Using Social Software For Online Classes - Slidecast

Using Social Software
(e.g. Blogs, Podcasts & Wikis)
to Create Interactive
and Collaborative
Online & Hybrid Courses

Alan A. Lew
Northern Arizona University
http://AlanLew.com

Geography for Travelers Podcast
http://TravelGeography.info
Today's podcast is a presentation that I gave at the NAU eLearning
Institute in May, 2007. I gave a 1 hour presentation on how I used
social media, especially blogs, podcasts and wikis, to teach an
online class in Spring 2007. The class was titled quot;Planning for
Sustainable Tourism.quot;

Total Length: 54m 48sec

Here are some links related to this presentation

Course Outline posted on Web20Teach.com blog
Elluminate.com
InnerToob.com
My Twitter – http://Twitter.com/alew

Outline
Social Software
Turnitin
Blogs
Podcasts
Wikis
Web Sites
Conclusions

Social Software
“…lets people rendezvous, connect or collaborate by use of a computer
network” “software that supports group interaction” (wikipedia.org)

Social Citations
Instant Messaging
references for academics
Internet Relay Chat
Citeulike.org
chat rooms
Peer-to-peer Social Networks
Internet Forums
file sharing – photos, games
bulletin boards
Social Network Services Virtual Presence
MySpaces meeting in online worlds
Social Guides Second Life
recommend real world places / Virtual Worlds & Massively
services - TripAdvisor
Multiplayer Online Games
Social Bookmarking (MMOGs)
MMOGs)
publicly posted favorite lists
VOIP – Internet Telephony
Del.icio.us, Google Notebook
Del.icio.us,
Skype, GizmoProject
Social Reputation Network
Wikis
eBay
Weblogs Collaborative Writing/Editing
Blogs, Podcasts, Vlogs/Videocasts Writely, JotSpot, Wikipedia
Writely, JotSpot,

“ Web 2.0 ”
Web 2.0 = new revolution in Internet growth
Internet = invisible part of every day life
New levels of access to information

New Concepts, Applications, Websites, Channels
eHub - http://www.emilychang.com/go/ehub/
ttp://www.emilychang.com/go/ehub/
“…web applications, services, resources, blogs or
sites with a focus on next generation web (web 2.0),
social software, blogging, Ajax, Ruby on Rails,
location mapping, open source, folksonomy,
folksonomy,
[tagging], design and digital media sharing”

Democratizing the tools of production
User Generated & Contributed Data / Info.
“Ideas over Costs”
Costs”
Online business without venture capital
“a Billion Niches”
Niches”
Custom Streams, not mass markets

Enabled by High Speed Internet

Social Software in Education
Web20Teach.com

Web 2.0 Ideas for
Educators: A Guide to RSS
and More
Free eBook from
TeachingHacks.com

Theory and Practice of
Online Learning
Free eBook from Athabasca
University

MERLOT - Multimedia
Educational Resource for
Learning and Online
Teaching

Post-Tourist Market Trends
Increased Market Differentiation
1.
Niches markets

More FIT - Self-Directed Travel
2.

More Travel Savvy
3.
Greater Eco, Cultural & Political Awareness

Easier World to Travel in – Increasing Modernity
4.

More Special Interest Travel
5.
New Destinations & Experiences
Return to Older Destinations
Recapturing Youth & Heritage

More Short Trips – Less free time
6.

More Market Channels - Especially through the Internet
7.

Selling to the Post-Tourist Clientele

1. Build Client Trust
Create Social Network/Community
Sense of Ownership
Pre-Answer as many questions as
Pre-
possible
“Information Seeks to Be Free”
Free”
Facilitate information sharing

2. Exhibit a Clear Identity
Through Consistence in
Image, Messages, Policies,
Post Tourists seek Efficiency,
Predictability & Control

