In marketing courses, assigning students to creating microblogs on selected concepts can be a very useful learning tool for the entire class.
For example, a student can be assigned to “manage†a pricing blog that analyzes pricing strategies that have emerged post-recession. Blogs would provide top-line assessments linked to more detailed “real world†resources (articles, etc.).
Other students would manage promotional, product and placement microblogs.
The totality of these microblogs can provide a very efficient platform on which to generate insights into a wide range of “current†marketing activities.
Dr. Glenn ,
It becomes your "lifeline" of communication to students. Students will engage in that medium. You might want to look at todaysmeet.com. It can be used in synchronously and asynchronously.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Rosalind,
How great is it that you can follow others from your industry. It is so hard to find guest speakers and when you teach online it can be challenging but with blogging, the experts are everywhere! Great use!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Bonnie,
Isn't it fabulous when you find something new that can enhance learning? I have one more, look at padlet.com. It is like Pinterest!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The significant benefit I acknowledge is using the tweet capability to keep students current on assignments, content, activities, due dates, and essential tasks necessary for them to be successful in the course.
I would incorporate the following microblogging activities into my online course: 1. ask questions pertaining to the course, assignments, or projects. 2. Conduct a discussion about course content. 3. Follow others (industry professionals, companies and government organizations) to be exposed to different perspectives on the program's career field.
I have not personally used microblogging however thanks to this course I've discovered delious and it is great....Thanks so much!
Kelli,
You could use a rubric to establish expectations and make it easier for you to grade. I think this is a great strategy.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
An online course for registry examination review could utilize Twitter by Tweeting a daily general concept/topic/word and then have the students tweet one important idea/statement/definition pertaining to that word. The tweet must be original for each student and build onto the previous tweets. Your first responders would most likely tweet the simplest/easiest responses, which could be the reward for promptness and initiative. Critiquing all the responses by the students, tweeting errors, would ensure validity of the tweets with little instructor input.
Hello Kelly,
Thank you. I agree with that approach.
Best wishes,
Michael Luzius
Michael ,
I don't use texting shortcuts in my emails or my texts and I won't allow students to do it either. That is part of student expectations.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello Dr. Wilkinson
I like Youtube videos to help clarify certain concepts for students or to provide a different approach to the course content. I agree that twitter could be used for simple communications concerning due dates, friendly reminders and so on. However - call me a Luddite - texting language does not seem appropriate.
Best wishes,
Michael Luzius
Amy,
I like your plan. How would you ensure that students read them?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I would incorporate an assignment to follow industry leaders for students to gain information through their tweets. This would help students get different points of view and help develop inquiry-based learning.
Todd,
These are great ideas! I use texting but I don't use Twitter, I am going to use it in my next course. I also have used a "posting" wall very similar to Pinterest. You may want to try it. The site i padlet.com
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I have always wanted to incorporate Twitter into a course that I teach, I think this training will push me to do so :) The activities that I would stress would be to have students post resources to share, based on the assignment or topic covered. Setting up a collection of resourse would be beneficial.
Natasha,
What would be the purpose. You don't want to set up an activity that is viewed as busy work.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
As an online instructor I could incorporate Tweeter as an activity.
Richard,
Great post. You don't want students to view these activities as busy work. It can be a way for students to express themselves in a different environment. I have had students to create video presentations and it is a great way for students to learn.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
This creates an interesting opportunity to close the gap between student-to-student and student-to-instructor as distance learning can make motivating students a bit more difficult than if all were in the same real time space.
Taking this into consideration, a likely choice would of course include conversational discussions, as opposed to a more formalized Discussion Board approach. Taking this route should encourage students more to respond as it becomes more instantaneous, rather than a canned pitch in a DB post that may not be read or responded to for hours or days. Another way this tool can be used, is for communicating thoughts and ideas directed by providing links of information to video hosting sites where they may have seen reference materials, or created their own video presentations.
