EDUCAUSE | Social Computing

Practical Applications of Social Software

drupal — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:49:24 -0600

Social software includes a variety of tools to develop and share text, image, audio, and video files as well as organize resources others create: blogs, wikis, RSS aggregators, podcasts, vodcasts, and more. While the quantity of options can be overwhelming, this workshop will provide an overview of different tool types along with step-by-step demonstrations and effective examples so participants can learn what these terms mean and fine-tune their understanding of social software. A discussion of practical uses of social software in teaching and learning will follow with examples. Participants will also brainstorm how these tools can enhance communication among IT staff and between IT staff, faculty, and students. Select social software resources will be created for this workshop group both for practice and to continue discussion well after the session ends. Participants will be surveyed in advance for a tailor-made program to benefit them the most.

Crafting a Campus Identity: First-Year Students, Residential Life, and Social Networking

drupal — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:22:11 -0600

This session reports on a study exploring the relationship between the use of social networking applications and campus life. Online survey data from 3,000 first-year students living on campus describes how students use Facebook to create academic and social identities. We will discuss the institutional implications of social networking on recruitment, retention, and campus academic technology.

Social Media and Education: The Conflict Between Technology and Institutional Education, and the Future

drupal — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:10:01 -0500

Today's technology enables users to form and join communities of common interest to learn and share information. In opposition to the privileged learning spaces of higher education, social media encourage learners to seek out their own answers and construct knowledge as a community rather than as individuals. Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and Second Life offer new learning spaces, but how do they fit into the learning expectations of institutions?

Just Published: The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008

cluckett — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:23:17 -0500

EDUCAUSE announces a new EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) study, The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008, by Gail Salaway and Judith Borreson Caruso, with Mark R. Nelson and an introduction by Nicole B. Ellison. This 2008 ECAR research study is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 ECAR studies of students and information technology. The study is based on quantitative data from a spring 2008 survey of 27,317 freshmen and seniors at 90 four-year institutions and eight two-year institutions. Because of the topic's critical importance, ECAR has made the full study, as well as key findings and roadmap, publicly available to all. Visit ECAR on the web.

The Tower and the Cloud: Higher Education in the Age of Cloud Computing

ckeller — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:04:56 -0500

The emergence of the networked information economy is unleashing two powerful forces. On one hand, easy access to high-speed networks is empowering individuals. People can now discover and consume information resources and services globally from their homes. Further, new social computing approaches are inviting people to share in the creation and edification of information on the Internet. Empowerment of the individual -- or consumerization -- is reducing the individual's reliance on traditional brick-and-mortar institutions in favor of new and emerging virtual ones. Second, ubiquitous access to high-speed networks along with network standards, open standards and content, and techniques for virtualizing hardware, software, and services is making it possible to leverage scale economies in unprecedented ways. What appears to be emerging is industrial-scale computing -- a standardized infrastructure for delivering computing power, network bandwidth, data storage and protection, and services. Consumerization and industrialization beg the question "Is this the end of the middle?"; that is, what will be the role of "enterprise" IT in the future? Indeed, the bigger question is what will become of all of our intermediating institutions? This volume examines the impact of IT on higher education and on the IT organization in higher education.

The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008—Roadmap

ckeller — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:20:15 -0500

This ECAR roadmap synthesizes the important issues and recommended actions drawn from The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008, by Gail Salaway and Judith Borreson Caruso, with Mark R. Nelson. This 2008 ECAR research study is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 ECAR studies of students and information technology. The study is based on quantitative data from a spring 2008 survey of 27,317 freshmen and seniors at 90 four-year institutions and eight two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 75 students at four institutions; and analysis of qualitative data from 5,877 written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2008 study also includes a special focus on student participation in social networking sites.

