tarynshae

Virtual Worlds, like Second Life, are increasingly being used in a learning context, both in educational institutions and corporate environments. Some classes are already being taught in Second Life by institutions such as Harvard and some of the world’s leading companies such as IBM have adopted Second Life in a training context.

Second Life’s multiple uses could be beneficial for its application in a learning context. Being able to be used as a social networking tool, a programming tool, a meeting and conference facility and a virtual tour could enhance learning experiences in many ways. It’s 3D modelling nature allows concepts to be illustrated in new and powerful ways that let learners completely understand the scope of what they are learning. Second Life also enhances collaboration and eliminates hierarchies and georaphical boundaries, making it accessible to users all around the world. One of the main advantages of using this application in a learning context is the fact that it’s a learner driven rather than a teacher driven tool, allowing students to have much more self-direction over their learning. While at present learning in Second Life still resembles classroom lecture learning and activities with blogs and wikis are still required, the potential for Second Life is great and is continually evolving.

My only experience of social networks is in a purely personal setting. I have a Facebook account although I don’t have a MySpace account. Initially I was a little resistant to participating in online social networking however the trend grew so much that before long I was one of the only ones in both my immediate and also wider group of friends and peers that did not use some form of online social networking. I now find that I use Facebook frequently and can’t imagine not having it!

Facebook more so than MySpace, I believe, could be used in a learning context. The ‘Courses’ application on Facebook allows you to add subjects you are studying and invite other students who are users to join the group. Within the group space you can then share links that relate to the subject, discuss learning points and chat with other students. While this is only one example of how learning can be enhanced via a social networking site, just being able to be in contact with other peers and students through these sites allows interacting and collaboration on a personal level which is definitely beneficial.

Synchronous communication is when all parties involved in the communication are present at the same time. Examples include phone calls, meetings, video conferences, chat rooms and instant messaging. The benefit of synchronous communication is that all parties involved can discuss and debate a topic and reach conclusions and complete tasks in real time by allowing simulaneous collaboration.

Asynchronous communication does not require all parties involved in the communication to be present and available at the same time. Examples include emails, discussion boards and text messages. The benefit of asynchronous communication is that it can take place of a longer amount of time, which can allow for research, review and feedback. It can allow people from different places to communicate and collaborate when it suits them. While this form of communication may not yield results as quick as synchronous communication it is still a very effective form of communication in many situations.

Effective learning can definitely be enhanced by collaborative communication, which can be assisted by both synchronous and asynchronous communication. Current trends are further confirming that collaboration is an integral part of the learning process, and new and improving communication techniques can aid this in many ways.

The only time I have used social sharing in a learning context is again only in this subject and E-learning Experiences last semester. Much the same as with self-publishing, initially it was an application I had to learn to use, but I have had more positive experiences with Delicious as opposed to the blogs and wikis. I find that Delicious, as a social learning tool in a learning context, is a very helpful tool and I have definitely benefited from researching and viewing sites and articles other people have tagged or referred too, particularly within an e-learning context. I also used it to find information relevant to my working context, so for me Delicious as a form of social sharing has been an effective and useful tool.

The only self-publishing applications I am familiar with are blogs and wikis. The only time I have used these applications is in this subject and also E-learning Experiences last semester. While using blogs made it easier to complete activites and complete assignments, I don’t really think it impacted on my actual learning that much. Initially, it made my learning experience more difficult, learning how to use a new technology and then having to regularly check, monitor and manage it. With this subject, I have had lots of technical problems with the blog and I just don’t believe it has positively impacted my learning in anyway. The group E-Learning wiki has also proved troublesome to me, though it did make it easy to submit the first assignment. I am not convinced self publishing is the way to go for me, but understand the concept and proposed benefits of it!

RSS (rich site summary) is a type of web feed format which is used to publish and deliver internet content that is frequently updated, such as news sites, blogs and podcasts. RSS allows regular users of the internet to stay up-to-date with changing information by being able to view summaries of updates all in the one place and in a personalised format.

 RSS works by using reader software called an aggregator which works by feeding information to a link provided by the user. The reader software regularly checks the links that the user provides and if any updates or changes have been made the software will feed this information through to the user.

 RSS could be used in this subject particularly well as due to the technological base of the subject content, this type of application seems appropriate. It can allow students to set up RSS feeds to sites they regularly use for learning sites relating to this subject. This way, students wouldn’t have to regularly check each individual website, they could just check the RSS update summaries and view the full version if they choose to do so.

An aggregator, or feed aggregator, is a web application which essentially aggregates or combines syndicated web content such as news sites, blogs and wikis and podcasts and vodcasts. Aggregation software regularly checks for updates to feeder sites at user determined intervals. They are also commonly built into portal sites such as Google and Yahoo. This type of application could be used in much the same was as RSS could for this subject.

In my work context, I have had various experience with e-learning.  In terms of participating in e-learning activities, I have completed numerous online training modules in areas such as Workplace Induction, OH&S, EEO and Global Privacy training. In terms of administering e-learning in a work context, I have contributed to the design, content and ongoing maintenance of many online learning modules, as well as an online learning space in which employees complete post-course assessments after attending internal training courses and also through a Learning Management System (LMS) by which employees can manage their own learning. While I managed my own learning online using this system, I also used it as a back-end user to assist in the management of other’s learning. While my work experiences are all forms of e-learning, they are quite basic forms, with no new movement towards the latest technology.

