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Jun 26
2009
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It's interesting to consider the reasons elements of social networking are important tools to enhance the student experience in online education.
To do so, first, let's consider a live classroom scenario. In a live classroom, whether K-12 or higher-ed there are a few core elements. Instruction or lectures, questions, discussions, presentations, and assignments. Generally most people find, the more interaction there is in a classroom (at least interaction around the subject. ) the more interested the student is, and usually they gain better understanding. People learn easily when they participate, less so, when they simply watch or listen.
Now, let's move the classroom over to a traditional Learning Management System. LMS by nature, present content. In some cases, that's all they do. Most however, have the ability to present content and quiz and possibly submit an assignment. They have a wide array of administrative tools, and even content development tools, but for a student it's pretty much endless pages of content, and the occasional quiz.
When you think of it from that perspective, it doesn't sound like a great deal of progress from a classroom scenario. It's back to listen or watch a lecture, however, in this case the lecture happens to be online content. Unless some social networking tools are used, the traditional LMS has actually taken away the ability to interact with the instructor and fellow students. It doesn't really further their understanding of the content because they can't discuss, paraphrase, demonstrate. In other words it isolates them.
This is why social networking is important for learning. Just as important in online learning as in a classroom, social networking allows the students to chat or discuss about the content they are viewing. It allows them to show fellow students ideas about the topic. It allows them to help each other gain a complete understanding of the course material thereby actually learning!
This is precisely why we have brought TOPYX to the academic community.
More next week,
Patrick Batty
Vice President Academic Solutions
Interactyx Limited