Citation for this work: Caruso, Judith Borreson and Gail Salaway. “The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008 Roadmap” (Roadmap). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008—Key Findings

ckeller — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:15:25 -0500

This document presents the key findings of The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008, by Gail Salaway and Judith Borreson Caruso, with Mark R. Nelson. This 2008 ECAR research study is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 ECAR studies of students and information technology. The study is based on quantitative data from a spring 2008 survey of 27,317 freshmen and seniors at 90 four-year institutions and eight two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 75 students at four institutions; and analysis of qualitative data from 5,877 written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2008 study also includes a special focus on student participation in social networking sites.

Citation for this work: Caruso, Judith Borreson and Gail Salaway. “The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008—Key Findings” (Key Findings). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008

ckeller — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:22:00 -0500

This 2008 ECAR research study is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 ECAR studies of students and information technology. The study is based on quantitative data from a spring 2008 survey of 27,317 freshmen and seniors at 90 four-year institutions and eight two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 75 students at four institutions; and analysis of qualitative data from 5,877 written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2008 study also includes a special focus on student participation in social networking sites.

Citation for this work: Salaway, Gail and Caruso, Judith B., with Mark R. Nelson. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008 (Research Study, Vol. 8). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Building Community with Virtual Spaces

drupal — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:14:13 -0500

Building a community of learners can be especially challenging when working with online and distance education students. By using social networking tools like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and Second Life, we can begin to construct a community of sharing and participation that leads to enhanced satisfaction and a true sense of belonging.

Sharing Your Notes Online — and Getting Paid for It

ckeller — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:18:28 -0500

A new Web site brings social networking and ad revenues to the traditional note-taking service, but the model could raise copyright issues.

E07 Podcast: Effective Pedagogical Strategies for Social Bookmarking

gbayne — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:45:04 -0500

This forty-five minute podcast features a session from the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference entitled,
"From Information Literacy to Scholarly Identity: Effective Pedagogical Strategies for Social
Bookmarking." PowerPoint slides from this presentation are also available.

Collaborative research teaches students critical knowledge management skills, whether they are undergraduates learning the basics of Web research or advanced scholars defining their own knowledge domains. Faculty need practical examples and strategies to initiate social bookmarking activities. Case studies demonstrate how this has been accomplished in undergraduate and graduate courses.

This session is presented by:

Deborah Everhart, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Georgetown Univ., & Principal Architect, Blackboard, Georgetown University
Eric J. Kunnen, Coordinator of Instructional Technologies, Grand Rapids Community College
Kaye Shelton, Dean of Online Education; Asst Prof, Adult Education, Dallas Baptist University
Session convener: Doug Williams, Associate VP of Information Technology, Dallas Baptist University

E07 Podcast: Social Software in Higher Education: Isolated Accidents or the Start of Something Big?

gbayne — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:58:31 -0500

This forty-minute podcast of the panel discussion, "Social Software in Higher Education: Isolated Accidents or the Start of Something Big?", was recorded at the EDUCAUSE 2007 Annual Conference. There is also a PowerPoint available for this session.

Blogs, wikis, and networking tools appear to be gaining widespread acceptance. How are higher education professionals using social software tools in their practice? Is there any convergence with what students using them bring to the institution? This podcast features a panel exploring these questions and trying to determine if there are international differentiators.

The discussion participants include:

Bas Cordewener, Manager International Collaboration, SURFfoundation
Eja Kliphuis, Educational Consultant, INHOLLAND University of Professional Education
Julie K. Little, Interim Director, ELI, EDUCAUSE
Cyprien P. Lomas, Director, Learning Centre, The University of British Columbia

Deciphering Social Networks

ckeller — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:18:37 -0500

Adoption and usage data regarding social networking trends by consumers has convinced many business and IT leadership teams that social network sites, and their technological underpinnings, can be viewed as viable usage models to satisfy the communication, information sharing, and collaboration needs of the enterprise. In addition, strategists believe that the technology that supports such sites should be considered a credible technological model to help guide internal deployments. Higher education institutions should be careful, however, that they don't blindly adopt solutions simply because they are popular at the moment. Strategists unfamiliar with the field of social networks beyond its technological aspects should pay attention to issues such as:

How culture influences awareness of, and engagement in, social networks
How social networks can be structured in different ways with, or without, technology as a mediation method
How relationship dynamics influence participation (e.g., politics)

Links to documents within this file might require secure access to restricted Web sites.