After hearing the term Web 2.0 for a little while now, I hadn’t actually understood what the concept enmbodied. Bryan Alexander’s article “Web 2.0: A New Wave of Innovation for Teaching and Learning” did a great job defining the term as no one single new development but rather the culmination of continuous improvement in a whole range of areas. The concepts, projects and practices that are included in the scope of Web 2.0 are divers. From social software, networking and sharing to weblogs and wikis, podcasting to RSS and aggregation. While all of the concepts have been around for a little while now, it’s the direction they’re heading within the education scope that it is important here. With some Web 2.0 metaservices heading towards being mobile, the ability to learn wherever, whenever and however is increasing with access being readily available for a wider audience. The collaborative nature of social writing platforms enhances the ability of group learning and also allowing peer editing and review and discussion. The ability for Web 2.0 to have an impact on teaching and learning is far greater now than it has ever been and the potential for further impact is great.

 Web based applications I’m familiar with include weblogs and wikis, though only ever in a learning context, web conferencing in a work context and social networking in a personal social context. In the future I would be interestedin further exploring how RSS and aggregation and podcasting can contribute to learning. One thing however I am not at all interested in is virtual worlds. While I understand the concept and can see it’s scope, I think access and interest wise it is far more limiting in reaching the majority of people, and learners.

The Horizon Report was an interesting read in terms of a short-term look into the future of teaching/learning technologies. While we seem to be aware of many of these technologies, it was interesting to see how one tool, such as the social networking application of Facebook, can serve so many different functions and that there are opportunities for learning in the most unsuspecting places. 

6 key emerging technologies

1. Grassroots video - with so many new devices now being able to both capture and play video, and the accesibility of editing software, the proliferation of video clips and video sharing is enabling learning in creative situations. The use and sharing of video allows anyone global access on almost any device
2. Collaboration webs - virtual collaboration has for some time been a part of many people’s communication tools in the workplace, however now with an increasing amount of software and programs being developed online collaborative learning spaces are beginning to soar. These collaborative learning spaces allow people to share ideas and resources, perform specific taks, socialise and even work together on tasks such as writing a document. This technology is accessible for anyone with access to the internet and dispels all boundaries of team work at a distance
3. Mobile broadband - the recent development of technology and infrastructure to allow mobile broadband access is booming. Mobile phones can now do what laptops used to do, with greater accessibility, smaller in size and more economical, mobiles are now becoming the ultimate mobile networking tool. They have a huge potential for education with almost all students owning a phone and in regular contact with peers. They can at as a colloboration tool by allowing internet access, have storage for a range of documents and software and can even be used remotely for things such as fieldwork
4. Data mashups - a single tool consisting of a range of data from multiple sources and are part of applications and programs such as Facebook, which is why they have increased in popularity. They are also widely used in maps. Mashups are relevant for teaching and learning as they can allow more non-technical users to create products and programs without programming, which will enable students to easily use them in assignments and presentations. The ability of mashups to pull together large amounts of information and data in a managable way will serve as the biggest possibility in the education sphere
5. Collective intelligence -is essentially the knowledge that is embedded within societies or large groups of individuals either in the form of gathered knowledge or intelligence that results from this data or knowledge. such information enables predictions about peoples behaviour. Wikipedia is an example of this collaborative knowledge store operating in real time and being accessed and utilised by millions of people around the world. In terms of learning, collective intelligence can allow students an opportunity to practice the construction of knowledge so that they can not only consume but contribute to this
6. Social operating systems - there has been a shift in the purpose of networking that now focuses on relationships as opposed to file and application sharing. With social operating tools recently emerging, it is easy to see that they will have a huge impace on the way we communicate, interact, work and even learn. Current systems such as mySpace and Facebook are still more about a persons social persona that their work or learning persona, the the opportunity and potential is there for these systems to influence the way we research, share, publish and interact in a learning context

While I have heard of video sharing and editing I am not familiar with it. I have visited the YouTube website only when I have received a direct link to it from a friend, and I was only really made aware of its use and application in learning from our last block class of eLearning Design. While I am not familiar with this technology, I can deifnitely see its potential to serve as an effective learning tool. Collective intelligence, data mashups and collaborative webs I am a little less familiar with, but understand the concept all the same. Mobile broadband is a technological tool I currently use now as is the social networking/sharing site of Facebook. While it is true that currently both of these tools are being used primarily for social reasons, the possibility for teaching and learning content within them is great.

The trend that I most relate to is the way we work, collaborate and communicate is evolving as boundaries become more fluid and globalisation increases. Being able to connect from anywhere to anywhere with anyone is becoming increasingly more common. Online workspaces and social networking tools are two tools that I have personally used in a learning context only recently but have found that in the short space of time that I have been doing so, many more people have and the usability of these tools has increased my involvement with my own learning. Now that I have more open communication channels with not only my peers but with my lecturers also, I feel a lot more connected and involved in my learning experience than I have in the past and this is something that is only going to further enhance my learn