HEROES AND

VILLAINSTURNING SOCIAL MEDIA (IN)ACTIVITY INTO

LEARNING INNOVATION AND ACTION

E-learning is still seen as a potential E-learning is still seen as a potential way to transform educationway to transform education

Social media is the hero poised to Social media is the hero poised to deliver change and the villain ready deliver change and the villain ready

to entrap the wary academyto entrap the wary academy

Why does the use of social Why does the use of social media in higher education media in higher education learning, teaching and learning, teaching and assessment remain a fringe assessment remain a fringe activity, defined by potential activity, defined by potential and not by impactand not by impact??

USERS LIKE TO…USERS LIKE TO…

play, experiment, remix and share within play, experiment, remix and share within and between platformsand between platforms

(The digital stranger) (The digital stranger)

to engage in debates around openness, privacy, to engage in debates around openness, privacy, identity and authenticityidentity and authenticity(stranger danger)(stranger danger)

We as HE often want…We as HE often want…

• Society has changed with the use of technology

• People using technology have

developed different literacies

Sweeping reasons #1

Sweeping reasons #2

• Many HE providers are still talking

about banning and controlling access

• Identity, behaviour, trust are

challenged

Sweeping reasons #3

• Employers require skills sets that

include active and passive uses of

technology

• Knowledge is moving from the

stack to the cloud

IS THERE A BLEEDING OBVIOUS?IS THERE A BLEEDING OBVIOUS?

The monolithic institutionThe monolithic institutionPeople who don't want to do itPeople who don't want to do it

Is there a bleeding obvious?Is there a bleeding obvious?

• Are we Are we scared?scared?

• Lack of Lack of vision and vision and leadershipleadership

• The 'too The 'too hard' hard' basketbasket

THE WEB 1.0 THE WEB 1.0 PROBLEMPROBLEM

• ““We have so little evidence that anyone has learned anything new We have so little evidence that anyone has learned anything new about the processes of teaching and schooling beyond the about the processes of teaching and schooling beyond the

confines of their own personal locations.”confines of their own personal locations.” 

ACTION VS. ACTION VS. ACTIVITYACTIVITY

You can’t stay balanced up there forever. You can’t stay balanced up there forever. Activity is not enough. You need action Activity is not enough. You need action to move forwardto move forward

Greenwich Connect aims to enhance learning, student achievement and outcomes at the University of

Greenwich by supporting…

• Social interactionSocial interaction• Social MediaSocial Media• CollaborationCollaboration• CrowdsourcingCrowdsourcing

• Social construction of knowledgeSocial construction of knowledge• Engagement and NetworksEngagement and Networks

MY PEDAGOGYMY PEDAGOGY

• Socially interactiveSocially interactive• Content positive (user)Content positive (user)• How to use as opposed to how not toHow to use as opposed to how not to

• Questions lead to answersQuestions lead to answers• Community engaged and sourcedCommunity engaged and sourced• Connected (lasting and fleeting)Connected (lasting and fleeting)

MY PEDAGOGYMY PEDAGOGY

MY MY PEDAGOGYPEDAGOGY

• Play/experimentPlay/experiment• Learning spacesLearning spaces• PersonalisationPersonalisation

We cannot afford to continue this cyclical and eventually We cannot afford to continue this cyclical and eventually damaging ‘will they, won’t they?’ dance of unresolved damaging ‘will they, won’t they?’ dance of unresolved technological tension.  technological tension. 

• Critical, empirical and research Critical, empirical and research

• Programme enhancement needs to be agile and responsive.  Programme enhancement needs to be agile and responsive. 

And this has to happen quickly and publicly. And this has to happen quickly and publicly. 

My bloghttp://www.peterbryant.org

My university strategyhttp://blogs.gre.ac.uk/greenwichconnect

Twitter@peterbryantHE

Contactp.j.bryant@gre.ac.uk