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Development of faboodle to Interact on moodle through facebook
Abstract and Figures
With the rise of social networking portals such as facebook, twitter and myspace, the masses congregate and exchange ideas, ideologies and knowledge more liberally and more frequently. As an increasing number of learners as well as educators turn to social networking for education, Open Distance Learning (ODL) also needs to evolve to ride the wave in this fast paced flow of information.
Many ODL as well as conventional institutions rely on Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as moodle to facilitate teaching and learning in cyberspace. The success of these LMS are largely dependent on the learners and educators proactively pulling information from them which requires them to access these systems consistently on a regular basis. This has been found to be challenging as the frequency of the users accessing these systems consistently is not vey high. However the frequency of users accessing social networking portals such as facebook has rapidly increased over past few years.
“faboodle” or facebook for moodle is a facebook application which enables educators and learners to keep track of their courses and interact on moodle forums from within facebook. The application, built using FBML, ASP.NET and VB.NET utilising the moodle architecture, serves as a gateway between moodle based LMS and facebook where users can (i) securely login to their LMS from within facebook, (ii) check for updates in their courses and (iii) participate in the moodle forums.
This paper describes the rationale, development process and the workings of faboodle. It also discusses the implications of implementing the system in a real world environment.
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... Reference literature (Manca e Ranieri, 2013;UNESCO, 2008) usually indicates speed and ease of access, rapidity of teacher's response, information sharing, interaction, innovation, mobility, collaboration and participation, favouring community culture, informality and user friendliness as some of the characteristics of Facebook associated with education. For some authors, the platform also compensates for the lack of moments and spaces of face-to-face interaction (Abeywardena, 2011), which are sometimes characteristic of the curricular organization. But the same literature also informs us about the main conditioning factors, such as concentration difficulties due to hypertextuality, and the lack of privacy in social networks. ...
This paper discusses the use of mobile technologies and social networks in the context of higher education. It states that the integration of teaching and learning methodologies and practices with new social resources are not yet a current and widespread practice in Mozambican educational institutions. In this perspective, the study seeks to contribute to this body of research, analysing the use of digital media and the Facebook social network, during a semester, in the context of a workshop taught in a graduate programme on Film and Audiovisual , in a public institution of Mozambique. This social network resource, consisting of a closed group, served as a facilitator of communication, thematic dialogue and sharing of study material and exercises, between teacher and students, and among students themselves. The study examines practices and habits within a blended learning environment, based on the perceptions of the subjects, reports on the observations and difficulties/satisfaction expressed by the students. It was supported on the analysis of interactions, on a comprehensive field diary and on two questionnaires carried out at the beginning and end of the semester.
... Abeywardena [21] ...
This article reports the results of Facebook and Twitter integration with Moodle VLE. It also presents a literature review surrounding the use of social networks in education as a way to make learning environments increasingly social and interactive as well as strengthening the construction of knowledge. From a technological and exploratory research, it was possible to describe the development process of a module of activities aiming at the integration of these social networks to Moodle. It was adopted the OOHDM methodology that is specific for designing hypermedia applications.
The quality of interaction between learners and online content is one of the imperative factors in determining the efficacy of web-based teaching-learning towards the creation and maintenance of sustainable learning communities. Interaction with content is an internal dialogue of reflective thought that occurs between learner and the substance. Interaction is often triggered and supported by events in the learning environment – focusing on how the learner interacts with what is to be learned.
This paper looks at the difference in learners' interaction on the online Learning Management System (LMS) of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Based on a framework developed for investigating learners' interaction with online content in Wawasan Open University, data from the LMS log and activity database was extracted. The data is then analyzed based on the pattern and behavior of learners' interaction with the online content of the courses. Further analysis is done by transcribing the discussions and exchanges of teacher and learners within the online forums, specifically investigating the dimension, depth and category of exchanges that occurred. Based on the findings, several recommendations are made to enhance the design and delivery of web-based content, aiming at maximizing the efficacy of the online learning environment of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in open distance learning (ODL).
Distance learning is seen as the obvious answer for remote learners, and the use of online media is expected to overcome any access difficulties imposed by geographical distance. However, this belief may be obscuring our understanding of the role that location and individual circumstances have in shaping student experience. This paper explores the variation in experiences of remote rural students who study with the Open University (UK). The researchers found that perceptions of remoteness depended on geography, but were also relative to individual circumstances. With respect to students' sense of connection with university staff and peers, most mentioned their contact with their personal tutor. Networks with peers were less common, a matter of concern if peer networks are integral to fostering improved retention and progression. In this particular context, distance education may be playing an important and distinctive role for remote students by providing opportunities for connections with like-minded people.
