Using Cloudworks

See the Clouds below for help with a specific use of Cloudworks. If you have any questions that are not covered by this Cloudscape please email the team at: cloudworks@open.ac.uk

• What is Cloudworks? Cloudworks is a social networking site for finding, sharing and discussing learning and teaching ideas and designs.
• Core concepts. There are three key concepts associated with Cloudworks - the notion of 'Clouds', 'Cloudscapes' and ‘Cloudstreams’
• Clouds. A Cloud can be anything to do with learning and teaching. A Cloud could be: a short description of a learning and teaching idea, information about resources or tools for learning and teaching, detailed learning designs or case studies of practice, or a question for example “Have you any good examples of using mindmapping in teaching?” Each Cloud is 'social' in that it is possible to have a conversation around the Cloud and it is possible for you or anyone else to add relevant links, embedded content (like a video) or an academic reference.
• Cloudscapes. Clouds can be collected together into bundles or 'Cloudscapes' associated with a particular event, purpose or interest. For example you can have a Cloudscape associated with a conference, pulling together Clouds relating to papers, workshops or conference themes. A Cloudscape can be set up for a workshop or event where Clouds might include workshop resources, tools or activities. Cloudscapes can also be more general for example to stimulate debate about a particular teaching approach. A Cloud can be associated with any number of different Cloudscapes. We have identified several different types of Cloudscapes starting to emerge:
  
  • Conference Cloudscapes
  • Workshop Cloudscapes
  • Flash debates
  • Tricky and interesting questions
  • Aggregated resources
  • Learning Design Cloudscapes
  • Expert elicidation (for example collaborative literature reviews)
• Cloudstreams. It is possible to view and follow all the recent activity on a Cloudscape or of a particular person. Cloudstreams can be viewed on Cloudworks or you can set up an RSS feed for the Cloudstream.

You may also want to look at a 30 minute presentation plus audio about cloudworks.