I was just reading a post by David Warlick wondering about social networks and education. He talks about how social networks can feed into portfolios, and in a way it reminded me of the process Cole outlined for e-portfolios using movable type at PSU. I think what David might be digging at is something a bit more organic and involuntary. The one piece that might be missing in Cole's model is the role of social interaction in the process even before the final "portfolio piece" is produced. Wouldn't a student's personal repository be made alive by fitting into a social network of the student's peers?
Social Networks or I'm a Hermit | 2 cents Worth:
My own cantankerous reluctance aside, I am increasingly coming to understand what an interesting question this is. What about social networks in education? Mostly, I skip over the pedagogies of collaboration and think about assessment. Even though there are appropriate times for multiple choice, most of us agree that assessment must be deeper and more authentic. We talk a lot about portfolios, and this is a lot closer. But in today's increasingly participatory information environment, asking students to produce, archive, and organize artifacts of their learning, for the sake of assessment, seems almost as contrived as multiple choice.
Rather than evaluating consistently arranged artifacts, it seems to me that assessment should be more about going in to an information site, the information home of a student, and excavating that site for artifacts that help us to determine learning. Obviously, these ideas are still rattling around, disconnected, in my head. But I wonder if some kind of social network that students build and cultivate as part of their work as learners might be that place.
Good post Brad. I caught Warlick's post, too. The interest in encouraging students to gather evidence of learning is a valuable one. Evidence of social networking can certainly be a part of that, just as intelligent discussion, comments, and team dialog can be. Hasn't the technical capability to display this easily online been in place for several years? Students already do it. The work seems to be more in modeling something usable. How would a student present a series of comments as evidence of learning and ability? How could friends and groups be presented as references?
and in the end, how do we teach search committees, grant providers and grad schools to interpret these new presentations? The lean experience Cole mentions...it's too long till they all retire.
I would want to find a way to make that a decision a student would make. In other words, let them make decisions about when something goes public and then leave it open to people to comment, engage, discuss. I hear so much cry for protected blogging and portfolios, that I try to stay away from talking about linking them to a social network (or even to encourage discussion). I am really hopeful that openness would become a central piece to all this -- I am just a little nervous that making the "pitch" with that as a predetermined goal is a little too far down the path. If that makes any sense.
Both you and Dave are right in all this -- letting others in will yield stronger results. Think of the feedback and comments we get when we write in our spaces -- they don't always make us happy, but they do make us think and spend a little more cognitive energy. That is a good thing. Having students sharing in the open in a way that their peers can be part of the reflection process is killer.
Now the question I'll ask will not be a policy one -- where does the network live? I would offer that it be embedded in their existing networks -- FaceBook, for example. Imagine something like the Twitter application for FB, where each time you post your title and short description are automatically added to your status (or stream) in FB. Your entire network would be notified of updates. And if I am remembering correctly, the new group feature in FB would allow you to segment your portfolio watchers off. What are the other ways we could build a social network around portfolios?