In my experience working with academic staff and my university's learning management system, it seems that most staff tend to use an LMS as a web 1.0 materials distribution tool, and much less as a web 2.0 social learning tool. I hear from staff that even their most basic use of the LMS often stems from student demand for more flexible access to materials online.
Adam Blake, University of Auckland
* At Harvard, students unhappy with the university's centralised portal created their own portal using Netvibes, called Crimson Connect, complete with RSS feeds bringing in content from the university's LMS. But university administration required password-protected content to be withdrawn from the site.
* Unitec is a large Auckland polytechnic where Blackboard is the chosen LMS. Senior academics there concerned at the divide between student familiarity with web 2.0 tools and their own understanding formed a community of practice to become familiar with these social technologies (see 'Case Study1: Dummies2Delight' halfway down the page, complete with a link to a short YouTube video of the participants' thoughts when they first met with their tutor Thom Cochrane). Thom came to talk to staff at the the University of Auckland last month regarding his experiences with this project.
* This very short article from the latest EDUCAUSE review highlights the tension between centralised control of IT in learning organisations like universities and the demands of connected net-savvy students to use social tools of their own choice.
Do these cases suggest a continuum in demand and comfort levels in relation to web 2.0 learning technologies, being typically high for students, at a mid-range for academics, and low for all but the most progressive university adminstrators?
In terms of analysis of these cases using the ETEC522 cube [thanks Tracey!], 'who is the customer'? Is 'learning technology competing with other forms of learning'?
2 comments:
Wow. You guys did an amazing job with this module! In fact, I can say with certainty that this is hands down the best job I've ever seen anyone in the MET do at organizing/moderating a learning experience for classmates.
BRAVO!
...now. To answer your question. I agree with your breakdown of student, academic and administrative users in terms of Web 2.0 savvy. I don't think tech is competing with other forms of learning. I think academics and administrators are competing with each other over who gets to control learning.
That's all I'll say here because we're supposed to discuss in CrowdTrust, but, I was just so excited to see this that I couldn't resist!
-Kyle.
Thanks for your praise Kyle! We'll look forward to your posts in CrowdTrust.
Ada=)
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