e-Learning and History

1. e-Learning and History Richard HallDMU e-Learning Co-ordinator 1

2. Outline of workshop • Where are you? Problems and opportunities. • Some examples: things I like and why. • Some ways forward: embedding technologies in the curriculum. • Some curriculum issues to be considered. 2

3. Where are you? Problems Opportunities 3

4. Things I like and why • Structural support: course management • Sharing and clarifying content/process [@] • Discussion: task-work and assessment • Structuring non-class-contact time tasks by connecting materials and people [@] • Feedback • Research 4

5. Note structure 5

6. share content 6

7. share content 7

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9. Clarify process 9

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17. PCW January 2007 • Fifty million blogs on the web • The number doubles every 6 months • That’s 75,000 new blogs each day. 17

18. PCW January 2007 “One of the main advantages of using blogs is that there is an open channel of communication. Businesses succeed by creating a product or service that customers require and feedback is critical.” 18

19. PCW January 2007 “Blogging allows a business to have a conversation with a customer…” “As blogs are seen as an informal medium, feedback is generally more honest and open than if it was through a customer survey.” 19

20. 17 year-old Sarah has made nearly 6,000 edits and spends more than 50hr a week doing so. She says “there’s a lot of kudos in getting FA.” Angela Beesley, 29, has made more than 45,000 edits, met her boyfriend on Wikipedia and now lives with him in Melbourne, Australia 20

21. Richard DixonThe Times Chief Revise Editor…thinks it’s rubbish Charles Matthews, the 2nd most prolific Wikepedian: has made more than 100,000 edits since 2003 and spends more than 50hr per week doing so. Wife is not amused. 21

22. What is a blog? • A weblog, (shortened to blog) is a website where regular entries are made (such as in a journal or diary) and presented in reverse chronological order. • Blogs often offer commentary or news on a particular subject, e.g. food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. • A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. • Most blogs are primarily textual although many focus on photographs, videos or audio. The word blog can also be used as a verb, meaning adding an entry to a blog. • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weblog 22

23. Blogs - let’s take a look… Fact-based: http://blog.wellsfargo.com/GuidedByHistory/ Fact-based opinion: http://livesoftheirown.blogspot.com/2007/05/explaining-feminism-to-people-who-dont.html Opinion: http://www.upthesaddlers.com/wp/ [http://blogsearch.google.com/] 23

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25. Curriculum issues • Personal Learning Environment (PLE) • Reflection, personal development • testing ideas • keeping track of research • developing a writing style • Community, collaboration • sharing work with peers • reading as well as writing • But tasks are king. 25

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27. What is a Wiki? A wiki is a website where users can add, remove, and edit every page using a web browser. It's so terrifically easy for peopleto jump in and revise pages that wikis are becoming known as the tool of choice for large, multiple-participant projects. Stafford and Webb (2006) What is a Wiki O’Reilly Network http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2006/07/07/what-is-a-wiki.html 27

28. Why use a Wiki? (In a nutshell) To facilitate group communication and production Keep majority of group communication, ideas and especially production in a centralized, easily accessible location Store documents for easy retrieval Co-ordinate projects, modules or programmes? (Blackboard entry point?) A flexible tool that can be used for many things. 28

29. Wikipedia – most well known 29

30. Wiki’s - let’s take a look http://www.memoryarchive.org/en/MemoryArchive - personal histories http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ireland - working with existing histories http://thelouvertureproject.org/index.php?title=Main_Page - working with existing histories 30

31. Strengths of Wiki’s The following strengths are arguably subjective and could be open to an alternative view. However it is generally accepted that the following three characteristics of a wiki are indeed it’s strengths in promoting and encouraging group collaboration: Simple technology – only need internet access and a web browser Simple and easy to use (creating and editing pages, linking to pages and websites, inserting images and documents) Easy to learn how to use. 31

32. Strengths of Wiki’s In addition, the following identified strengths are less open to argument, as they are a matter of fact: Easy to rollback and compare with earlier versions (mistakes can be rectified, malicious vandalism can be deleted) All changes are logged and therefore traceable All members can act as moderators and guardians of the wiki. 32

33. Problems and Considerations Students need time to familiarise themselves with the technology Activities need structuring – students need clear instructions and examples of what is expected Staff need time to devise and refine meaningful learning activities – don’t expect it to work perfectly straight away Staff need to believe in the technology and want to make it work Staff need to be proactive in facilitating wiki learning activities – offering guidance, encouragement, support and a visible presence. 33

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