Knikki’s Blog
GMU Web 2.0 Class Blog
Creating Social Software-based learning environments has its pluses and minuses. Social software seems to be very popular with the under teenage crowd with dealing with communicating with friends and for the 21 - early thirty crowd it seems to be used more as a networking tool to catch up with friends. Using environments like Facebook and Myspace to create a learning environment would be a challenge sense those tools are more person focused, it sort of reminds me of a public/semi-private virtual chat room where people post their business for all to see. It is difficult for me to see how tools such as those can be used to create a learning environment. I think tools such as those would work possibly in a corporate environment as a get to know you coworkers/team members type tool, offering embedded tools for personality tests, strength and weaknesses tests etc.
It is easier for me to see a clearer application for tools such as flicker, blogs, and organizational tools such as del.icio.us. These tools offer a specific functional capabilities without it being tied to one specific purpose such as Facebook.
It is exciting to see how far the internet has since 1994. The use of the internet as a collaboration environment of ideas, resources and knowledge is further advanced using Web 2.0 tools. Although web 2.0 enhances the communication between people, social groups and countries I wonder how much it has taken away from humans social ability to communication person to person face to face. This semester I am taking three courses offered in an online environment and one that was offered half face to face and half online. I am finding that the class that was offered half online and half face to face appeals to me a bit more than the ones that are offered strictly online.
In my educational research class I am doing a study on how motivation impact the learners satisfaction of online classes. The study evaluates the difference between students who are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated and there level of satisfaction. (I will continue to update this blog provide further information and details on the study)
