Using new technologies in teaching USTLG Summer Meeting 2006 Kara Jones University of Bath

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Follow on… Reading list on Connotea with the tag ustlg My weblog bathsciencenews.blogspot.com

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Introduction Paint some pictures Identify some trends Millennials Education Information and knowledge Suggest some connections

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Millennials / Digital Natives Millennials Generation X 1960–1981 Baby Boomers and under78.07% 21 to % 25 to % 40 and over2.01% 2005 Accepted Applicants - UCAS

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Millennial characteristics ‘Optimistic, adaptive, flexible, collaborative, format agnostic and forever entrepreneurial’ (Brynko 2006) Gravitate toward group activity; fascinated by new technologies; believe ‘it’s cool to be smart’; are racially and ethnically diverse; and often have at least one immigrant parent (Oblinger, D. 2003)

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Millennial characteristics Learning preferences tend toward: teamwork experiential activities structure use of technology Their strengths include: multitasking goal orientation positive attitudes A collaborative style. (Jones, S. 2002, qtd in Oblinger, D. 2003)

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Characteristics of Millennials Values forming messages: Be smart – you are special Leave no-one behind (equitable and diverse) Connect 24/7, interdependent on family, friends and teachers Achieve now! Serve your community (volunteer) General characteristics: Confident, “computers aren’t technology” Hopeful-optimistic, positive Inclusive (team orientated); staying connected; zero tolerance for delays Goal – and achievement – orientated (achievers); doing rather than knowing Civic-minded (Jonas-Dwyer, D & Pospisil, R. 2004)

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Education characteristics Move from e-learning to c-learning: Community, communication or collaboration  Web 2.0 Learning is a social process “It takes a village to teach a child” (Lemke qtd in Owen et al, 2006) Themes of personalisation, collaboration and learning to learn (Owen et al, 2006, p. 9)

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Information characteristics Shift in the nature of knowledge and how knowledge is created and organised. ‘… our knowledge structure has been determined by the economies of organising things on paper and … new technologies allow different approaches’. (Weinberger qtd in Owen et al 2006, p. 44) ‘Age of the amateur’ – cottage industry of e- publishing.

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Information Characteristics Development of knowledge creating and sharing communities known as ‘communities of practice’ where reflection and feedback are important collaborative processes.  social software of weblogs, wikis, collaborative online word processors… Bottom-up rather than top-down classification of information  social bookmarking, tagging and folksonomies

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Millennial characteristics Think analogue is static and dull Gaps in critical thinking and research skills Poorly versed in technology tools or Web resources needed for academic work Ill-acquainted with concepts of intellectual property, plagiarism. (Brindley, L )

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Teaching and learning strategies Include opportunities for electronic communication and interaction. Include opportunities for experiential and authentic learning activities. Include group activities, allow friends to work together. Set goals and provide frequent feedback. Build in opportunities for community related learning. (Jonas-Dwyer, D & Pospisil, R. 2004)

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Teaching and Learning Tools Forums Weblogs Wikis Social bookmarking Podcasts RSS Feeds

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool

Weblog features Reflective tools Highlighting a path of progression Strengthening evaluation skills Improving written communication skills Community building Maturing with incorporation into more ‘scholarly’ platforms

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Wiki features Easy to create websites Project development with peer review Group authoring Track a group project Using a wiki “pulls” the group members together to build and edit the document on a wiki page, which strengthens the community within the group, Allows group members with overlapping or similar ideas to see and collaboratively build on each other’s work. Allows all group members immediate, equal access to the most recent version of the document. (‘Using Wiki in Education’, 2006)

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool RSS Newsfeed features RSS newsfeeds on regularly updated websites Feedreaders manage and read feeds Tools for organising new information into manageable chunks Used for keeping up to date

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool Social technologies in teaching Characteristics of millennial learners: teamworkers, multi-taskers, 24/7 connected… Community, collaboration and communication – learning as a social process Social software can be used to engage millennial learners in ways that work best for them. Social software is generally inexpensive or free, and template based, requiring less technical skills and allowing focus on the content.

Kara Jones :: University of Bath Library & Learning Centre :: USTLG 2006 Liverpool References Brindley, L ‘A world of contrasts: information literacy in the digital world’. LILAC 2006, 29 March Byrnko, B ‘Of Millennials and mashups’. Information Today 23(4) 2006, p. 29. Holliday, W. & Qin,L ‘Understanding the millennials: updating our knowledge about students’ Reference Services Review 32(4), pp Jonas-Dwyer, D & Pospisil, R “The Millennial effect: Implications for academic development”, HERDSA 2004 Conference Proceedings. Accessed: 1 June 2006 Oblinger, D Boomers, Gen-Xers & Millennials: Understanding the new students. Educause, July/August [ Accessed 10 June 2006, pp Owens, M., Grant, L, Sayers, S. & K. Facer Social Software and learning. Futurelab: Bristol, UK. [ Accessed: 14 June Seely Brown, J Learning, Working & Playing in the Digital Age. Conference on Higher Education of the American Association for Higher Education Accessed: 14 June UCAS, UCAS Data: Accepted Applicants by Age. Accessed: 19 June 2006 ‘Using Wiki in Education’ The Science of Spectroscopy Accessed: 20 June 2006