Using E-Learning 2.0 Tools in Business Education: A case Study Andriani PIKI - José-Rodrigo CÓRDOBA School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London, UK

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Overview 1.Background - current learning needs 2.Using blogs in Business Education 3.Findings 4.Web 2.0 tools – Opportunities and Challenges 5.Conclusions

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Background - current learning needs Need for improving career prospects Learn to work efficiently in groups of people from different cultures and diverse professional or academic backgrounds. Learn how to use technologies to collaborate effectively with collocated, distributed, and mobile members. Need for interaction and socialising – learning from each other Life-long learning – continuous development Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) anything anytime anywhere with anyone

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Using blogs in Business Education: a case study Research aim: –Explore how the use of Collaborative Technologies (blogs) affects the learning experience Participants: –43 postgraduate students in MSc in Business Information Systems. Diversity of students: –Diverse academic and professional backgrounds –Ages raging from 20 to 45 –68% have previous work experience. –81% are international students, only 8 of 43 were European students. Pedagogical approach = Blended Learning

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Using blogs in Business Education: a case study

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Using blogs in Business Education: a case study Qualitative data collection methods: Participant observation – Ethnography Focus groups Monitoring the blogs 4 emerging themes: Collaborative Learning Individual Learning Motivation to participate on the blog Instructor’s active role and feedback

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Findings – 'Collaborative Learning’ Experiencing different perspectives IB: “The advantage is that you learn things from different people…Your horizon of learning increases.” Communication skills EC: “I think group work improves your skills of communicating with other people” Beneficial for future career CC: “I think it’s a big advantage to work as a group because you have to be ready to work like that in the future life and it is really important for us.”

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Findings – ‘Individual Learning’ Blogs are a goldmine of information EB: “The blogs for example when we were doing the actual coursework they were quite helpful because you had an overview of what we’ve done the whole term.” Blogs facilitate the individual assignment EA: “On my assignment I’ve read at least 4 other groups’ blogs just to check other perspectives while writing my assignment which is a profit in knowledge.”

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Findings – ‘Motivation to participate on the blog’ Motivating factors for using the blogs: Helpful information for the assignment. The information was in simple, daily language. By reading other blogs, students ensured they are on the right track. An alternative way for students to express their thoughts. A useful tool for remembering the course content. FA: “We had the things written by our own hands so it was more helpful to remember things.”

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Findings – ‘Motivation to participate on the blog’ Reasons for low participation on the blogs: The blogs were not assessed and participation was optional. Interviewer: Do you think marking the group work would affect it positively or negatively? DA: Personally, if you apply it to me it could work positively because I would put more effort in when I am assessed. DD: Yeah because there is motivation behind. If there is motivation then we have more interest to find information and things. Students were not posting comments to avoid conflicts.

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Findings – ‘Instructor’s active role and feedback’ Feedback is important Interviewer: What do you think about the feedback from [the instructor]? Was it helpful? FB: For me it was helpful because each time I read the blog I also read the comments because I think it helps us for writing the next time. FA: It provides motivation and guidance.

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Overview of findings Abstract framework showing the themes and the relationships between them. Collaborative Learning Motivation to participate on the blog Individual Learning Instructor’s active role and feedback

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Web 2.0 tools – Benefits and Challenges Autonomy Creativity Collaboration Inclusivity Writing skills Critical thinking Sharing experiences Benefits For studentsFor instructors Ongoing (formative) assessment of students’ understanding Stronger teacher-student relationships Need for moderation Need for continuous and timely feedback Challenges Unclear expectations Low participation Motivation Limited or no experience with Web 2.0 tools

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Conclusions The integration of Web 2.0 tools facilitates learning and helps students develop skills useful for their future careers: –Working in groups –Using technology The vision: new pedagogical models that utilise Web 2.0 tools for empowering learning and collaboration: –amongst students, –between the students and the teacher, –within a community of learners.

Piki and Cordoba - eLSE Using E-Learning 2.0 Tools in Business Education: A case Study Andriani PIKI - José-Rodrigo CÓRDOBA