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/professional students 475 faculty 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 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 what’s the problem? “… students do not always complete the readings, so sometimes come to class with no ideas and questions about new knowledge.”

So what’s 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 what’s the problem? “Another problem that new technologies may address is the range of student competence […]”

So what’s the problem? “… students […] often seem unwilling to apply what they know to their classmates’ presentations.”

So what’s the problem? “… students […] want to be fed the ‘answers’ to the test questions.”

Deeper Learning Principles Social 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

Tools for deeper learning Discussion Boards Wikis Blogs or online journals

Shared 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 publishing 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)wikipedia A website (non-linear, hyperlinked) Collectively authored Supports comments

Blogs and Wikis in Bb Based on Building Block technology Enterprise clients only Learning Objects: 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 assessment Recommended services: –PB Wiki: –Blogger:

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 individuals

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: –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 (Control Panel)

Wiki examples Scientific Basis of Medicine Program (SBM.Program-AY0607):SBM.Program-AY0607 –Student presentation of medical case studies –Use of pathology images crucial

Wiki examples Whitman and Dickinson (ENGL SU06):ENGL SU06 –Class-built literary glossary –Class-built annotated bibliography –Tendency to append, not overwrite

Wiki examples Composition and Research (WRIT FA06)WRIT FA06 –Collection of sources –Class-built historical synopsis –Orphaned pages

Wiki examples Expository Writing (WRIT FA06)WRIT FA06 –Group web project instead of paper –Multi-media included –Course administration: signup sheets

Wiki examples Expository Writing (WRIT FA06)WRIT FA06 –Student-generated questions –Wiki functions like an erasable whiteboard

Wiki examples Biology & Politics of Starvation (BIOL SSOC WI06)BIOL SSOC WI06 –Final projects –Charts and images –Some poor design choices (colors, width)

Wiki examples Collaborative article (ORG.computing.curricular.CMS-article)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 doesn’t produce good papers - but the next individual paper will be improved” 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-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” wikis/pre-establishing structure Don’t 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 Analogous 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 journals Group project progress reports Student blogs Peer review Link collection

Journals example Latinos in Media/Arts LATS FA05 LATS FA05 –Student link collections

Journals positives Easy for students to use Good replacement for some single-page wikis Alternative to discussion board

Journal problems 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: Slides: RCOMP2006/ RCOMP2006/ Questions!