Virtual Communities as Tools to Support Teaching Practicum

Author(s):  
Rebecca English ◽  
Jennifer Howell

The impact of Web 2.0 and social networking tools such as virtual communities, on education has been much commented on. The challenge for teachers is to embrace these new social networking tools and apply them to new educational contexts. The increasingly digitally-abled student cohorts and the need for educational applications of Web 2.0 are challenges that overwhelm many educators. This chapter will make three important contributions. Firstly it will explore the characteristics and behaviours of digitally-abled students enrolled in higher education. An innovation of this chapter will be the application of Bourdieu’s notions of capital, particularly social, cultural and digital capital to understand these characteristics. Secondly, it will present a possible use of a commonly used virtual community, Facebook©. Finally it will offer some advice for educators who are interested in using popular social networking communities, similar to Facebook©, in their teaching and learning.

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham M. Al-Mukhaini ◽  
Wafa S. Al-Qayoudhi ◽  
Ali H. Al-Badi

The use of social networks is a growing phenomenon, being increasingly important in both private and academic life. Social networks are used as tools to enable users to have social interaction. The use of social networks (SNs) complements and enhances the teaching in traditional classrooms. For example, YouTube, Facebook, wikis, and blogs provide a huge amount of material on a wide range of subjects. This research aims to explore the need to change the traditional style of teaching and learning after the innovation of Web 2.0. The main objectives of this research are to discover the motives for the use of social networks by higher education students in Oman, to recognize the impact of social networking tools in learning and education generally, to analyse the problems that students might face when using social networks, and to determine whether the traditional learning methods need to be changed in the era of Web 2.0 technologies? In order to achieve the objectives of this research, the research methodology is to conduct a survey amongst Omani students at different universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions and to explore the social networking tools that might have an influence on teaching and learning styles. The type of data collected will be both quantitative and qualitative. This study is based mainly on the student's perspective - the impact on students of using social networking tools and what effect it has on the traditional style of learning and teaching. This study highlights the benefits of using social networks as tools for developing a new style of learning, and the negative impacts that can affect the process of learning, in order to provide a justification for using social networks in higher education.


Author(s):  
Ogunlade Bamidele Olusola ◽  
Olubusayo Victor Fakuade ◽  
Bamidele Olusola Ogunlade ◽  
Omoron Josephine Akhigbe

Social networking platforms are becoming the most important tools for interaction among people, where everybody can share, exchange, comment, discuss, and create information and knowledge in a collaborative way. The aim of this chapter is to examine the perception of stakeholders on the use of social network tools for classroom instruction in school environment in Ibadan North Local Government of Oyo State. Based on literature and experiences carried out by the researcher in Ibadan metropolis, it also explores the impact of the social networking platforms applications on personal, teaching, and learning uses among secondary students, teachers, and parents. Based on these, it is recommended that, if social networking platforms are effectively used, it will develop positive attitude towards learning as well as enhancing academic achievement among secondary school students.


Author(s):  
Prakash Bhagwan Dongardive

Progress in information communication technology (ICT) has become the backbone for every branch of knowledge in academic arena and library, and information centers are not apart from it. Social networking is playing a significant role in serving to the library users. The chapter examines libraries and their importance in accepting the Web 2.0 phenomenon of social networking sites like Facebook Twitter, YouTube, and a number of social networking tools to enable libraries to engage with students in the virtual environment to promote library event and services, teaching and learning, and humanizing the concept of library and librarians. This chapter also focuses on the importance of social networking sites, which improve the professional relationships within the library profession and across the boundaries of particular national library education systems across the world, which is increasingly sharing information that ensures libraries are the head of changes in demands and needs of their users.


2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (99) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Bawden

This paper reports an international comparison of changes in library/information curricula, in response to the changing information environment in which graduates of such courses will work. It is based on a thematic analysis of five case-studies from Australia, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. Specifically, it describes responses to an increasing proportion of e-content and the impact of the communication and social networking features of Web 2.0, and Library 2.0. It examines both changes in curriculum content, and in methods of teaching and learning. The latter involves pedagogy adapting and changing in the same way as the professional environment, with a greater emphasis on e-learning, and use of Web 2.0 tools. Students therefore learn about the issues by making use of these tools and systems in their studies. Specific issues arising from these case studies include: the best mode of introduction of Web 2.0 facilities, both as topics in the curriculum and as tools for teaching and learning; the set of topics to be covered; the relation between 'conventional' e-learning and Web 2.0, problems and difficulties arising. Examples of particular courses and course units are given.


