Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:57:45 BST CiteULike: berthelemy's library [12 articles] http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy CiteULike.org en-gb Copyright © 2004-2008 citeulike.org http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1890001 <i>(2007)</i><br /><br />During the past few years, blogging, the keeping of a regularly updated online journal, has enabled individuals and organizations to quickly and easily share information and links with a large set of readers. Nonetheless, most bloggers write about their everyday lives and generally have a small audience of regular readers. These readers usually respond to the bloggers’ specific entries (referred to as blog posts) by entering short messages (known as comments) on the same blog. Moreover, the readers are often times bloggers themselves and acknowledge their favorite blogs by adding them to their blogrolls, lists of links to other blogs that are posted on most blogs. In reviewing the social structures created by blogrolls and blog comments, it is unclear how these relationships and social networks were formed. Did these social networks emerge due to blogging or are these blogospheres merely representations of real life social networks? In other words, do blogs help facilitate the formation of new friendships or do they emphasize existing relationships in the real world? Furthermore, how do the social aspects of blogging differ across various cultures? Examining the link between blogs and real life social networks, this thesis presents a study of three blog communities: bloggers in Kuwait, bloggers in Dallas/Ft. Worth, and bloggers in the United Arab Emirates. Noor Ali-Hasan: Master's Thesis - Abstract Noor Ali-Hasan (2007) 2007-11-09T14:55:20-00:00 2007 dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1889986 <i>(March 2007)</i><br /><br />A new generation of learners and workers, a new understanding of knowledge acquisition and a new genre of technologies are converging and are inextricably linked. Educators and organisations need to respond; planning for the future is essential, but the paradox is that this future is now! There is strong evidence that organisations worldwide are embedding the use of social software in the way they work, and in the way they gather and share knowledge. Innovative educators in Vocational Education and Training (VET) across Australia are doing the same. While there are differences in opinion on what specific technologies constitute social software, it is generally agreed that social software … enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer mediated discussion and to form online communities. (Wikipedia, September 2006) A sense of urgency from those using social software permeated this research. This report seeks to give understanding to this sense of urgency to adopt more socially-oriented online practices, and to identify the enablers and appropriate knowledge sharing and VET delivery strategies to support VET organisations and practitioners wishing to pursue the use of social software. Networking, connecting, and community are philosophies driving the use of social software, underpinned by the theories of constructivism and connectivism. There was compelling evidence from the research that social software is valuable in enhancing and enriching knowledge sharing, capability development and the teaching and learning experience, and it should be seen as ‘another tool’ in the organisation’s and VET practitioner’s toolkit. For it to be used successfully however, it relies on a spirit of openness and a willingness to share and collaborate, supported by an enabling culture both within the organisation and the ‘classroom’ environment. This research links with and builds upon the Phase 1 e-learning knowledge sharing model proposed by Stuckey and Arkell (2006). They reasoned that an enabling culture should be balanced with one of compliance for a sustainable system. In this report the concept of balance is extended to one of equilibrium (ie a dynamic working balance) and sees the achievement of a balanced approach as an ongoing quest, rather than an achievable endpoint. It places this concept in a change management context and uses the adoption and diffusion of innovation to understand how a social software tool can be seen as initially heretical and then after some time, integral. The intersections between the practice and the theory of using social software are evident for both knowledge sharing and VET delivery. Having an authentic need (real and not contrived), being relevant to the context and appropriate for the client were the critical elements that emerged for its adoption with key enablers being modelling by managers and practitioners using social software, professional development, organisational support and immersion. If practitioners become immersed in the use of social software in the way they do their work, the transition to VET delivery will occur seamlessly. As with email, the trends are indicating that social software will become ubiquitous 3 largely because it is the tool already widely used by the ‘Net Gen’ – the new generation of workers and learners. It is already part of their ‘toolkit’. The use of social software in VET delivery is in its early days of adoption and hence the different applications of social software technologies are still being trialled by the innovators and early adopters. The conversations are just beginning about how it can be used best and with whom. There is compelling evidence however, that it can be applied to all levels of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) and is offering learning opportunities to learner groups previously unable to participate, eg some disabled, disengaged and remote learners not previously learning in traditional classroom environments. Similarly, the use of social software in VET for knowledge sharing and capability development is in its infancy. The exemplar stories from within VET demonstrate how it can be used successfully for project management, knowledge sharing and the capability development of VET practitioners. The stories external to VET allow its use to be seen in the broader context of organisational learning. Gaining a global profile through the use of social software surfaced in the research as important for the success of organisations. This has significant implications for the marketing of VET provision and providers – relying on media coverage is considered too slow for today’s markets. Tensions and challenges were evident and were consistent with any incorporation of innovation into the current business model. This research positioned the adoption of social software within the context of change management and uses change management theory to understand these tensions. Drawing on the findings of the research, a set of recommendations is offered