Category Archives: LIN
Twitter in Higher Education
For the uninitiated, Twitter is a messaging service that limits you to 140 characters and spaces per post (or per tweet)
The advantage for a lecturer is that you don’t need to know the phone numbers of students to get messages onto their device: they are the ones who authorize their mobile phone from the website and they subscribe to your Twitter feed.er “tweet”).
Twitter is basically a potential alternative to email, instant messaging and discussion forums, as ways of communicating with students.
Students can also use this when doing their classwork, trying to understand the material. Tweet: “I don’t understand what this reading has to do with New Media? any ideas?” Other students then respond. (This actually happened recently in a class)
Students can follow someone else who is on Twitter, who interests them. For example if they are thinking about technology in education they can follow @topgold who works for LIT and Tweets about a range of topics including the use of technology in education
Twitter integrates with blogs and other Web pages, providing Flash and JavaScript code options that allow Web pages to access Twitter updates.
What are the downsides?
The most common criticism of Twitter is that it enables inane interaction. Tweets that say nothing more than “I’m eating pickles” or “Really tired today” are not uncommon, and, indeed, the value of such postings to the casual user is minimal. TO be honest I just don’t follow people who put up posts like this. However there even when you have an ideal set of people to follow, as an asynchronous broadcast service, there is no guarantee that any individual tweet will be read, let alone responded to.
The selection of video tutorials below are taken from YouTube and will help you to set up your twitter account. Click on the small box in the bottom left of the youtube screen to get the full list of youtube tutorials available through this list
For more information on Twitter please below a link to useful websites I have found on Twitter
Making online quizzes using Moodle
Frequent in-class quizzes have been associated with positive learning outcomes including increased student achievement, attendance, and confidence (Ruscio, 2001; Wilder, Flood, & Stomsnes, 2001). Frequent quizzing reportedly maintains student study effort and promotes course engagement (Smith et al., 2000; Sporer, 2001). In general students rate the quizzes favorably and believe they are helpful in preparing for in-class examinations. Practice tests help students evaluate their learning and focus study effort accordingly (Maki, 1998).
Blogging through WordPress
WordPress is a fabulous facility that allows any member of the public to create their own blog / website. A blog is a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries (“posts”) Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. There are a selection of tools available to help you with your blog; the most common of which is “WordPress”.
There are two different sites – WordPress.com and WordPress.org
WordPress.org is the website where the free WordPress software can be downloaded. For no charge, WordPress.org provides downloadable blog software, community mailing lists, community support forums, documentation, and free themes and plugins.
WordPress.com is different. You do not have to download software, pay for hosting or manage a web server. When you sign up for a WordPress.com blog, you will get a URL like “andy.wordpress.com” or you can map a domain so your blog is available at “example.com” without the “.wordpress.com” portion. You do not control the software or the database; FTP and shell access are not included. As a result most first time bloggers opt for wordpress.com. For more information on the differences between wordpress.com and wordpress.org please click the link below
http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/
The selection of video tutorials below are taken from YouTube and will help you to set up your own blog through WordPress.com. Click on the small box in the bottom left of the youtube screen to get the full list of youtube tutorials available through this list
I also have collated a series of links related to blogs and they are available through http://www.diigo.com/user/markglynn/blogs
What question would you ask policy makers in HE if you got the chance?
As part of a MSc program that I’m doing in DIT I have the opportunity to interview some policy makers and other people very high up the “food chain” in higher education in Ireland. The subject of my interview is the “impact of a staff development course that I gave in technology enhanced learning“.
As you can appreciate these opportunities don’t come along too often so I would appreciate any advice on questions that you would ask if you were in my shoes. This type of interview can go in so many different directions but any advice would be welcome. Please provide any advice in the comments box below or by e-mailing directly at mark.glynn (at) ioti.ie
Thanks in advance
Mark
Technology Enhanced Learning 