Collaborative knowledge sharing requires that dialogues successfully cross organizational barriers and information silos. Successful communication in person or in a virtual community involves a willingness to share ideas and consider diverse viewpoints. This research examines a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content management system called NASATalk, which offers public and private blog posts, file sharing, asynchronous discussion, and live chat services. The service is designed to provide a virtual environment where educators can share ideas, suggestions, successes, and innovations in STEM teaching and learning activities. This study features qualitative data from STEM education groups that helped extend the design of the NASATalk Web 2.0 collaborative tools and features. The analysis shows that the context, e-collaborative tools, integration strategies, and outcomes varied, but also contributed additional space, time, tools, integration strategies, and outcomes through the virtual collaborative learning environment. This study is designed to inform the STEM education community as well as those offering virtual community resources and tools of the added value of using virtual communities to help STEM educators work together in collaborative, virtual environments to discuss ways they can improve their instruction and student performance.


Author(s):  
Rita Gravina ◽  
Helena Pereira-Raso

Collaboration is an important aspect of how our world functions today and an element at the core of rich learning opportunities. The role of educational institutions is one that provides provoking settings so that learning is deep and sustained well beyond the classroom walls. Learners are currently in a paradigm where they are able to learn at all hours of the day; they are no longer in a framework where learning is exclusive to a classroom. Teachers and students at The Bishop Strachan School are exploring this through the various uses of teaching and learning strategies and enriching these strategies with Web 2.0 applications. This chapter will present early explorations in the school with Wiki pages, social networking tools, such as NINGs, interactive timelines, and real-time applications, such as Google apps. Each of the cases provides an authentic learning experience for students and moves the student’s work out into the world.


2013 ◽  
pp. 84-102
Author(s):  
Edward Chen

This chapter discusses the Internet phenomenon known as Web 2.0. It explores Internet use, Internet users, and the continuous improvements being made to the Internet. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the impact that social networking has on the modern enterprise; particularly, when it comes to collaboration and knowledge sharing. The growth trajectory of Web 2.0 software such as social networking, blogs, tags, RSS feeds, wikis, YouTube videos, and widgets are presented, and each component is outlined in detail. Each application is also applied to a practical business setting. The benefits and challenges of each application are discussed, and examples of organizations that are implementing Web 2.0 strategies are presented. Some limitations and concerns of Web 2.0 are discussed. The chapter concludes with an examination of the implications of Web 2.0 on companies and their business and marketing strategies.


Author(s):  
Anne Gerdes

This chapter investigates al-Qaeda’s use of Web 2.0 as a tool for radicalization and recruitment. The media network of al-Qaeda is described in order to demonstrate the impact of their well structured media strategy for harnessing the power of the Web. They use a strategy that makes them stand out from other extremist groups, who in most cases lack an overall approach towards branding and Web communication. It is shown why this strategy works and enables al-Qaeda to set the agenda for online global jihadism and cultivate virtual communities of engaged jihobbyists. Finally, a virtue ethical perspective demonstrates the shortcomings of the al-Qaeda Web 2.0 strategies, by which it is suggested that their Achilles’ heel is exactly the ideas inherent to Web 2.0, which are reflected in a bottom up participatory perspective. Thus, the Al-Qaeda online social movement does allow for engaged user participation, but without providing opportunities for free spirited critical reflection and self articulation of goals.


Author(s):  
Harrison Hao Yang ◽  
Na Yao ◽  
Pinde Chen

This chapter provides an overview of websites of higher education institutions. It then discusses the impact of emergent Web 2.0 technologies and social media on the online communication and society, and presents a study focusing on trends and issues of the development on websites of higher education institutions. The results of the study in this chapter indicates that under the influence of Web 2.0 and social media, websites of higher education institutions have been developed on: building a strong sense of community via embedding social networking tools, endorsing open education via sharing multimedia resources, and enriching users’ experience via offering self-service. The study also indicates that in order to develop effective websites, authenticity and digital citizenship should be considered and managed by administrators and technologists of higher education institutions.


Author(s):  
Galit Margalit Ben-Israel

This article deals with citizen engagement and public participation being in crisis on the Israeli home front, in the era of Web 2.0. Since 2004, Web 2.0 characterizes changes that allow users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, YouTube, hosted services, applications, WhatsApp, etc. Since 2006, Israel is involved in asymmetric conflicts. The research defines the impact of Web 2.0 on public engagement in the Israeli home front. The case studies examined in the research are: 1) The 2006 Lebanon War (July-August 2006); 2) The Gaza War (27 December 2008 and ended on 18 January 2009); 3) Operation Pillar of Defense (November 2012); and 4) The 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document