This week I focused on creating a Ning site for use in a history class. Ning is a social networking site that allows users to create networks (or sites) based on a specific interest. I actually had a little bit of background with this program. I was invited to a Ning site for graduates of the 2009 Civil Air Patrol National Staff College back in October. It was created as a place for the 83 graduates to stay in touch, share pictures, post to discussion boards, and overall continue to build and maintain our professional network.
The first thing that I did when assigned this project in my instructional multimedia class was to go back into my Civil Air Patrol Ning site and take a look at what I thought it did well, while also noting what I thought could be improved upon. I then decided to pick a topic out of the history lesson that we are redesigning and focus on making it the topic of the Ning site. The reason that I did this was to keep the site as simple as possible so that I can use it as an easy sample resource for instructors that may want to look at it and think about incorporating something like it into their course.
So what did I end up with? Check it out!
A big part of one of the history lessons was the Age of Enlightenment. When just reading the history text I thought that the concept might be a bit complex for introductory students and would benefit from having additional information. Therefore, I created the Ning page and tailored it specifically to the narrow topic of Enlightenment. As you can see, I capture attention with a very short welcome and rotating photos (all taken from Flickr). I then stuck videos and forums underneath. In doing so, I feel that I put the biggest "attention grabber" first and then followed with the most important pieces of the site. Along the sides, people can see upcoming events, view profiles for other members, and join groups.
So how does this all apply to the RAT Framework (Replacement, Amplification, Transformation)?
The answer is really in how Ning is used. It can fall into both amplification and transformation. First, if an instructor creates the site for the class to log into and use the resources, it falls more under amplification. This is because the site has enhanced learning without really changing learning objectives, etc. Students can watch videos, ask questions, and interact, but the general lesson remains intact. But what if instructors task students with making a Ning site? Now the actual learning objectives have not only been amplified, but transformed. Students are still grasping the original learning concepts, but they also now need to learn how best to create a networking site. They have to take layout and resources into account. They become responsible for being major content contributors. They become the leaders.
Implications
Ning is a great resource, but there is a bit of a learning curve involved when trying to get students to take responsibility for providing content--especially when other students are relying on the content for their understanding of the material. Making a Ning project a group (or whole class) assignment would help to spread the work and responsibility. Also, make sure to consider your audience. A group of graduate students will tend to take the assignment more seriously and work hard at making it the best possible. On the other hand, a group of undergraduates may not have the same desire, and one or two of the group members could end up taking on the brunt of the development.
As with any new technology incorporated into a lesson, I highly advise the instructor to become not only familiar, but comfortable with the platform before assigning it to students. Questions will pop up and it would be frustrating for everyone involved if everyone was facing the same learning curve at the same time.
The first thing that I did when assigned this project in my instructional multimedia class was to go back into my Civil Air Patrol Ning site and take a look at what I thought it did well, while also noting what I thought could be improved upon. I then decided to pick a topic out of the history lesson that we are redesigning and focus on making it the topic of the Ning site. The reason that I did this was to keep the site as simple as possible so that I can use it as an easy sample resource for instructors that may want to look at it and think about incorporating something like it into their course.
So what did I end up with? Check it out!
A big part of one of the history lessons was the Age of Enlightenment. When just reading the history text I thought that the concept might be a bit complex for introductory students and would benefit from having additional information. Therefore, I created the Ning page and tailored it specifically to the narrow topic of Enlightenment. As you can see, I capture attention with a very short welcome and rotating photos (all taken from Flickr). I then stuck videos and forums underneath. In doing so, I feel that I put the biggest "attention grabber" first and then followed with the most important pieces of the site. Along the sides, people can see upcoming events, view profiles for other members, and join groups.
So how does this all apply to the RAT Framework (Replacement, Amplification, Transformation)?
The answer is really in how Ning is used. It can fall into both amplification and transformation. First, if an instructor creates the site for the class to log into and use the resources, it falls more under amplification. This is because the site has enhanced learning without really changing learning objectives, etc. Students can watch videos, ask questions, and interact, but the general lesson remains intact. But what if instructors task students with making a Ning site? Now the actual learning objectives have not only been amplified, but transformed. Students are still grasping the original learning concepts, but they also now need to learn how best to create a networking site. They have to take layout and resources into account. They become responsible for being major content contributors. They become the leaders.
Implications
Ning is a great resource, but there is a bit of a learning curve involved when trying to get students to take responsibility for providing content--especially when other students are relying on the content for their understanding of the material. Making a Ning project a group (or whole class) assignment would help to spread the work and responsibility. Also, make sure to consider your audience. A group of graduate students will tend to take the assignment more seriously and work hard at making it the best possible. On the other hand, a group of undergraduates may not have the same desire, and one or two of the group members could end up taking on the brunt of the development.
As with any new technology incorporated into a lesson, I highly advise the instructor to become not only familiar, but comfortable with the platform before assigning it to students. Questions will pop up and it would be frustrating for everyone involved if everyone was facing the same learning curve at the same time.
Leave a comment