Using Web Tools To Enhance Teaching & Learning

Nitza M. Hernández, Ph.D.Graduate School of Information Sciences and Technology

University of Puerto Rico

HETS First Annual Best Practices ShowcaseSan Juan PRJanuary 14, 2010

To share how the use of web 2.0 tools have changed the way I have designed and delivered graduate courses.

To show the effective use of web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning such as blogs, wikis and collaborative portals to motivate graduate students and engage them actively in their learning experience.

To acknowledge the use of blended learning as an innovative approach or strategy that has proven to promote student success.

“…blended learning is more than fashionable; it is training and educational delivery method of choice. Blended learning is dominating news in higher education, in corporate America, and in governmental training settings. It is now standard part of the education and training lexicon.” (Bonk, Kim & Zeng, 2005)

“In recent experimental and quasi-experimental studies contrasting blends of online and face-to-face instruction with conventional face-to-face classes, blended instruction has been more effective, providing a rationale for the effort required to design and implement blended approaches. Even when used by itself, online learning appears to offer a modest advantage over conventional classroom instruction.”

Means, B. et al. (2009) in Learning Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning

Studies. Center for Technology, US Department of Education.

It was the combination of elements in the treatment conditions (which was likely to have included additional learning time and materials as well as additional opportunities for collaboration) that produced the observed learning advantages. At the same time, one should note that online learning is much more conducive to the expansion of learning time than is face-to-face instruction.”

Exciting opportunities for students to debate and discuss scholarly ideas in an asynchronous forum, including blogs.

Bring in outside or invited lecturers for a synchronous chat or videoconference.

Some course meetings or training events are conducted virtually rather than face-to-face.

Supplement course readings and activities with online articles, simulations, events, videoconferences, and other technological resources.

Hybrid modality that combines face-to-face interactions with online learning.

Potential to provide more flexibility and accessibility to the course content at anytime from any place (most of the material available online).

Provides for discussions in the classroom about the content of course on the Web.

Most of the creative work come from the inclusion of Web 2.0 tools.

Some studies demonstrate that students using Web resources learn more than using a traditional teaching approach (Rosales et al., 2008).

The instructor can combine various teaching methods and resources.

A combination of technology-based materials and face-to-face sessions to present content.

Begin a course with a well-structured introductory lesson in the classroom, and then proceed with follow-up materials online.

CINF 6300: Introduction to Information Technologies

We used Blogger to develop the course blog TecnoInfo and PBWorks to develop the WIKI for the graduate course on Introduction to Information Technologies.

The course blog was open to the community and some people outside the classroom visited the site and became “followers”.

We did a video conference (IP) with professor Rene Sainz, from the Texas University in Bronwsville, to learn more about the technology of videoconferencing and to stimulate inter-institutional collaboration between two HETS members.

Open source applications that facilitate interactive information sharing and collaboration on the Web.

Some examples of Web 2.0 applications◦ Wikis◦ Blogs◦ Video sharing sites (Youtube)◦ Social networking sites (Facebook)

Allow to organize and make information easy and fast to access.

Provide for a greater diversity and enhancement of learning strategies and experiences

My posts serve to introduce, integrate and summarize course topics

Selected and valuable videos from Youtube supplement and enhance learning

Links to other valuable blogs, websites and online resources widen learning perspectives

Students are authorized as content developers together with me. They post or publish (mostly in Spanish, but some have done it in English as well, as they prefer):◦ Article and news reviews about emerging technologies◦ Brief summaries of assigned readings◦ Reflections of their learning experience (brief essays)◦ Executive Summaries of the Group Projects

Quality standards, timeliness and relevance are emphasized as major criteria for content development and publishing. [I edit at times students entries.]

Everyone is required or motivated to make comments to entries, as assigned or on a voluntary basis.

Students create their own blogs following the model of the course blog.

Autonomous and cooperative learning takes place.

ENTRIES / POSTINGSCOMMENTS

to entries or postings

10 --- Professor 26 --- Students

◦ Total --- 36

61 --- Professor 38 --- Students

◦ Total --- 99

TOPICS

Emerging and web 2.0 technologies

◦ Google Wave, Twitter, Last.fm, Podcasting, Google Earth and museums, wiki, Youtube

Open source

Open access

Technological paradigms

Digital libraries

Virtual education

Videogames in libraries

Data bases

Used mainly for:◦ Guidelines and rubrics for course projects

◦ Monitoring team work for final projects

◦ Working virtual spaces for each group

◦ Student collaboration

1. Flexible access to online materials and course documents.

2. Development of a cooperative network to exchange information and knowledge on the web.

3. Combination of different strategies in the teaching-learning process to enrich class discussion and blog posting.

4. Students strengthen their research skills using various information and communication technologies.

5. Students learn to communicate and collaborate through virtual/online learning environments, from anywhere at anytime.

6. As part of their final projects students develop project proposals and value added information products using podcasting, screencasting and videocasting technologies, as well as other social networking tools.

Feel much more prepared for using Web 2.0 tools

Value theoretical background of the course for internet usage and professional applications of social networking technologies.

Changed their technological paradigm.

Recognized the “added value” of internet tools for their research and development of professional competencies in librarianship.

Learned how to evaluate, classify and choose reliable information available on the Internet.

Satisfaction with their group work at a distance (WIKI), the blended strategies and flexible access to the course materials (24/7).

Appreciation of content requirements and quality standards for publishing their work in a graduate blog that is public.

Value the paperless nature of the course and the digitized resources.

Blog allowed and Wiki allowed constant and open communication with the professor and among peers.

Recognition of the innovative modality of the course.

(What students expressed (11/09)

On the Seminar we use an open source content management system to create virtual learning environment.

Students have access to digitized readings in the Document Library and have posted their work on the content management system.

Use of Alfresco for blending the course in a portal environment – open source application for collaboration Document management – capture, share and

retain content Web content management – engage students

through content Collaboration – Collaborative content

management Use of SKYPE for most of the videoconferences

with invited lecturers. (Were taped and placed in the portal.)

Things I have learned… 1. Use web 2.0 resources to innovate on my teaching

strategies and transform the way I teach.

2. Focus essentially on students’ learning and outcomes.

3. Empower my students with publishing capabilities in a blog that is being made public.

4. Stimulate autonomous learning and guide collaboration of my students through technology.

5. Manage the knowledge and learning process with social network technologies.

TecnoInfo - Una Comunidad de Aprendizaje en Linea - http://tecnoinfo6300.blogspot.com/

Means, B., Toyama, Y. Murphy, R, Bakia, M., Jones, J. (2009). Learning Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. Center for Technology US Department of Education.

Rosales García, S et al. (2008). Modalidad hÍbrida y presencial: comparación de dos modalidades educativas. Revista de Educación Superior. XXXVII (4), No. 148, pp. 23-29. ISBN: 0180-2560.

Bonk, C., Kim K. & Zeng, T. Future Directions of Blended Learning In Higher Education and Workplace Learning Settings. In Bonk, C. J. & Graham, C. R. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, Local designs. Wiley, John & Sons,

I am thankful to all my students for

this great learning experience.

Thank you! Thank you! ¡¡Gracias por Gracias por su atención!su atención!