Live Blog for the BbWorld13 session: Blackboard Learn’s New Social Learning Network
Presenters: Melissa Stange, Francesca Goneconti Monaco, Terry Patterson
Session Description:
This presentation will cover the following:
- Differences between existing social networks & Bb learn’s new global learning network
- Benefits of using Bb’s Social Tools
- How to implement
- Lessons Learned
- Answers to common concerns
- Q&A
Session Begins at 2pm:
Overview of Social Learning Tools:
What is Social Learning – not one clear definition. We all have different ways of describing it. Introduced back in the 70’s. Learning that takes place at a wider scale than individual or group learning, up to a societal scale, through social interrogation between peers.
“Learners learning from each other”
Why Now? – Because of the expectations and needs of today’s active learners. For today’s students in our highly connected, information intensive world, learning is a 24/7 enterprise and the traditional school day is no more!
What students want in education mirrors what they experience outside of education.
Easily connect with educational community online. (facebook not ideal) Educational network is different.
Educational Network – current and former classmates, professors, clubs, committees. (not just friends). In current social network it is hard to identify who is in your educational network.
Desire to keep networks separate! 60% of students say they want to keep academic and social lives separate. Same amoutn think it is important to have an online forum to communicate with other students. Cautious of mixing academic and social lives.
What are the tools?
Global Learning Network that connects users across/within institutions and countries.
How students see networks:
Facebook = Social
LinkedIn = Professional
Blackboard = Learning
Profiles – (photo/description) & Profile Wall.
People – Ability for users to discover learning network online. Directory of entire institution, courses, global learning network
Spaces – Ad-Hoc group area. Spaces can be created in less than a minute by anyone for anything. (Study groups, research projects, interest groups, departments)
Messages – Asynchronously communicate 1 to 1 and with a group of people
Social profile tools go beyond basic and reach out to global connections. Cloud gives identity, social lets you connect, collaborate and communicate.
Plan – Find early Adopters (Departments, programs, etc) Discover issues, questions and impact on faculty staff, students.
Policy – Find and fill gaps on current policies. Create new policies to fill in gaps. Clear policy and where information is stored with affected parties on campus.
Procedures – Develop procedures to apply policy changes. Who implements/manages the procedures.
Implement – Pilot Group then full release.
Educate – Social Media vs. Social Learning
Usage, Intellectual Property, Harassment, social Accountability & Responsibility
FERPA directory information
Town Halls & Email Alerts
Bb Demos
Within 1st 1/2 hour 72 people adopted. Made MyBb a tab.
Reporting on SysAdmin tab is on the Road Map.
help.blackboard.com has great FAQs and a communication & Adoption toolkit as well as videos on Youtube.
There’s more to learn video – a day in the life of a student using social learning tools.
eLearning Frenzy 