3. Use the Best Tools
Easy Communication, Trust, &
Community
Open & Simple

PL 376
Planning for Sustainable Tourism

Listened to Music on your computer 8 100%
Had heard of Blogs 8 100%
Listened to Music on an mp3 player 7 87.5%
Watched to Video programs on your computer 7 87.5%
Had occasionally used Instant Messaging (IM) 7 87.5%
Had joined a Social Media/Software Websites 6 75.0%
Had actively participated in a Social Media/Software Website 6 75.0%
Had created a website using an HTML editor 6 75.0%
Had used a Wiki website, such as Wikipedia 5 62.5%
Listened to Audio programs (news, talk, etc) on your computer 4 50.0%
Had heard of Wikis 4 50.0%
Had heard of the terms “Social Media” or “Social Software” 4 50.0%
Had created a website using a Social Media/Software website 4 50.0%
Had frequently used Instant Messaging (IM) on your computer 4 50.0%
Listened to Audio programs (news, talk, etc) on an mp3 player 3 37.5%
Watched to Video programs on an mp3 player (like an iPod)
iPod) 3 37.5%
Had created an Video program and made it available on the Internet
Internet 3 37.5%
Had created and contributed to your own Blog 3 37.5%
Had heard of term “Web 2.0” 3 37.5%
Had created an Audio program and made it available on the Internet
Internet 2 25.0%
Had contributed to or edited a Wiki website 2 25.0%
Had created your own Wiki website 2 25.0%

Were any of the Social Media/Software tools that you have
used prior to this semester part of a class that you took?

No (N=6)
It was never mandated to use any of the sites because for the
majority of my classes, we could only used scholarly, peer
reviewed journals or other writings. Wikis (or any other social
media) were not allowed or deemed reliable.
Mostly home-based stuff
All of my experience with social media/software was purely for
quot;socialquot; reasons to communicate with friends.

Yes (N=2)
In a class I took, History of American Music, we were given a cd of
mp3 files to listen to (on our computer and on a mp3 player) and
study for exams, then we gave the cd back at the end of the class.
I’ve used Wikipedia to conduct research for multiple classes, but
never really realized how it worked until Dr. Lew’s class.
I took a FrontPage website development class two years ago.

Which of the Social Media/Software tools used this semester did you
think were most effective for use in an online class? (N=8)
Everything we used was really effective...I learned a lot!
I thought that your Podcasts were a particularly effective way of delivering on-line
on-
content.
I enjoyed the Podcasts.
Podcasts.
I also enjoyed the discussions with other students and peers through Wikispaces.
through Wikispaces.
Everything was really effective!
The Blog and the Wikispaces presented us with a specific task and then we heard from
peers and were able to view what we had done compared to others and make
adjustments. Learning how to communicate and add comments was good.
Designing the Webpage was fun.
Listening to a Podcast made the class more interesting rather than just reading the
material. Then having to put a comment (Innertoob) in made us pay attention.
Innertoob)
The Podcasts we listened to for assignments, whether they be Dr. Lew’s podcasts or
someone elses about various issues, were very helpful in understanding topics.topics.
Dr. Lew’s audio recordings (Elluminate audio only) where he reviewed the assignments
(Elluminate only)
were helpful as well, especially since this is an online course with little other
teacher/student interaction.
I was never able to get Elluminate working on my computer; I’m still not sure how to use
it, but when audio-only files were uploaded onto vista, I always listened to those and
audio-
found them helpful (Elluminate audio only)!ba.
(Elluminate only)!ba.
I really liked the Blogs. I feel this is a great way to communicate during this class.
Blogs.
Innertoob was probably the most effective because one could potentially listen a lecture
listen
or observation from someone a great distance away.
Blogging was most useful, as I enjoyed the interaction, although I feel the bulletin
boards in VISTA are more convenient and work in much the same manner.