Burton Group (www.burtongroup.com) provides technically in-depth research and advisory services for colleges and universities, government agencies, and commercial enterprises. Burton Group's practical and unbiased research and advice helps technologists make smart IT infrastructure decisions in increasingly complex environments. Burton Group covers directories, identity management, application platforms, architecture, and network and telecom infrastructure topics. Like ECAR, Burton Group is an unbiased advocate for the user and more than 80% of Burton Group's clients are user organizations rather than suppliers. EDUCAUSE member institutions can become users of Burton Group research services through EDUCAUSE pricing. Burton Group is an ECAR partner and can be contacted by email at slesueur@burtongroup.com or by telephone (801-373-5767).

Curating Scientific Web Services and Workflow

ckeller — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:49:39 -0500

This article describes specific kinds of processes—web services and workflows—that are enjoying increasing adoption.

Higher Education as Virtual Conversation

ckeller — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:34:36 -0500

Virtual worlds can become an important tool in an educator’s arsenal. But using this tool requires a shift in thinking and an adjustment in pedagogical methods that will embrace the community, the fluid identity, and the participation—indeed, the increased conversation—that virtual spaces can provide.

Emergency Alerts via Facebook and MySpace Are New Ways to Reach Students

ckeller — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:54:48 -0500

"Colleges are experimenting with Facebook and other social networks to notify students about emergencies like crimes and floods—and get vital information in return. Most emergency-alert systems send out warnings. But social networks give students a chance to add on-the-scene reports or trade information if trouble hits. In addition to cell-phone and e-mail alerts, the social networks also give colleges yet another way to reach students in a crisis."

Collaboration Tools

ckeller — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:21:16 -0500

Students use technology in natural ways that allow them to do what they want: communicate with anyone they want, in the time and space that suits them best. Easily accessible and user-friendly, collaboration tools allow students to explore, share, engage, and connect with people and content in meaningful ways that help them learn. By relying on the familiar ways students use these tools, faculty can enable new forms of communication and engagement in the classroom, permitting extensions and variations of the informal interactions already occurring in classrooms and hallways, and creating new frontiers for collaboration across geographic boundaries.

Online Social Media in Crisis Events

ckeller — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:58:57 -0500

Investigation of recent disasters reveals use of online social media as an emergent, significant, and often accurate form of public participation and backchannel communication.

7 Things You Should Know About Ning

gdobbin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:54:04 -0500

Ning is an online service that allows users to create their own social networks and join and participate in other networks. No technical skill is required to set up a social network, and there are no limits to the number of networks a user can join. Users of Ning social networks have access to functionality similar to that of more well-known social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace. Various features allow users to read news or learn about related events, join groups, read and comment on blog entries, view photos and videos, and other activities as set up by the network creator. RSS feeds let users subscribe to updates from specific parts of the social network.

In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About…" briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

Collaborative Social Networking: Copyright Nightmare, Dream, or Reality?

drupal — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:04:16 -0500

The collaborative nature of sharing media in social networks can present varied and challenging copyright issues. The knowledgeable application of copyright laws, policies, and practices are keys in determining if the use of your creative works by others and vice versa will be a nightmare, dream, or reality.

Many Students Loosely Joined: Social Software to Support Distance Education Learners

ckeller — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:18:22 -0600

Over the past decade, colleges and universities have increasingly turned to the web to increase student access, expand course offerings, and reach out to adult learners through online courses. The growth of distance and online education has been mirrored by a similar explosion in social software tools such as Facebook, Second Life, blogs, wikis, Flickr, and a host of Web 2.0 competitors that offer new ways for us to learn with and from each other. As our Web 2.0 toolbox grows, so do faculty and administrator concerns about control, privacy, assessment, and the effectiveness of these tools in the classroom.

