opening up
possibilities that extend into social and professional
worlds of learners
learner-generated content
peer review & co-construction
learning communities of student/staff/practitioners
experiential learning & assessment (crossing institutional boundaries)
knowledge generation via placements, (virtual) exchanges
open education resources
Adapted from Lee, M., & McLoughlin, C. (eds.) (2010). Web 2.0-Based E-Learning
13
14. References
• Bradford, G., Kehrwald, B. & Dinmore, S. (2011). A framework for evaluating online
learning in an ecology of sustainable innovation. In G. Williams, P. Statham, N. Brown & B.
Cleland (Eds.), Changing Demands, Changing Directions. Proceedings ascilite Hobart 2011.
(pp.162-167).
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/hobart11/procs/Bradford-concise.pdf
• Collins A., & Halverson R. (2010). The second educational revolution: Rethinking education
in the age of technology. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26, 18-27.
• Falconer, I. 2011, Literacy in the Digital University. Seminar Four April 8th Lancaster
University. http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/lidu/p3_4.shtml
• Friesen, N. and Lowe, S. (2012). The questionable promise of social media for education:
connective learning and the commercial imperative . Journal of Computer Assisted
Learning, 28, 183–194
• Lea, M. & Jones, S. (2011): Digital literacies in higher education: exploring textual and
technological practice, Studies in Higher Education, 36:4, 377-393
• McLoughlin, C., & Lee, M. (2010). Pedagogy 2.0: Critical Challenges and Responses to Web
2.0 and Social Software in Tertiary Teaching. In M. Lee & C. McLoughlin (Eds.), Web 2.0-
Based E-Learning: Applying Social Informatics for Tertiary Teaching (pp. 43-69). Hershey,
Pennsylvania: IGI Global.
• Ravenscroft, A. Warburton, S., Hatzipanagos, S. & Conole, G. (2012). Designing and
evaluating social media for learning: shaping social networking into social learning?
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28, 177–182
• Williams, R., Karousou, R. & Mackness, J. (2011). Emergent Learning and Learning
14 Ecologies in Web 2.0. International Review of Research in Open and Distance
Learning 12 (3), March
15. Thank you
John Hannon
j.hannon@latrobe.edu.au
15
Hinweis der Redaktion
Wikipedia is itself an ex of user-generated content or knowledge generation that is self organising, located on a remote Internet service or cloud. The cloud means entrusting remote services with data and software – cloud a metaphor for the Internet - ie. the cloud is bank of machines in a warehouse
Social media is part of radical shift that arises from scale and emergence: Eg wikipedia as self organising [the immediacy of private comments made pubic has the consequence of uncontrolled publicity] For T&L, the argument goes that: the Industrial revolution traditional modes of learning from standardised mass production information revolution Web 2.0 social software and ” le arner-directed technologies ” . (Collins & Halverson 2010)
Separate domains of activity: social media was not founded as an educational project Net-gen research confirms narrow focus and lack of transfer
Different models underlying social networking. Need for critical dialogue and judgement between alternative options
What do institutions do? Frame social media as a technology issue and try to contain/appropriate social media How to provide frameworks that link “ meaningful informal learning experiences ” to formal structures and validation (Ravenscroft et al 2012: 177) Is appropriating or hijacking social media the right response
from “ h i jacking ” social media to “ d i gital literacies ” - as practices of knowledge generation and learning that arise from the relations between conventional literacies and technologies
Eg. experiential learning eg. fieldwork via geo-located knowledge development (Ravenscroft et al. 2012) Also WIL, placements, exchanges (virtual & physical), disciplinary/professional learning communities
That is, in developing hybrid learning environments for emergent learning emergent learning “ is likely to occur when many self-organising agents interact frequently and openly, with considerable degrees of freedom, but within specific constraints ” (Williams et al. 2012: 45)
Ellis & Goodyear (2010): learning ecologies bring a focus on the relationships between the elements that comprise the system under study, rather than their differences
A learning ecology that integrates prescriptive and emergent learning Ellis & Goodyear (2010): learning ecologies bring a focus on the relationships between the elements that comprise the system under study, rather than their differences
FL as extending a learning community, rather than FL as individual choice
