Due to further delays with Amtrak (I’m seriously having my doubts that an electrified rail service in the Northeast is ever going to work) I have made it to the 2nd day of the conference. Unfortunately due to the delay I missed the keynote session: Technology As The Architect of Self: Implications for Higher Education. So instead I am picking up with the first breakout session I am attending: Teaching with Web 2.0: Case Study and Analysis.
The speaker, Mihaela Vorvoreanu, says “Love Technology, but don’t trust it.” those are definitely words I can live by.
Problem area: professors are not procrastinators, creative writers are. [EDITOR’S NOTE: I HAVE BEENADVISED THAT THIS WAS A JOKE, I THINK I MAY HAVE BEEN SELF REFLECTING SINCE I FANCY MYSELF A CREATIVE WRITER AND I AM A BIT OF A PROCRASTINATOR. I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INSULT.]
Why do we have computers in the classroom?
- Because they are shiny new technology.
- Because the school purchased them and they were used for chat even though there are only 19 people in the classroom.
Her presentation is to show a
- Case study: for using social media in the classroom
- Analysis of the impact of social media use
- Argument: Purposeful integration in the classroom.
Case Study
| Group 1: PR | Group 2: CT |
|
|
Twitter use in Group 1 felt they were more integrated. They reported higher in motivation, teacher relationship, career impact, and learning. The caveat is that across the board males reported lower responses and the communications theory group had more males than the PR group. As a result not sure of the reason for this.
She then focused on how social media made an impact on the focus group. Tools used:
| Tool | Purpose |
| Connect with PR professionals, socialize into the profession; maintain relationship with teacher | |
| Writing individual blog | Create professional online identity |
| Reading blogs | Independent learning; Relationship building |
| Skype | Virtual guests; provide real-world relevance; increase motivation. |
To determine if it worked we used the self-determination theory (learning, motivation (autonomy, competence, relatedness are relevant to success), and teacher relationship) We also added career success.
They used an online survey to gather the data asking learners measure various points about scale.
The students were aged 20-23 with 90% white Black 2%. Group 1 was 26 students in Group 1 and Group 2 had 13 students.
Both groups learned how to use the social media used through activities in the course. Generally, the students’ success was predicated on learning to use Twitter and Skype. Key relationships in success were:
| Learning | Motivation | Teacher Relationship | Career Success |
| Read Blogs | Skype (hearing professionals speak) | ||
| Twitter Reading blogs Writing blogs | Skype |
UPDATE: She was asked about how she addressed privacy with Skype and Twitter, she said it was not considered but it must be considered because at one point we had to lock down the accounts after a troll came after her and her students.
She also expressed a concern about getting her students addicted to the internet and dumbing them down by having them read from the Internet constantly.
2 comments:
Thank you for the thorough summary of the session, Dennis!
Just a quick note, the problem area is bringing computers in the classroom - the procrastination comment was a joke at my own expense ;)
Hi Mihaela, sorry for any unintended insult as I note in my editor's note update I think I was seeing myself there. Please accept my apology.
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