Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
1
Assumptions
• Internet is changing. Web is no longer
connecting documents and text. It is
connecting people. It will be connecting
knowledge in future.
• Complex world of networks is changing
our everyday experiences and relations of
power. Some of these changes are
irreversible.
• Adaptation is a quality of all species, and
it determines our survival. We are all here
because of our abilities to adapt.
See video about
• We can master technology better and changing Web
use it for the good.
2
Simply, You.
3
Topics For Today
• Understanding technology and the self.
Are we using technologies? Are
technologies using us? How can we
engage with technologies today?
• Learning and teaching in the age of
computer networks. What was our
experience in learning and what is
learning now? Is it better, worse or just
different?
• Getting our hands dirty with technology.
Trying out some useful Web applications.
4
Background Information about
ICT infrastructure in Latvia
households.
14,7
• 75,1% households had
broadband connections (only
36,6% in 2004) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
5
Internet Use in Latvia
In 2008 the internet was used by 57,0% 52,2
57,0
(over 1 mil.) Latvians. EU27 (51%). 46,0
77,3% used the internet at home. 36,3
broadband connection
7 of 10 users work with the internet at
least 5 days a week.
93% of young people (aged: 15-19) use 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
the internet, but only 9% of the old
people (aged: 60-74) use the internet.
Largest audiences: 16-24 (93,9%) 25-34
(80,4%), and 35-44 (66,8%)
80% of Internet users have registered
profiles on social networking portal
Draugiem.lv (Friends).
Most popular – Google (Search) Inbox
(Email), Draugiem (Social Networking)
Delfi (news portal), SS (adds) 6
What Latvians Use
the Internet For?
Activities % of internet users
in 2008
E-mail 81,6
Information search about products and services 80,1
Internet Banking 63,7
Reading and downloading news, newspapers, journals 53,9
Placing messages in forums, blogs, discussion groups 50,3
and online discussions
Watching or downloading films and short videos 48,9
Listening or downloading music 47,0
Searching information about travel, accommodation and 41,7
other services
Telephone via Internet (Skype etc) 40,1
Searching information about educational opportunities 40,1 7
Understanding Technologies and
The Self. The Concept of
Technological Citizenship
Visvaldis Valtenbergs
Vidzeme University College, Valmiera, 3 Feb, 2009
8
Technology and Citizenship
Technology as
instrument
Technological
Citizenship 9
Barney, D. (2004) One Nation Under Google
Active Technological
Citizenship
1. Technologies as
objects
•What is good
technology?
3. Technologies as
2. Technologies
instruments
as arenas
•Do we exercise Technological • How well can we
use technology to
decision making
over technology ?
Citizenship achieve our goals ?
10
Students should learn, practice and experience technological
Technologies as Objects
Can we make decisions about technologies? Do
we have a choice of different technologies?
Wordpress
blog platform
11
Technologies as Arenas
What technologies are needed to live a good
life? What technologies can we do without?
Is total reach Don’t put Cheat technology
always a your lives on with technology to
good thing? one stick! save your time!
E-mail
One reader
Rrrringgg!
Many websites.
12
Save time!
Learn, how RSS works. See this video.
Technologies as Instruments
• Which internet application is better for learning?
or
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What is a blog? See this video
E-learning Environments
High level of Low level of
self expression self expression
User created Designer defined
environments environments
Wiki
http://valtenbergs.pbwiki.com/ •Open
•Secure •Owner determines
•Good for storing all files logical structure
in one place •Rich media embedding
•Data structure consistent •Collaboration
with course structure possibilities
•Support for submitting on- •Content can be
line tests and written distributed independently
student assignments of format constraints to
other websites
15
See video about bwiki here
Using Personal Media in Classroom
Visvaldis Valtenbergs
Vidzeme University College, Valmiera, 3 Feb, 2009
16
Why Do I Keep My Blog?
• Keep students up to date about
personal research topics
• Publish open-lecture presentations,
audio and video
• Post links to relevant articles,
research papers and conferences
• Post my own articles and
conference presentations
• Help students in finding relevant
academic journals
Blog is the
• Give students idea about designing extension of my
their own blog
academic CV!
17
See video about blogging in plain English
What else can you do with
blogs?
I have skills
• Greater motivation I feel it is going to be important for me
20
Others care about what I do
Old Classroom
• Organized knowledge
• Centralized delivery of
knowledge
• Centralized access to Few sources of
organized
knowledge knowledge
Knowledge
• Central importance of
the professor Professor
• Universities as houses
University
of knowledge
Students
21
From Libraries to
Smartphones
Nokia e90
Communicator
4 GB, Symbian
Smartphone, UMTS
3G - 3,5 MB/s
Integrated WiFi. 22
New Classroom
• Diverse organization of Many sources of
knowledge knowledge
• Decentralized delivery of
knowledge. Cooperative
learning
• Decentralized access to
knowledge
?
Professor
• Universities as Students
communities of knowledge
(global villages) Knowledge
• Professor does not
disseminate knowledge,
but guides towards 23
knowledge
How do we learn in
New Classroom?
24
Learning in the New Classroom
Visvaldis Valtenbergs
Vidzeme University College, Valmiera, 3 Feb, 2009
25
Theories of Learning and IT
Social Cognitive Theories Constructivism Cooperative Learning
(SCT)
What is Learning results from the Process whereby the learner Active engagement of
learning? convergence of environment, actively constructs new ideas and students who work in
personal characteristics and interprets concepts based upon collaboration.
experience current and past knowledge.
