MODULE 5 Communication Links & Social Media and Innovation

1. MODULE 5Communication Links & Social Media and Innovation Presenter: Associate Professor Dr. Rosseni Din Venue: Politeknik Ungku Omar Date: 20-23 May 2013

2. Communication Links Powerful Social Media Tools For Your Classroom

3. Computer Mediated Communication • any form of communication between two or more individual people who interact and/or influence each other via separate computers through the Internet or a network connection - using social software. • CMC does not include the methods by which two computers communicate, but rather how people communicate via computers.

4. Why CMC? • CMC promotes self-discipline and requires students to take more responsibility for their own learning. • Using CMC, instructors can vary a course's instructional design to include everything from structured projects to open projects in which students are free to work on "messy"--but authentic--problem solving.

5. Why CMC? • Moreover, CMC promotes an equalization of users. • Because CMC is, at present, primarily text-only, the consequent reduction in social cues leads to a protective ignorance surrounding a person's social roles, rank, and status. • Further, it is impossible to know if another person took several hours to draft a one screen response, or several minutes.

6. Why CMC? • Traditional classroom interaction places the teacher at the center of all activities as transmitter of knowledge and orchestrator of student interaction. • Even if students engage in collaborative small group tasks, the teacher is usually around and monitors students’ progress while providing input on how to solve a particular task—a condition which may hinder “reflection and facilitative interaction”.

7. Why CMC? • Computer mediated technology provides tools that are useful in promoting collaborative learning activities that can mediate communication between learners. • Furthermore, asynchronous discussions allow students, in groups, to collaborate with each other in an exchange of opinions, experiences, and interpretations of course content.

8. Which CMC should we use? • The major factor in selecting a CMC medium is “should the communication be synchronous or asynchronous?” This decision should be based on the following criteria:

9. Criteria 1 • Can all of the participants meet at the same time? • Is the activity time -dependent (i.e. to fit in with a teaching program)? If so, then a synchronous medium is most appropriate.

10. Criteria 2 • Are the participants part-time students/spread across time zones? • Is the subject matter one which requires in-depth analysis and response? If so, then an asynchronous medium is most appropriate.

11. Types of communication • Asynchronous • Synchronous

12. Asynchronous communication • Asynchronous activities are independent of real-time and are comprised of activities, such as, viewing a web page, composing an Electronic Mail (e-mail), watching a video clip, or downloading a file. Image Credit Maggie Nichols

13. Asynchronous cmc CMC can includeanything that is text -based, uses ICT as a technological base and can be used for twoway transmission of ideas. Examples of CMC can include: • emails • mailbases • shared network group folders • discussion boards (or fora/forums) • frequently updated hyperlinked webpages.

14. Benefit of asynchronous discussions • Opportunities to think about course content • To address a diverse set of topics in more depth than can be done in class or in asynchronous environment • Thus allowing students to conceptualize a topic from multiple viewpoints and to contribute to each other’s understanding (Weasenforth et all, 2002).

15. Examples of asynchronous cmc • Email Email supports communication between the sender and one or more recipients. • Wiki Wikis constitute an impressive presence on the World Wide Web, giving content producers and browsers alike a valuable resource for sharing information and collaborative editing

16. Examples of asynchronous cmc • Discussion Forum Discussion forums, message boards and bulletin boards are examples of asynchronous communication tools. Participants post messages to a permanent page where they are preserved for others to read and comment at their convenience.

17. What are the biggest problems with asynchronous CMC? The levels of participation are usually very poorwith CMC for the following reasons: • Posts to the discussion boards need to be frequent for people to maintain an interest in the boards, and so if the level participation drops below a certain degree, no further postings take place.

18. What are the biggest problems with asynchronous CMC? • Checking the discussion board for posts requires learning to incorporate an additional activity to one's routine, which often means people don’t take part. • The asynchronous nature encourages people to give participation a lower priority.

19. Solutions • Raise the profile of postings by using discussion board software that also sends emails to the users' email account (and so is a combination discussion board and mailbase). • Make the discussion time -dependent, so that participants cannot procrastinate.

20. solutions Regularly structure the discussion threads using some of the following actions: • Cut and paste discussion threads that diverge or are repeating discussions elsewhere, so that each thread corresponds to one topic. • Identify specific points within the threads to prompt particular discussions, eliciting answers to specific questions.

21. synchronous communication • Concerned with messages that are sent and received in real time, asynchronous communication can be carried out over long periods of time, through generations and great distances, or simply over small moments on digital devices.

22. synchronous communication • Synchronous activities occur concurrently between two or more users including such real-time applications as chat rooms or instant messaging which allow users to interact simultaneously through text, audio, and video with other users located anywhere in the world.

23. Examples of synchronous cmc Chat Rooms • Chat is similar to a conference call in which participants communicate by typing. • Can be used by instructors to hold office hours, as a location for guest speakers to present and interact with students, student group collaboration, online focus group discussions, and as a place for casual student-student conversation when students happen to be online at the same time.

24. Examples of synchronous cmc Instant Messaging • Instant Messaging (IM) tools are applications that allow you to check who is online and enable you to chat with them in real time. While typically IM is one-to-one, some IM applications allow you to speak with multiple participants, similar to a chat room.

25. Examples of synchronous cmc Voice over IP • Voice over IP, or VoIP, is the transmission of voice traffic over an IP data network. Think phone service over the internet. A popular tool for VoIP is Skype, which also allows for video conferencing using web cameras. Whiteboards • A whiteboard, usually tied to a chat room, provides tools for drawing and diagramming that are editable by multiple participants.