In this seminar, Anderson will highlight an educational model for distance and online learning that leverages social software to help both learners and educators determine the most effective tool and granularity of application for their learning needs. He will also demonstrate a number of current and emerging tools and share practices that promise to help us learn from and with each other with an emphasis on social learning that includes groups, networks, and the collective.

Facebook 2.0

elilly — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:32:43 -0600

"What challenges remain with this killer app? I suggest three: (1) user education, especially for adolescents and their parents; (2) new features connecting higher education's missions to the popular site; and (3) legal and policy considerations on a global scale."

Privacy related links of interest ...

mpasiewicz — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:57:06 -0600

I just discovered a series of interesting blog entries from Danny Weitzner, W3C Technology and Society Policy Director and co-director of MIT CSAIL. These aren't especially new links, but I thought they might be worth relaying ...

Reciprocal Privacy for the Social Web - provides an introduction for a proposal "to establish a reasonable privacy balance in social networking environment" using FOAF. Also of interest is a link from Shahan Khatchadourian describing the use of FOAF and OpenID to establish trust/prevent spam. Apparently the solution could be available from Ryan Lee as a Drupal module? In some ways, this sounds similar to the Social Network Portability concept mentioned by Stephen Downes.

Student Communication 2017: Meeting the IT and Networking Needs of Tomorrow’s Students

drupal — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:38:28 -0600

Students expect their university’s network to meet their academic and personal needs. So how can network administrators cope with a student body whose network needs for self-expression, learning, and creativity outpace the requirements of academic departments or (institutional) business practices? Is it possible (or just wishful thinking) to predict their demands? During this session, we will identify a few trends seen on today’s information-communication-technology landscape and address why we must continuously seek alternative and more efficient ways to meet the ICT services of tomorrow’s students.

7 Things You Should Know About Flickr

ckeller — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:50:19 -0600

Flickr is a photo-sharing website where anyone can upload and tag photos, browse others' photos, and add comments and annotations. Users can create photo sets and collections to manage content and participate in topical groups to cultivate a sense of community. Although Flickr is ostensibly for photos, the site might more aptly be described as a venue for sharing experiences and building relationships. The site provides the tools, but the value derives from the contributions of the user community -- photos, comments, ratings, and organization -- and the connections that the site facilitates between individuals. In this way, Flickr embodies what has come to be known as Web 2.0 technology.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.
In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About..." briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

The 2008 Horizon Report

drupal — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:07:25 -0600

The annual Horizon Report, a joint publication of the NMC and the ELI, highlights new technologies for teaching, learning, and creative expression. This session will review the research and process behind the report. The 2008 Horizon Report and its findings will be officially released at this session.

Virtual Worlds as Web 2.0 Learning Spaces

drupal — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:07:25 -0600

Virtual worlds such as Second Life offer powerful teaching and learning opportunities by integrating participatory, social, and immersive media for student-centered learning. Learn about Second Life, its use as a learning space, and its predictive role in the future of learning.

Supporting Knowledge Creation: Using Wikis for Group Collaboration

ckeller — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:59:51 -0600

This research bulletin examines the wiki philosophy and how it fits within the Web 2.0 context. While wikis offer a number of benefits for supporting knowledge creation in collaborative groups, the literature suggests a strong need to establish conventions to enable long-term success. Based on an extensive literature review, the results of a research project into blog and wiki use in Australian libraries, and evaluations of the wiki installation of the RUBRIC Project sponsored by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Science, and Training, the bulletin also examines how wiki technology can enable the online collaborative process.

