Enabling collaborative student learning in a Free (Cyber) world

Enabling collaborative student learning in a Free (Cyber) world

Ela Beaumont, Cristina Mendes da Costa
University of Salford, United Kingdom

Web 2.0 redefines the way people communicate and connect (Attwell, 2007, Wesch, 2009). At the University of Salford, we are taking on this (r)evolution, adding Computer Mediated Communication for study skills support, meeting the needs of our international students, especially when not physically present on campus. This workshop examines tools currently available, looks at bridging divisions between open and proprietary, public and private, offering an interactive opportunity to discuss and test this accessible technology for students.The workshop is based on a joint project between the Learning Technology Centre, the Research and Graduate College, and Study Skills in Student Life examining the learning needs of international students, especially group work and problem based learning; activities that are often unfamiliar. We regard learning as a process of discovery with students as generators of knowledge. We will facilitate a hands-on session with ample opportunity to test collaborative web 2.0 tools.Blogs, Podcasts, videos, photosharing, social bookmarking, communal and collaborative spaces, shared chatrooms and easy webpage editors are all possibilities available on the web to students (Abram, 2006), representing an important part learners’ formal and informal realities in a global context (Cross, 2007). Softwareand web 2.0 advances represent a paradigmatic conceptual shift; traditional virtual learning environments foster traditional, teacher-dominated pedagogic practices, new technologies enable learners to take ownership of their own learning. Participants in this workshop will test the usability of the technology, and evaluate how it applies to their own students' circumstances.We will model good innovative practice by demonstrating how to facilitate a conversation around the pedagogical and collaborative side of web 2.0 tools. Participants can share their experiences, ideas and questions, illustrating theory into practice through an active voice in the analysis of new technologies for learning. Highly interactive, according with a general shift in higher education away from a traditional, lecture-oriented “instructional paradigm” to a new “learning paradigm”, we offer a workshop on student learning and collaboration needs, anticipating a lively debate on the advantages and disadvantages of the technology and implications for independent and autonomous student learning that is appropriately mentored and supported.

Rebecca Galley
4:14PM 22 June 2010