Focus on Observational learning, Gradual improvement of skills, Student-centred, not teacher
reproduction of knowledge, students should learn things that centred education.
achieving self-confidence, are slightly above their current Experience of others is just
emotional coping, self ability level. Use learning by doing, as important as personal
regulation show interrelatedness of the world experience. High intensity
learning
Uses of Use video clips of people Demonstrate the use of application Build collaborative website
IT with similar backgrounds, in different perspectives Combine group and
create assignments that are Use instructors blog to encourage individual evaluation
useful in real world, hands-on students to discover the principles
training, sensitive approach for themselves
to failure, feedback from the Use blog evaluation checklist as
instructor self analysis tool
Your teaching
methods
SCTs Cooperation
Simulation. Safe
environment.
Interaction.
Learning by 27
doing.
My Teaching Methods
Hands-on
training
Technological
Citizenship
28
Technological Citizenship in
Classroom
How we engage in What are we What values are
technological learning? strengthened?
citizenship?
1. Hands-on skills of using direct experience, self-
training with technology assurance
technology
2. Working in study learning from others, empathy, altruism
groups collaboration, sharing
29
When it’s too much of
technology...
• Cognitive deficits. Depth vs.
Breadth of knowledge.
• Socialization deficits. Difficulties
of engaging in direct human
interaction.
• Functional deficits. Difficulties of
maintain focus, low level of
patience.
• Mental health concerns. Addictive
effects of computer games and
web browsing
30
Summary
• There are three leading theories which explain how
people learn. These are: social cognitive theory,
constructivism, and cooperative learning. Each of
these theories emphasize certain approaches of
using technologies for learning
• It is important to combine these approaches to get
good results. For example, it is good idea to combine
hands-on training, with study groups which involves
human interaction
• Teaching methods can be combined to strengthen
our capacities as technological citizens. Our method
should address technologies as objects of our
decisions, arena of our actions, and instruments of
our use
31
• Too much technology is never a good thing
Course Syllabus
Visvaldis Valtenbergs
Vidzeme University College, Valmiera, 3 Feb, 2009
32
My Courses
• Internet Resources in Political •E-government and Democracy
Science –Master level. 1st semester students.
– Undergraduate level. 1st semester –Program “Governance and
students. Communication in Public, Private and
– Political science program (4 Non-governmental sectors” (2 years)
years). Focus on governance and –Compulsory, 3 ECTS, 24 hours
public policy analysis. –Students in class: 15-25
– Compulsory, 3 ECTS, 24 hours –Lectures, group assignments
– Students in class: 30-35
– Lectures, group assignments
– Taught by 2 instructors
– Information gathering, filtering,
sharing, collaborating in global
networked information
environment
33
Internet Resources in Political
Science
Increase students’ capacity in information search, gathering,
filtering, sharing, collaborating in global networked information
environment.
35
When students arrive...
• They are granted personal
university e-mail (@va.lv) and
storage space
• They are given an overview of E-
learning system E-punkts and
University Intranet
• Trained to use
University library data base,
common data base of all Latvian Universities
and
full text academic journal data bases
36
Some observations about first
year students
Knowledge and skills Observed problems
• Word, Excel, Power Point, Email • Trouble focusing on reading
applications (especially long texts in English)
37
Results of Pre-assessment
Not Excelle
Internet literacy ― good for 2000... enough nt 6%
but not for 2008 Internet 6%
skills
• Know about personal media, but do
not engage with it OK for
me
• Not familiar with Web 2.0 applications 88%
and principles of embedding and
social networking
NA Yes
• Think that their skills are good What
6% 6%
?
enough for them 20%
Individual
3. Complete individual assignments assessment
• Get familiar with Google Docs
collaborative environment
• Set up individual blog and add
content
• Learn and apply useful web TOTAL
applications (maps, forms, social GRADE
networking features)
2. Group work
Achievement
4. ___________
5. ___________
6. ___________
Guidance
40
Student Achievements
• Student blog entries
republished on internet
news portals
• Student blogs noticed by
blogger community
• Students design useful
collaborative projects
• Help local population with
useful online content
41
Student Achievements
Map of local social services.
Example how to use free tools in
improving public websites
Where to eat in
Valmiera? Example of
collaborative student group
work with some original
content
42
Student Achievements
Discovering each other’s
talents
Paintings, art works
45
Google Docs Tutorial
47
My student grades always at hand
Collaborating on
Academic Paper
48
Me and my colleague are writing a paper together in Google Docs
Making Your Blog with
Blogger
Blog engine
•Easy to use content management system
•Integrate pics, video, and other third party
www.blogger.com objects
•Customized layouts
49
See video about Blogs
Jot Form Tutorial
50
Jot Form Tutorial
51
Making Maps
Google Maps
•Great tool for visualization and
orientation
Maps.google.com
56
Creating Your Own
Teleconferences
Dim Dim
•Record your presentations and audio
•Share your presentation via e-mail or
www.dimdim.com on your blog
•Record and show others your
computer screen
•Conduct real time teleconference
57
Conclusions
Visvaldis Valtenbergs
Vidzeme University College, Valmiera, 3 Feb, 2009
58
Value of Social Media
Intuitive and easy tools (Flickr, YouTube,
Blogs)
Appreciating the value of expression.
Blogs, research drawings, videos, poetry
Individualized participation and quick
mobilization. Don’t have to be in
organization or political party.
Creating new communities. Internet
connect people with similar interests
Productive participation – internet is not Flash mob in
a trash can Stockholm Mall
59
Problems with Social Media
Emergence of new forms of
power, such as hactivism –
hacking websites, mocking of
public figures, hate speech
Weakening of collective
identity, that can lead to isolation Whitehouse.org. Not your real
and powerlessness president
visvaldis.valtenbergs@va.lv
wisvaldis.blogspot.com
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