Citation for this work: Watson, Kate, and Chelsea Harper. "Supporting Knowledge Creation: Using Wikis for Group Collaboration" (Research Bulletin, Issue 3). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Who's Afraid of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and the Big Bad CMS? A Digi-Drama About Fear 2.0

drupal — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:00:53 -0600

Web 2.0 tools have the power to transform education. Such a transformation requires that faculty, students, and institutions take risks. With those risks comes fear, which is often unarticulated. How do you tackle this fear and make real change? Join us to face this fear together in a multimedia, interactive miniplay.

Learning 2.0 at the McMaster University Library

drupal — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:00:52 -0600

Over the past year, the McMaster University Library has undertaken a radical transformation to accommodate the changing needs of our users. The transformation included a 12-week “learning 2.0” training program. The results have been significant. Come see how we did it and how we are using Web 2.0 daily.

RavenDesk: How Is Your Economics Course Like Your English Course?

drupal — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:00:51 -0600

RavenDesk is a web application through which students share conceptual connections between courses. Students thus build a view of their own and their campus’s intellectual life by exposing the interrelationships between courses. An ELI edition for conference presentations will also be available. See http://www.patrickgmj.net/project/eli-ravendesk.

Social Learning Using Cell Phone Technology at Montclair State University

drupal — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:52:02 -0600

Social learning enhances knowledge when students create learning environments by making connections among their peers and community. Educators struggle to develop innovative teaching strategies to meet the expectations of digital natives who are accustomed to this social environment. This presentation will describe how faculty at Montclair State University foster social learning using mobile technology.

ELI In Conversation: George Siemens and Michael Wesch Talk About Future Learning.

gbayne — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:48:53 -0600

In this podcast we feature a conversation between George Siemens, Associate Director of the Learning Technologies Centre at the University of Manitoba. and Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University It was recorded at the ELI 2008 Annual Meeting.

Michael Wesch presented a session entitled, "Human Futures for Technology and Education" at the ELI 2008 Annual Meeting. He also produced a video, which is referenced in this conversation, entitled "The Machine is Us/ing Us".

George Siemens presented a session entitled, "Connectivism" at the ELI 2008 Annual Meeting.

Why You Should Use Facebook

drupal — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:56:19 -0600

The phenomenon of social networking software like Facebook has been widely publicized. At UNC-Chapel Hill, over 90 percent of first year students are Facebook users. But is there utility for faculty and staff? Yes! This presentation will describe the uses of Facebook that might benefit many of us.

Sophisticated and Productive Tools for Higher Ed: Web 2.0

drupal — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:56:19 -0600

Higher education can benefit from the web 2.0 revolution, from simple tools that allow groups to communicate to combining databases that produce an entirely new product. Social networking, wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, videoblogs, and extensive use of multimedia are changing the way we process and use information.

Facebook Use on Campus: A Social Capital Perspective on Social Network Sites

ckeller — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:16:12 -0600

Presentation at the Sixth Annual ECAR Symposium, December 5-7, 2007, in Boca Raton, Florida. This talk reviews scholarship on social networking sites, focusing on the use of Facebook among undergraduate students. Nicole Ellison discusses findings from a recent study examining user practices and the social capital implications of Facebook use, demonstrating evidence of positive outcomes from some kinds of use. Educational applications of related technologies, such as blogging, is briefly discussed.

How to Cite This Work: Ellison, Nicole. "Facebook Use on Campus: A Social Capital Perspective on Social Network Sites." Presentation at the ECAR Symposium, Boca Raton, FL, December 5-7, 2007, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Analyzing & Improving Online Communities

ckeller — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:46:34 -0600

Presentation at the Sixth Annual ECAR Symposium, December 5-7, 2007, in Boca Raton, Florida. Successful online communities must be able to attract and retain a core of active participants. In this presentation, Robert Kraut will describe how the relationship between communities and new members develops. Because the relationship is especially fragile during newcomers' initial interactions, the success of these interactions is likely to determine whether the relationship survives. Kraut's analysis of over 200,000 messages from almost 25,000 newcomers to 99 Usenet groups shows that newcomers are much more likely to continue participating if their initial posts received replies, especially socially positive ones. Longitudinal studies and three field experiments show that introductions referencing commitment to the group increase the likelihood of getting a reply, while introductions emphasizing connections to the topic of discussion do not. This research both increases our understanding of a new social phenomenon and informs intervention that can improve the integration of newcomers into online communities.