Raised in the “always on” world of interactive media, the Internet, and digital messaging technologies, today's student has different expectations and learning styles than previous generations. This net-centric generation values their ability to use the Web to create a self-paced, customized, on-demand learning path that includes multiple forms of interactive, social, and self-publishing media tools. First, we investigate the formation of a burgeoning digital pedagogy that roots itself in current adult and social learning theories, while integrating social networking, user experience design strategies, and other emerging technologies into the curriculum to support student learning. Next, we explore how current and emerging social networking media (such as Weblogs, iPod, RSS/XML, podcasting/audioblogs, wiki, Flickr, and other self-publishing media) can support neomillennial learning styles, facilitate the formation of learning communities, foster student engagement and reflection, and enhance the overall user experience for students in synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. The data included in this article are intended as directional means to help instructors and course designers identify social networking resources and other emerging technologies that will enhance the delivery of instruction while meeting the needs of today's neomillennial learning styles.
Cloud computing technologies have changed the way applications are developed and accessed. They are aimed at running applications as services over the Internet on a scalable infrastructure. Many applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases and more can all be accessed from a web browser, while the software and files are housed in the cloud. Educational institutions can take advantage of cloud applications to provide students and teachers with free or low-cost alternatives to expensive, proprietary productivity tools. Browser-based applications are also accessible with a variety of computer and even mobile platforms, making these tools available anywhere the Internet can be accessed. This paper presents a cloud computing based solution for building a virtual and personal learning environment which combines a wide range of technology, and tools to create an interactive tool for science education. The proposed environment is intended for designing and monitoring of educational content as well as creating a platform for exploring ideas. The system allows exchange of educational content and integrate different pedagogical approaches to learning and teaching under the same environment.
This paper takes the form of a dialogue between the evaluator and the course team chair of a very large web-based course presented by the Technology Faculty of the UK Open University. An extensive evaluation has been conducted following the first pilot presentation of the course, and the two authors discuss the findings as they relate to students' satisfaction with the course. Seven key issues are raised: skills versus academic content, students' previous computing experience, interaction through computer conferencing, online group work, online tutoring, students' lack of time, and revising a course in the light of evaluations. Finally, the results of this course are compared to three other web courses.
This case study explores the use of the online social networking site, Facebook, in helping immerse first year students into university culture, by furthering the development of academic and social relationships between peers. Facebook was chosen as the host site on account of the uniform strength of its features as compared to other popular social networking sites such as MySpace and Friendster, the image-sharing site Flickr, and the open-source software Moodle. The site's popularity ensured that many students would be familiar with its layout and operation, while the 'group' and 'event' applications enabled the creation of an accessible, easily-maintained, and highly interactive online forum. Lastly, the 24/7 availability of the site conformed with the 'anytime, anywhere' work attitude of Generation-Y students. 100 first year design students took part in the study, within the course Imaging Our World at the University of Adelaide. Every two weeks, students were required to submit images to an online gallery in Facebook, and to provide critiques on peers' submissions. The gallery topics were broad in nature, and open to the student's own interpretations, allowing for a wide range of images in each: this produced a concurrently wide range of discussions. The galleries allowed students to connect with each other in a virtual environment, and thus to develop academic relationships freed from the constraints of the classroom and their own inhibitions. Through the use of such collaborative learning, students were able to engage with their peers and develop a sense of belonging within the learning community. Discussions often evolved from formal academic critiques to informal social interactions as the students became more comfortable with each other. In summary, the study was considered to have been a success, due to Facebook's engaging and interactive qualities, the students' existing interest and experience with the software, and their eagerness to connect with their peers. The project will be adapted in 2009 based on the initial findings of this study and the design of course-specific Facebook applications.
Students Interaction in the Online Learning Management Systems: A Comparative Study of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses
- A P Teoh
- Y C Aw
- K Manoharan
Teoh, A.P., Aw,Y.C. & Manoharan, K. (2010). Students Interaction in the Online
Learning Management Systems: A Comparative Study of Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Courses. Proceedings of the 24 th Asian Association of Open
Universities Annual Conference, Vietnam