Wikis, Blogs, Forums, Journals: Which One Do I Use & Why?

1. Wikis, Blogs, Forums, Journals: Which One Do I Use & Why? Connie Weber, Senior Manager Blackboard Consulting cweber@blackboard.com

2. Connie Weber • Senior Manager, Blackboard Training (10 years) Education: • Florida State University, University of Kentucky Blackboard Experience: • Distance Learning Coordinator – Guilford Technical Community College (Greensboro, NC) – 5 years • Associate Professor of English – Introduction to Literature, Professional Writing, Expository Writing, Argument-based Research • Online Course Developer – North Carolina Community College System

3. Great Online Course= Great Dinner Party

4. 1. Create a Pleasant Atmosphere

5. Create a Pleasant Atmosphere

6. http://Cooltext.com Course Banner • Creative Text Only • Very Quick and low tech • Upload as Banner

7. Course Menu • Use Dividers to Arrange Menu • Group Menu Items by Type • Put Most Frequently Accessed on Top

8. Consistent Navigation

9. 2. Create Your Guests Warmly

10. Make Your Students Feel Welcome “In the host role, online instructors draw students into the experience of online learning and respond to student needs and concerns with a patient, welcoming, attentive attitude.” Reference: “Five Roles I Play in Online Courses,” Scot Headley

11. 2. Make Your Students Feel Welcome What are some ways to make students feel welcome to a course? 1. 2. 3.

12. Welcome Letter

14. Getting Started Information • Orientation Activity (Lesson Zero) • IceBreaker

15. Welcome Discussion Using your name as an acronym, describe yourself as a learner. For example: CONNIE C - creative O - open N – not likely to give up N – nearly always on time I - independent E - engaged

16. Student Blog

17. Learner Support • Course Communication Strategy (or How This Course Works) • Help and Instructor Information

18. 3. Connect Your Guest to Each Other

20. Discussion Forum

21. Sample Discussion

22. Type of Questions

23. Blog

24. Sample Blogs

25. Wiki

26. Sample Wiki

27. Wikis

28. 4. Serve a Variety of Food

29. 4. Provide a Variety of Learning Activities

30. Journal

31. Journal Prompts

32. 5. Present the Food in Creative Ways

33. Present the Content in Creative Ways

34. Active Learning

35. Web 2.0 Tools

36. Prezi

38. Which Tool? Getting Started with Blackboard Learn Interactive Tools Getting Started with Journal Prompts

39. Resources How Many Discussion Posts Each Week, A Simply Delicious Answer • http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/how-many-faculty-discussion-posts-each-week-a-simply-delicious-answer/ Cheryl Hayek, Grantham University, Online Education, January 18, 2012 Five Roles I play in Online Classes http://www.sevenstaracademy.org/downloads/Resources/Five%20roles.pdf Scot Headley, Innovate: Journal of Online Education, v2 n1 Oct-Nov 2005 Mastering Online Discussion Board Facilitation Resource Guide, TeacherStream, LLC, 2009 http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-onlinelearning-mastering-online-discussion-board-facilitation.pdf Some elements come from the On Demand Learning Center documents "Getting Started with Interactive Tools" and "Getting Started with Journal Prompts." These documents were inspired by the Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series delivered by Deborah Pickett from Jacksonville State University, as well as user feedback. Original Presentation

40. Tips and Tricks • Writing Discussion Questions University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh • CREST + Model for Writing Effective Discussion Questions • Tips for Designing Assignments (Blogs, Journals)