How to Cite This Work: Kraut, Robert. "Analyzing & Improving Online Communities." Presentation at the ECAR Symposium, Boca Raton, FL, December 5-7, 2007, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

The Social Web

ckeller — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:40:50 -0600

Presentation at the Sixth Annual ECAR Symposium, December 5-7, 2007, in Boca Raton, Florida. The social web is reflecting a radical change in the nature of publishing: the who, what, why, and how of authoring is changing in ways not imagined even five years ago. In this talk we explore the new terrain of publishing and collaboration by visiting social web sites, and through online videos and even confessionals. We explore three key question areas: (1) Why is this happening? What are the technological and social drivers? (2) What does the social web mean for the future of authoring? Who will be in control? (3) Should information professionals support or resist these changes? How?

How to Cite This Work: Riedl, John. "The Social Web." Presentation at the ECAR Symposium, Boca Raton, FL, December 5-7, 2007, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

2008 Horizon Report

ckeller — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:38:49 -0600

The New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) jointly produced Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education within three adoption horizons over the next one to five years. The 2008 report focuses on the following topics;

Grassroots Video
Collaboration Webs
Mobile Broadband
Data Mashups
Collective Intelligence
Social Operating Systems

Highlights of the 2007 ECAR Study of Students and Information Technology

ckeller — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:27:47 -0600

Presentation at the Sixth Annual ECAR Symposium, December 5-7, 2007, in Boca Raton, Florida. What information technologies are used by undergraduates? How does IT contribute to their academic experiences and learning? What has changed since 2005? ECAR presents 10 key findings from the fourth annual survey of undergraduates, with responses from 27,846 students at 103 higher education institutions.
How to Cite This Work: Caruso, Judith Borreson, and Gail Salaway. "Highlights of the 2007 ECAR Study of Students and Information Technology." Presentation at the ECAR Symposium, Boca Raton, FL, December 5-7, 2007, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0

ckeller — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:58:50 -0600

Since the 1990s, we’ve been putting our Web courses in boxes, mastering enterprise course management systems, and striving for single sign-on seamless integration between all Web-enabled business and academic environments in each of our colleges and universities. Sometime around the turn of the century, however, explosive innovation on the open Web began to turn a “read only” environment into a “read/write” environment. With the development of RSS as a syndication platform, the read/write environment began to support and foster a very powerful, loosely coupled information architecture across the World Wide Web. In 2004, a group led by Tim O’Reilly gave this phenomenon a name: Web 2.0.

In this seminar, Campbell will explore the concepts behind Web 2.0, some of the individual tools and services (Flickr, Facebook, Second Life, del.icio.us) that are commonly listed under this rubric, and the implications of this phenomenon for teaching and learning, particularly in higher education. He will also present several ways in which he and his colleagues have used Web 2.0 tools and services, both as teachers and in their own learning, and comment on the good, the bad, and the ugly results. If time permits, he will also speak to the relationship between Web 2.0 and the open source software movement. Finally, he’ll offer some thoughts on what Web 3.0 might look like, and why educators should care.

An Inflection Point

ckeller — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:51:08 -0600

The following is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Gerry Bayne, EDUCAUSE multimedia
producer, at the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) 2007 Spring Task Force Meeting. The full podcast is available at <http://connect.educause.edu/blog/gbayne/
aninterviewwithmarcs/27041>.

Marc Smith's research focuses on computer-mediated collective action: the ways group dynamics change when they take place in and through social cyberspaces. Many “groups” in cyberspace produce public goods and organize themselves in the form of a commons. Smith's goal is to visualize these social cyberspaces, mapping and measuring their structure, dynamics and life cycles.