26. What are the biggest problems with synchronous CMC? • Multiple threads of discussion are created which become too difficult to follow for some students, particularly true of those students who are communicating in another language other than their first language. • Students on a slow connection always lag slightly behind in the discussion.

27. What are the biggest problems with synchronous CMC? • The discussion tends to lose focus because of many side discussions. • Some students cannot jump in because they are slow typists. • Responses get out of sequence. • Failing to provide a platform for all students to participate equally implicitly censors some of the participants.

28. Solutions • To have a prepared set of questions, subjects to discuss, etc. and have a fixed order for the students to respond in. • Allow a certain “open time” for students to chat with each other. This allows the students who are less familiar with the technology to practice.

29. Solutions • Also,it provides an opportunity for students who are more familiar with the technology to introduce some of the abbreviation and emoticons used in chat to their less experienced peers. • Explain the procedure for participation: i.e. that comments or responses have to be done in a sequence.

30. Solutions • Impose order on the discussion when required. The lecturer’s role in a chat also includes that of moderator. Whereas in face-to-face one’s authority can be underlined by raising one’s voice, in chat you can use upper case to make your point more forcefully.

31. Social media

32. Potential of social media • The growing use of Facebook and Twitter by teachers to communicate with students outside the classroom • Education-oriented action groups use social media to extend their informational and educational outreach • There is remarkable opportunity to create educational networks

33. The advantages of social media • Ease of access, portability of technology, simplicity, and freedom of speech and expression. • Help people reach their career goals more easily, while also educating people who may not know much about a particular field. • Education can take place informally merely through the fact that people are interested in a subject. 

34. The advantages of social media • Social media are entering into the employment sphere. Soon the blog will replace the CV’s • Students are already using social media to improve their educational skills. • The question is how educational institutions can join in this process?

35. Limitations of social media • Social medias are better utilized by older high school and college students, as younger children are less likely to be reached by them • Research has shown that people use social networking for expressing identity and managing social life, not necessarily for education

36. Limitations of social media • Research suggests that users can enter multiple communities of friends and manage relationships so that the online world of social groups tends to mirror the offline one • There are recurring examples of the negative consequences of using social media especially social networking sites. 

37. How To Effective Use Social Media In Formal Learning • Design and implementation of a solid instructional plan, aligning social media to learning objectives. • Social media include a variety of tools, applications and platforms that can provide a wealth of resources and materials to support any course. Choose the ones that will back up your course’s content. • Before the beginning of the course, find out about the likes and interests of your students, as well as which social media they are already using. Build your course around them.  

38. continue • Use all the resources social media offer to fire up discussions, fora, conversations, comparisons, collaborations, opinion-sharing and networking. You can also use them for broadcasting (Skype, YouTube) and then share with an even wider public. • Use social media not only to share links and resources, but also to stimulate your audience’s interest and participation. If your crowd is young, tech-savvy and interested in new trends, then benefits are endless. • Find those social media applications that will generate the desirable content in minimum time and reduce time spent in traditional classrooms. 

39. continue • Use social media to encourage your audience to attend discussions, webinars, and groups and ask them to provide feedback and generate new ideas.  • The social media platforms can be used for an introduction to the course, for pre and after class activities, as well as for questionnaires, where mood, style and methods can be determined by the instructor. • Blogging is one of the most powerful social media. Start a blog for your course, module or domain and encourage people to post, respond, share and critique.

40. continue • Since not all audiences are technology and social media enthusiasts, make sure that all the resources you use are easy to share, like or re-tweet, convert your content into appealing graphic visual representations, upload your lectures or presentations in YouTube and generally facilitate those who are more reserved, uncommunicative and reluctant. • Incorporate YouTube videos that display other students and young adults making positive changes in their communities into lessons or daily warm-ups

41. ICT based Innovation in Teaching and Learning

42. innovation • Collaboration • Two heads are better than one • A million heads is better than two • Sharing ideas • Sharing insights • Sharing knowledge • Ongoing discussions

43. Types of Innovation • PowerPoint Innovation • Excel Innovation • Innovation Blog • Teaching and Learning Blog • Career Blog

44. Innovation Using Power Point

45. Innovation Using Power Point “PowerPoint could be the most powerful tool on your computer. But it’s not. Countless innovations fail because their champions use PowerPoint the way Microsoft wants them to, instead of the right way.” Seth Godin

46. Why using PowerPoint? • PowerPoint is only a tool. If the tool is used correctly, it can be effective, powerful and transform learning. • Incorporating PowerPoint into your classroom as a tool can help promote all 4 C’s: • Create • Communicate • Collaboration • Critical thinking of the 21st century.

47. Example 1 of Using PowerPoint • ‘Choose Your Own Adventure Books’? They are fun to read but even more fun when the students are creating their own and reading each others. • You can easily create choose your own adventure books by using PowerPoint and hyperlink the different slides. • Having the students start with a story board to draft their ideas and thoughts before beginning helps the students be more productive when they start the PowerPoint. • Creating ‘Choose Your Own Adventure Books’ helps students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop an innovative product.

48. Example 1 of Using PowerPoint http://studentcreatedmediaprojects.wikispaces.com/PowerPoint+- +Choose+Your+Own+Adventure

49. Example 2 of Using PowerPoint • Students create multimedia projects on any subject matter using PowerPoint.   • You can have the students take their PowerPoint and share them with the world by embedding them into blogs or wikis. • Students can create ebooks by using a site called flipsnack: • demonstrates mastery of a concept • a great way to informally or formally accesses a student without paper and pencil. • Here is an example on Rhinoceros: http://snack.to/fv13qh1v

50. Example 2 of Using PowerPoint http://www.flipsnack.com/en/