This week I am writing a series on posts on the use of Web 2.0 with students for e-learning and I had promised to write about use with students today (looks like this series is going to continue into next week). But Kate reminded me that not everyone knows what Web 2.0 is! Which is really funny because I am very careful using terms like blogs, wikis and Web 2.0 since to a beginner you make them feel like you…
Inspired by Michelle Martin’s use of Ning for our Better Blog community, I decided to take a huge leap and go right out on a limb, which may well break and set up a etools and tips community using Ning for my live online session on “Video in E-learning” for e-Tips n Tools for the 2007 Australian E-learning Networks. Why Ning? It’s designed to appeal to users who want to create networks around specific interests or have limited technical skills…
Yesterday Suzanne posted “How to reach critical mass?” in EduBloggerWorld forum. She said “Every new education community I have joined has been slow to get off the ground, and eventually, I will stop coming and checking, as there is nothing new to read or respond to”. Having been involved with several online communities, I can totally understand Suzanne’s frustrations, and have often felt like giving up with some, many a time. But don’t, because when the “gems” come, they are…
Darren’s Day 3 task is to join forums (read Darren’s post on why you should participate in forums). His rationale is this builds relationships with people who have interests similar to you, builds profile of your blog, increases knowledge gain and increases readership of your blog. Why I participate in forums and online communities I already participate in forums – and would suggest that, with the way the Internet is evolving that you also get involved with online communities. For…
A week ago I posted that I had decided to persist with Twitter and Facebook because other people who I read are obviously getting them so hence they must be worth investigating. LOL some of them have contacted me and requested me to inform them when I “get it” so they can also “get it“. 🙂 At least they didn’t say to Google it to find the answer. Where I am with Twitter Yes, given my addictive personality, I have…
The number one rule I was told when I first started working (21 year ago – which is amazing as I am 21) was “don’t tell anyone anything about how we do what we do.” This rule was enforced by every biotechnology and aquaculture company I have worked for. The principle – what we are doing is unique, secret and if we share then others will know how to do it. I have always struggled with this philosophy for many…
Lots of my friends worry that I do not get out enough so I have got my leave pass (from my husband and kids) and I am going camping. Though I am not sure this was what my friends were thinking of, when they suggest I should get out more, because I am off to BarCamp. Okay I have not been to a BarCamp before but this is my interpretation of what it it about “BarCamp is an unconference where…
I have been doing some more thinking and research about Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox article Participation Inequality: Encouraging More Users to Contribute (October 9, 2006) where he states” User participation often more or less follows a 90-9-1 rule: 90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don’t contribute) 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions: it can seem as if they…
Darren at Drape’s Takes did a really good post on remembering that it is a global community we need to avoid ego-centric references to our own particular culture. After spending quite a bit of time setting up a new wiki for my individual learnscope project I stopped and reflected only to realised that global communities is also about not offending any demographic groups if you want people to actually participate in your site. I have received funding to do an…
What is the point of social networking if people won’t participate? Inequality of participation (i.e. large number of users but only a very small percentage of the users actually contribute) is a common frustration for online forums, blogs, wikis and social networking sites. I know myself I often think what is the point in contributing in online forums when I am the minority? And most of the others are just lurking. Well I have decided that it does not matter…