Collaborative learning
I took the trouble to clean my desk at work, mostly throwing away papers that I could search for online if needed.
I did rediscover this interesting Danish paper by Dalsgaard. The research paper considers eLearning beyond LMS( learning management systems) by evaluating the potential for social software tools such as blogs, wikis and other personal tools to support self-governed, problem-based and collaborative activities. As the article notes in its conclusion:
".. students not only learn a specific topic, but they are equipped with tools to navigate and make active use of the web to solve future problems. After the end of a course or an education, the networks continue to exist." ref
I have been an enthusiastic advocate of Moodle, an open source learning management system with a social constructivist approach that emphasizes self-governed learning activities. Version 1.6 includes some new social networking tools that I have been exploring in the classroom including collaborative wikis, web forums, e-portfolios and blogging. At what point should we encourage collaboration and social networking with groups outside the classroom? There is merit in working with these tools outside a traditional LMS and not everything probably needs to be integrated.
Whilst I am disappointed by the poor interest in social software tools by some of my older teaching colleagues, I am still encouraged by the potential of this software in the classroom. I need to give this more thought. Bill was on the right path to frame all his reflections into a programming games manifesto.
I did rediscover this interesting Danish paper by Dalsgaard. The research paper considers eLearning beyond LMS( learning management systems) by evaluating the potential for social software tools such as blogs, wikis and other personal tools to support self-governed, problem-based and collaborative activities. As the article notes in its conclusion:
".. students not only learn a specific topic, but they are equipped with tools to navigate and make active use of the web to solve future problems. After the end of a course or an education, the networks continue to exist." ref
I have been an enthusiastic advocate of Moodle, an open source learning management system with a social constructivist approach that emphasizes self-governed learning activities. Version 1.6 includes some new social networking tools that I have been exploring in the classroom including collaborative wikis, web forums, e-portfolios and blogging. At what point should we encourage collaboration and social networking with groups outside the classroom? There is merit in working with these tools outside a traditional LMS and not everything probably needs to be integrated.
Whilst I am disappointed by the poor interest in social software tools by some of my older teaching colleagues, I am still encouraged by the potential of this software in the classroom. I need to give this more thought. Bill was on the right path to frame all his reflections into a programming games manifesto.