for VET organisations and practitioners wishing to pursue the use of social software as an integral part of how they do business, learn and share knowledge, and in their teaching and learning environments. These are supported by a set of strategies incorporating the many hints, tips and strategies offered by contributors to this research as a practical way forward. Australian Flexible Learning Framework - Research and Policy Advice Val Evans (March 2007) 2007-11-09T14:51:18-00:00 2007 Australian Flexible Learning Framework dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/900392 <i>(9 October 2007)</i> Participation Inequality: Lurkers vs. Contributors in Internet Communities (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox) Jacob Nielsen (9 October 2007) 2006-10-16T23:56:28-00:00 2007 dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1889936 <i>(20 August 2007)</i> Half an Hour: The Blogosphere is a Mesh Stephen Downes (20 August 2007) 2007-11-09T14:37:50-00:00 2007 dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1889923 <i>(2007)</i><br /><br />Talk at ECEL 2007 developing the group-network-collective taxonomy of the many. Includes disruptive technologies implications ECEL Copenhagen 2007 Terry Anderson » SlideShare T Anderson (2007) 2007-11-09T14:33:28-00:00 2007 dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1889899 <i>(4 November 2007)</i> Half an Hour: The Personal Network Effect Stephen Downes (4 November 2007) 2007-11-09T14:24:25-00:00 2007 dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1512397 <i>(21 November 2006)</i><br /><br />Learning and knowledge are cornerstones for society and organizations. Knowing Knowledge is an exploration of the change impacting both learning and knowledge, and recommends changes required in order to align corporations and educational institutions with developing trends. Knowing Knowledge Siemens George (21 November 2006) 2007-07-30T09:20:42-00:00 2006 Lulu.com dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1538188 <i></i> The Art of Building Virtual Communities (Techlearning blog) Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach 2007-08-06T14:01:06-00:00 communities dissertation http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/1538108 <i></i><br /><br />The notion of social capital (SC) is increasingly used as a framework for describing social issues in terrestrial communities. For more than a decade, researchers use the term to mean the set of trust, institutions, social norms, social networks, and organizations that shape the interactions of actors within a society and that are considered to be useful and assets for communities to prosper both economically and socially. Despite growing popularity of social capital especially, among researchers in the social sciences and the humanities, the concept remains ill-defined and its operation and benefits limited to terrestrial communities. In addition, proponents of social capital often use different approaches to analyze it and each approach has its own limitations. This thesis examines social capital within the context of technology-mediated communities (also known as virtual communities) communities. It presents a computational model of social capital, which serves as a first step in the direction of understanding, formalizing, computing and discussing social capital in virtual communities. The thesis employs an eclectic set of approaches and procedures to explore, analyze, understand and model social capital in two types of virtual communities: virtual learning communities (VLCs) and distributed communities of practice (DCoP). There is an intentional flow to the analysis and the combination of methods described in the thesis. The analysis includes understanding what constitutes social capital in the literature, identifying and isolating variables that are relevant to the context of virtual communities, conducting a series of studies to further empirically examine various components of social capital identified in three kinds of virtual communities and building a computational model. A sensitivity analysis aimed at examining the statistical variability of the individual variables in the model and their effects on the overall level of social capital are conducted and a series of evidence-based scenarios are developed to test and update the model. The result of the model predictions are then used as input to construct a final empirical study aimed at verifying the model. Key findings from the various studies in the thesis indicated that SC is a multi-layered, multivariate, multidimensional, imprecise and ill-defined construct that has emerged from a rather murky swamp of terminology but it is still useful for exploring and understanding social networking issues that can possibly influence our understanding of collaboration and learning in virtual communities. Further, the model predictions and sensitivity analysis suggested that variables such as trust, different forms of awareness, social protocols and the type of the virtual community are all important in discussion of SC in virtual communities but each variable has different level of sensitivity to social capital. The major contributions of the thesis are the detailed exploration of social capital in virtual communities and the use of an integrated set of approaches in studying and modelling it. Further, the Bayesian Belief Network approach applied in the thesis can be extended to model other similar complex online social systems. A Bayesian Belief Network Computational Model of Social Capital in Virtual Communities Daniel Motidyang Ben Kei 2007-08-06T13:30:19-00:00 social_capital http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/80546 <i>JALN, Vol. 5, No. 2.</i> Assessing Teaching Presence in a Computer Conferencing Context T Anderson L Rourke DR Garrison W Archer JALN, Vol. 5, No. 2. 2005-01-20T00:29:54-00:00 JALN 5 2 learning online teaching http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/90559 <i></i> A journey into Constructivism Martin Dougiamas 2005-02-09T21:50:35-00:00 constructivism education learning http://www.citeulike.org/user/berthelemy/article/4613 <i></i><br /><br />There is a growing emphasis in tertiary education that students should develop professional and work related skills within the course of their education. In order to learn these skills effectively, students must be able to learn in a self-regulated way, which means having the capacity to plan, set goals and analyse tasks to achieve particular outcomes. Often referred to as self-directed or metacognitive skills, these abilities characterise learners who are equipped with a range of personal... Learning Through Self-Direction: The Influence of Task Design on Team-Based Professional Knowledge Building in an Online Environment Catherine Mcloughlin Joe Luca 2004-12-22T22:37:14-00:00 design online task