Building a Student-Centred Learning Framework using Social Software in the Middle Years Classroom: An Action Research Study

Abstract

Executive SummaryThis article discusses the development of the online spaces that were used to create a learning framework: a student-centred framework that combined face-to-face teaching with online social and participatory media. The author, as part of her Doctoral research study, used action research as a mechanism for continual improvement as she redesigned many curriculum projects for her thirteen Middle Years' classes, over an eighteen-month period. This article discusses part of this research study and specifically documents:1. the complexity found within the tools and spaces of the selected social software, and 2. the continual review, through the action research cycle, in building the student-centred learning framework, and the consequent implications these had on the learning design.The study uses a theoretical framework that values students as active participants in the learning process and sets up an environment where students can provide supportive feedback, and even assessment, to their peers. Through the open nature of social and participatory media, a peer-topeer modelling process was possible, where students could learn from the posts of others. In looking closely at the tools that enable peer-to-peer interactions to take place, this article highlights the challenges in utilising the dynamic nature of social media and the structural processes needed to support students in becoming active participants in their learning and the learning of their peers.This article discusses the research study in three phases, and in each phase it provides two examples of teacher projects. In doing so, it presents screen clips of the online project as well as a structural diagram showing the analysis of the interaction within the project. The complexities and issues dealt with through the action research process are also highlighted. In describing this exploration, the article looks closely at the unique qualities that social software offers teaching and learning. It investigates many of the social tools such as 'My Page', Blogs, Groups and Discussion Forums. It also identifies the search tools and mechanisms that social sites offer in supporting the structural organisation of user-generated content in such a dynamic environment.When considering the tools and mechanisms within social sites, it does appear that social media has the potential to alter how learners access information and knowledge, as well as how learners interact with the teacher and their peers. Through identifying and analysing the Material published as part of this publication, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the Informing Science Institute. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. It is permissible to abstract these works so long as credit is given. To copy in all other cas...

Remixing to design learning: social media and peer-to-peer interaction

“…These social tools and activities helped to incorporate, into the classroom, a range of online interactions from the students' out-of-school lives. These types of activities support many new literacy practices becoming part of classroom projects (Casey, 2013a(Casey, , 2013b. These concepts involve critical and imaginative thinking within a social and active environment (see, for example, Alvarez, 2001;Fletcher, 2007;Glover & Oliver, 2008;Hahn, 2008).…”

Social Media in Teacher Education: Organizational and Pedagogical Conditions of its Effectiveness

“…Social media-based learning is open, creative, and system-oriented (Doll, 2012;Moglan, 2014). Social media significantly changes access to information and the interaction of students with teachers and with each other (Belko et al, 2016;Casey, 2013;Conole, Gallery & Culver, 2011;Rodionova, 2016). Social networks allow users to comprehend and visualize the systems of their social interactions (Boyd & Ellison, 2007;Kergilova & Sazonova, 2017).…”

“…For quite a long period of time, many domestic and foreign authors have studied the problem of the role of social media in the pedagogical context. A sufficiently detailed bibliography of such studies is contained, for example, in the researches of Tselyh (2017) and Casey (2013). It can be stated that the interpretation of the very concept of "social media" among Russian and foreign authors is very close.…”

“…Conole, Gallery, Culver (2011) in the framework of the study of new learning contexts through the social consider two key problemsunderstanding of the nature of the interaction between users of social software and understanding of the nature of the interaction between users and tools that are part of the environment. Casey (2013) points out the identity of the concepts "social software", "social networks" and "social media" in the pedagogical context. Following these approach, we will also identify these concepts.…”

Digitech, Remix and Design Research for course /program-wide thinking and enhancement

“…Author 1, as an experienced action researcher (Casey, 2013a(Casey, , 2013b(Casey, , 2013cCasey & Evans, 2011), considers, informally, that each of her courses is one action research cycle involving planning, acting, observing and reflecting. This cyclic approach is aimed at the continuous improvement of her own practice.…”