1、Blogs and Wikis in Blackboard,NERCOMP - Blackboard User Group, December 6, 2006 Barbara Knauff, Senior Instructional Technologist Academic Computing,Session Overview,Bb at Dartmouth Why blogs and wikis? Learning Objects implementation Use cases Tips,Dartmouth,4,100 undergrads 1,600 graduate/professi
2、onal students 475 faculty 400-500 courses/term,Dartmouth,Residential student body No distance ed programs Study abroad 50% Face-to-face instruction at core of institutional identity Liberal arts Bb used as a supplement,Bb at Dartmouth,1999: adopted CourseInfo 2002: integration with Banner 2006: more
3、 than 2/3 of courses have active Bb site Cross-platform support crucial (40% Mac users),Bb growth,Early uses of Bb,Tool adoption weighted towards administrative functions Instructor disseminates content Students consume content One-way street: faculty to student,So whats the problem?,“ students do n
4、ot always complete the readings, so sometimes come to class with no ideas and questions about new knowledge.”,So whats the problem?,“The issue with which I really struggle is that students seem to not want to think or take responsibility for their own learning.”,So whats the problem?,“Another proble
5、m that new technologies may address is the range of student competence ”,So whats the problem?,“ students often seem unwilling to apply what they know to their classmates presentations.”,So whats the problem?,“ students want to be fed the answers to the test questions.”,Deeper Learning Principles,So
6、cial Active Contextual Engaging Student-owned,Carmean, Colleen and Jeremy Haefner. “Mind over Matter: Transforming Course Management Systems into Effective Learning Environments.“ Educause Review, Nov/Dec. 2002, pp. 27-34.,Tools for deeper learning,Discussion Boards Wikis Blogs or online journals,Sh
7、ared attributes,Asynchronous Collaborative Multi-media possible Text-centered,Discussion Boards,Implemented in Bb Limitations: Linear structure Can be cumbersome to read Focus on text No cross-platform WYSIWYG editor Cannot embed media in page No commenting Access: all or nothing,Blogs,Simple web pu
8、blishing Chronological presentation Shared or individual Support comments,Wikis,“A web application that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows anyone to edit the content.” (Source: wikipedia) A website (non-linear, hyperlinked) Collectively authored Supports comments,B
9、logs and Wikis in Bb,Based on Building Block technology Enterprise clients only Learning Objects: http:/ Substantial cost Cross-platform support Excellent customer support Rapid development cycle,Basic clients?,Link to free services from within Bb No seamless authentication integration No integrated
10、 assessment Recommended services: PB Wiki: http:/ Blogger: http:/,Teams LX,“Teams Site” = wiki Nomenclature and icon switch=,Teams LX,Create a wiki in any content area,Teams LX,Assign name and description,Teams LX,Grant editing privileges based on groups,Teams LX,Grant editing privileges to individu
11、als,Teams LX,Set availability,Teams LX,Set dates for editing,Teams LX,Set dates for viewing/commenting,Teams LX,Ability to create gradebook entry,Teams LX,Ability to set text direction,Teams LX,Cross-platform WYSIGYG toolbar IE Firefox Unsupported browsers - can edit HTML,Teams LX,Toolbar supports:
12、Word-like changes in display Links Images File uploads Special characters HTML editing mode pseudo-CSS,Teams LX,Editing history for each page,Teams LX,Version changes highlighted,Teams LX,Ability to revert to prior versions Other tools: Page list Search tool Export tool,Teams LX,Assess Wikis (Contro
13、l Panel),Wiki examples,Scientific Basis of Medicine Program (SBM.Program-AY0607): Student presentation of medical case studies Use of pathology images crucial,Wiki examples,Whitman and Dickinson (ENGL.066.01-SU06): Class-built literary glossary Class-built annotated bibliography Tendency to append,
14、not overwrite,Wiki examples,Composition and Research (WRIT.002.04-FA06) Collection of sources Class-built historical synopsis Orphaned pages,Wiki examples,Expository Writing (WRIT.005.13.14-FA06) Group web project instead of paper Multi-media included Course administration: signup sheets,Wiki exampl
15、es,Expository Writing (WRIT.005.01-FA06) Student-generated questions Wiki functions like an erasable whiteboard,Wiki examples,Biology & Politics of Starvation (BIOL.009.01-SSOC.009.01-WI06) Final projects Charts and images Some poor design choices (colors, width),Wiki examples,Collaborative article
16、(ORG.computing.curricular.CMS-article) Used wiki as shared writing space,Wiki positives,Student engagement and ownership Multi-media Sharing work in class / outside of class Wikis enhance other work,Wiki positives,“Group writing doesnt produce good papers - but the next individual paper will be impr
17、oved” Engages deeper learning principles: Social, active, contextual, engaging, student-owned,Wiki problems,Confusion between general course wiki and wikis deployed in content areas Confusion between “edit page” and “new page” Concept of linked web of pages difficult Browser problems (Safari) Locked
18、-up documents Assessment difficult Poorly designed sites, image sizing problems Orphaned pages Flashy instead of substantive,Wiki suggestions, 1,Brief & clear technical instructions Disable course wiki Clearly define expectations of wiki assignments Create demo wiki for students Consider “seeding” w
19、ikis/pre-establishing structure Dont expect beauty Be aware of time commitment required,Wiki suggestions, 2,Be aware of file size quota Iterative process: Create Review and comment, feedback Refine Final Assessment Consider separating process/product in assessment Require commenting,Journals LX,Anal
20、ogous to Teams LX “Journal Site” = blogs Nomenclature and icon switch=,Journals LX,Single-page Multi-author Users can only edit their own posts Versioning Commenting No assessment tool Option: students can view only own posts Option: RSS feed,Sample journal assignments,Individual reading or progress
21、 journals Group project progress reports Student blogs Peer review Link collection,Journals example,Latinos in Media/Arts LATS.041.01-FA05 Student link collections,Journals positives,Easy for students to use Good replacement for some single-page wikis Alternative to discussion board,Journal problems
22、,Less used at Dartmouth than wikis Student engagement seems lower Few technical/conceptual problems Browser problems Problems similar to discussion board: Student motivation Integration with course,Expo LX,Formerly called “Backpack” Not deployed at Dartmouth Blogs, wikis associated with user Module-based (not course) Rudimentary permissioning E-portfolios Personal student spaces,Conclusion,Contact: barbara.knauffdartmouth.edu Slides: http:/www.dartmouth.edu/bknauff/NERCOMP2006/Questions!,