Wi-Fi 'illegal images' politician defends legislation

ckeller — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:58:14 -0600

The Democratic sponsor of a bill forcing anyone with an open Wi-Fi connection to report illegal images--or pay fines of up to $300,000--says a recent Internet outcry over the legislation misses the point.

Rep. Nick Lampson of Texas, who drafted the bill that the House of Representatives approved this week, said through a spokesman on Thursday that he didn't actually mean to target Americans who happen to have Wi-Fi access points at home. The legislation also covers social-networking sites, domain name registrars, Internet service providers, and e-mail service providers such as Hotmail and Gmail.

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

ckeller — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:21:21 -0600

Social network sites (SNSs) are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach. This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together scholarship on these emergent phenomena. In this introductory article, we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition. We then present one perspective on the history of such sites, discussing key changes and developments. After briefly summarizing existing scholarship concerning SNSs, we discuss the articles in this special section and conclude with considerations for future research.

Social Software in Higher Education: Isolated Accidents or the Start of Something Big?

drupal — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:39:00 -0600

Blogs, wikis, and networking tools appear to gain widespread acceptance. How are higher education professionals using social software tools in their practice? Is there any convergence with what students using them bring to the institution? We will invite participation to explore these questions and determine if there are international differentiators.

Undergraduates Speak about IT: Results of the 2007 ECAR Survey

drupal — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:17:57 -0600

What information technologies are used by undergraduates? How does IT contribute to their academic experiences and learning? What has changed since 2005? ECAR presents key findings from the fourth annual survey of undergraduates, with responses from 27,846 students at 103 higher education institutions. Plans for 2008 will also be discussed.

Teaching and Learning Experiences in a User-Created Virtual World

drupal — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:49:43 -0600

Second Life is a user-created virtual world simultaneously played by thousands of people around the world. In this session, we’ll share our experiences of teaching in Second Life. Using the interaction combinations integration model we developed as a framework, we will describe our projects, outcomes, and recommendations.

Social Networking Technologies: A "Poke" for Campus Services

drupal — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:24:34 -0600

Social networking software like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube has become a way of life for today's students. In this session, we will explore whether and how we might use these technologies, or ideas they generate, to create better and more effective student and academic services at our institutions.

Let's Get Visual! Integrating Concept Maps, Rich Media, Social Software, and the LMS into Teaching and Learning

drupal — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:56:46 -0500

Today’s students favor visuals and social computing tools, while instructors want to foster the development of deep, expert knowledge. Using concept maps connects student desires and instructor objectives. INHOLLAND University of Professional Education and the University of British Columbia have innovatively linked concept maps, rich media, and Web-based content.

At INHOLLAND University students learn in a visual and social online environment, using concept maps to engage in argumentation, writing, reflection, and brainstorming. Combinations of concept maps and rich media with a learning management system, wikis, and blogs help students create a unique yet structured viewpoint that retains a bird’s-eye view of complex ideas and concepts.

Instructors and staff from INHOLLAND, SURFdiensten, and UBC will discuss the process of choosing, implementing, and piloting a new concept mapping tool; demonstrate 10-plus practices and templates; and present tools in a hands-on manner.

Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World: A Report to the OCLC Membership

ckeller — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:11:59 -0500

The practice of using a social network to establish and enhance relationships based on some common ground—shared interests, related skills, or a common geographic location—is as old as human societies, but social networking has flourished due to the ease of connecting on the Web. This OCLC membership report explores this web of social participation and cooperation on the Internet and how it may impact the library’s role, including:

The use of social networking, social media, commercial and library services on the Web
How and what users and librarians share on the Web and their attitudes toward related privacy issues
Opinions on privacy online
Libraries’ current and future roles in social networking

The report is based on a survey (by Harris Interactive on behalf of OCLC) of the general public from six countries—Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States—and of library directors from the U.S. The research provides insights into the values and social-networking habits of library users.