Do you have any other comments and suggestions on the
use of Social Media/Software tools in this class? (N=5)
I learned a great deal about social media, etc. but not as much as I would have liked
1.
to learn about Sustainable Tourism. It just got really frustrating at times....
frustrating
The Podcasts were particularly useful. I started to wonder about the educational
educational
2.
value of some of the other elements such as Wikis for this class.
I think it was difficult to effectively work in this course at the beginning as I am not
the
3.
very computer savvy.
The course definitely taught me a lot, and I feel much more comfortable using the
comfortable
4.
computer, social media software, etc.
Making the podcast was an experience and probably the most difficult for most of us us
5.
to do.
Other than your self, I am not sure who else will listen [to my podcast] !
podcast]
6.
I was never able to actually take part in an Elluminate session due to class conflicts
7.
and also equipment on my computer.
I did go and listen to the Elluminate podcasts (audio only) for a few of the
8.
assignments I was not totally clear on.
I enjoy online classes like this one where the instructors lays out the requirements
9.
clearly.
Downloading the software and producing a podcast is not nearly as easy as
10.
presented, at least for older, less technologically-savvy students. The telephone
technologically-
podcast option was the easiest, and the only one I succeeded at, but even it even
presented some challenges.
Perhaps an Elluminate session would have helped. Speaking of which, Elluminate
11.
sessions in the morning are virtually impossible for working students to participate in.
students

Course Structure
Bb-Vista Discussions
Intro Assignment
Turnitin Written Assignments
Social Network Sites
Module 1
Podcast Comments/Discussions
Using Inntertoob.com
Modules 1 + 2
Collaborative Blogs
Module 2
Group Wikis
Group Project
Module 2
Webpage & Podcast
Final Project (group optional)
Module 3

WEBLOGS
“Weblog” = 1997 “Blog” = 1999

= Websites that contain a series of articles
in chronological order
= Niche Media
Identity Blogs (diaries)
News & Political Blogs
Collaborative Blogs (many contributors)
“Moblog” = Mobile phone photo blogging

“Blogosphere” = 70 million Active Blogs (April 07)
120k new blogs a day, about 9% Spam Blogs
1.3 million posts each day = 15 posts each second

Community
Wiki
Instructions

Issues
Legal and Security Issues
Identity Issues
Whatever you do can be seen forever
Everyone knows your name
need for security & control
of personal information
Legal Liability Issues of Student
or Employee Blogging
Copyright and Ownership Issues
Defamation and Libel
Security Laws (private companies)
Sun Microsystems Legal Department
Briefs all employees on legal issues, then lets them blog without

Emerging Technologies
Emerging Teaching, Business
and Work Models
Threats to & from traditional models
Too Much Dependency on Technology
Too Much Choice

Comments from One Student
I probably struggled with the technology elements more than
most of the class. Although I was vaguely aware of them,
blogging, wikis and podcasts were new to me.
blogging,

It’s difficult to straddle the divide between young people who
have not only embraced the age of technology, but made it
their own. A challenge I and my peers in the “traditional”
tourism industry face is finding ways to market to these
younger travelers if we want to stay in business.

I still have grave reservations about wikis and their potential
for disseminating misinformation on a grand scale, for
example Wikipedia-reported “death” of a major entertainer,
Wikipedia-
who was actually hale and hearty. Although this was a fairly
harmless incident, imagine the problems posed for
researchers relying on the Internet for data.

On the professional level, I’m glad I’m more familiar with
them, and I can always hire others to actually develop them
as part of an outreach or marketing effort.

Perhaps the most important part of learning, and reinforcing
what you’ve learned, is sharing the knowledge. I see the
tremendous potential of new methods of communication with
travelers. After a conversation with the manager of a regional
driving tour, they’ve developed a grant to create a website
and podcast of the tour. Until now it was only available on CD
in visitor centers and some businesses.

I believe the website, which will be linked with Chamber’s,
visitor center’s, tourism and other websites, will help market
our region to a whole new audience. One example is the
many bicyclists who travel through here and certainly can’t
listen to a CD audio tour. But I’ve noticed that more and more
of them travel with iPods or mp3s, making a podcast perfect
for them.

A New Geography ?
Kenichi Ohmae: The Invisible Continent (2001)
Old Continents: Land Based, State Power

The New Continent
Borderless & Cyber-based
Easy movement of information
across all kinds of borders
national & corporate
Easy to enter – Open to All
Must give up old thinking
Governance & Infrastructure
under development
Carve your own territory
Highly Individualistic Values
No domination by social groups or elites
Value not based on traditional profit models

Using Social Software For Online Classes - Slidecast

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