elearning and networking technologies to mimic the in-person experience

Educational Technology in Practice

Distance Learning, Social Networking, and

Professional Cohort Development

Who am I?

•  Writer/editor •  Project manager •  PR professional •  Videographer/photographer •  eLearning/Development beginner

Hello! I’m Janet Krenn, a

Communicator with Virginia Sea Grant.

Who am I not?

•  An IT professional •  A computer whiz •  An A/V specialist •  A web designer or developer

… but I know enough to be dangerous!

eLearning Considerations

Easy •  Asynchronous •  Few people •  Few inputs •  Observers

Challenging •  Synchronous •  Lots of people •  Many input points •  Active participants

e Continuum of Difficulty

eLearning Considerations

Easy •  Asynchronous •  Few people •  Few inputs •  Observers

Challenging •  Synchronous •  Lots of people •  Many input points •  Active participants

e Continuum of Difficulty

DropBox

Blackboard

Skype PolyCom

Web Conference

Our Considerations

•  Synchronous class •  Moderate number of

people - 8 •  Many input points

– 8 computers – 5 locations – 4 time zones

•  Active participants

e Continuum of Difficulty

Web Conference

Our Considerations •  Interactivity

“How do you promote seminar quality discussion?”

Our Considerations •  Interactivity

“How do you promote seminar quality discussion?”

•  Accessibility and Flexibility “How do you link 8 people, from 8 computers, in 5 locations with limited equipment or IT support?”

Our Considerations •  Interactivity

“How do you promote seminar quality discussion?”

•  Accessibility and Flexibility “How do you link 8 people, from 8 computers, in 5 locations with limited equipment or IT support?”

•  Ability to Archive “How can you easily record discussions and store more or less indefinitely?”

Web Conferencing Solution

•  Adobe Connect became the obvious choice – Allowed for seminar quality discussion.

•  Multiple webcams, microphones •  Chat, hand raising backup

– Accessible and flexible. •  Anywhere you have internet •  Minimal equipment

– Ability to archive classes.

Adobe Connect

Web Conferencing Challenges

•  Troubleshooting

•  Audio

•  Archiving •  Equipment

Web Conferencing Opportunities

•  Graduate-level experience •  Invite, engage remote presenters •  Students develop familiarity •  Technology is improving

eNetworking Considerations e Continuum of Difficulty

•  Do we need a private, closed space? •  How experienced are our users in social

media? •  What kind of functions would users like? •  What kind of functions do users need? •  What do we expect users to do in the social

space?

Existing eNetworks

Ning BuddyPress, DIY

eNetworking Considerations e Continuum of Difficulty

BuddyPress, DIY •  BuddyPress

–  Students didn’t already have a favorite social network

–  BuddyPress is self-hosted and completely modular

BuddyPress

eNetworking Challenges •  Customization •  Training •  Hosting

•  Planning – “Community Building on the

Web” by Amy Jo Kim

•  Leading

eNetworking Opportunities

•  Customization •  Relationship building •  Information/experience sharing •  Future mentoring

Thank you!