The OLJ
posts I will discuss in this evaluative statement are:
3.
ASU
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In
fulfilling my study of the INF506 subject I have developed a respectable grasp
on a diversity of social networking venues. I cannot state that I have become
in any way an expert in manipulating these technologies, but by embarking
on the journey that is INF506, I have developed a working awareness of social
media and social networks and how I can use the
characteristics these tools in assisting others to meet their information
needs.
The development of a Professional Learning Network
(PLN) has been a significant step in my progress through the web 2.0
environments involved in studying INF506. In order to be aware of, and reflect
on the communal expertise of my peers and other global education experts within
the many ‘communities of practice’ available, I must persist in developing and
expanding my personal learning networks (Utrecht, 2008).
The exploitation of peer-to-peer knowledge through network-based
inquiry was not new to me, through my involvement in motorcycle technology
gathering via Facebook. But I gained a greater comprehension of the influence
PLN’s can play in the development of collaborative learning, both within and
outside of the traditional educational networks.
My immersion in a variety of social media environments has
involved a gradual assimilation of social networking tools into my personal and
professional practices. The consequential benefits of this integration have
included a broadening of my understanding of the needs of my clients/contacts
and a global view of developing and applying effective implementation
strategies and theories, to include those clients willing and unwilling to
embrace to assist them to become adaptive digital citizens (Maher
& Lee, 2010).
Information acquisitions for a genuine
purpose is progressing from individual acquisition, to utilizing the knowledge
of groups and communities in order to produce and distribute knowledge (Farkas,
2010; Savolainen, 2007). In the urgency to acquire information, the use of networks
has eclipsed traditional methods of information retrieval, these PLN are
established and information gained, through inhabitants of the online world,
such as those using Facebook, Blogs, Twitter and Wikis (Ranieri, Manca &
Fini, 2012).
My
introduction to Second Life (SN) opened
up a new aspect to the manifestations that social networking could contain. In
entering the 3D virtual world of avatars, flying and teleporting I immediately
gained an appreciation of their potential as a professional tool that would
allow total immersion and participation in web 2.0. My initial attempts to
navigate this strange new world were disappointing, with many mistakes being
made, however with our first class and with the
instruction given by ‘Cas Georgie’ I was able to experience what educational
platforms can be achieved by web 2.0 developers such as CSU, Stanford
University and others in providing opportunities for global collaboration and
learning development (Grassian & Trueman, 2007).
The use of SN
provides its users with the opportunities to become engaged in virtual
libraries, classes within remote universities and interact with peers from
around the world. However as in any social media use by students, I would insist
on policies of use, safeguards and guidelines being in place prior to
developing an educational concept with SN as the platform (Hay & Pymm, 2001;
Warburton, 2009).
With its
separation from the real world, SN provides an immersive 3D platform that
offers an exceptional method for interacting and sharing information.
Arizona State University’s (ASU) library
channel clearly established the standard of ‘participatory library services’ by
delivering services to both online and physical clients equably. By integrating
social networking throughout their library services they have provided the 4Cs
(collaboration, conversation, community and content creation) that is the basis
of web 2.0 (Hay, 2010).
Through
dispensing 24/7 support and access to information in cooperation with other
university faculties, the ASU library has become the pivot of the campus ‘community’
through providing approachability and access to online materials and general information.
I admired the format that allowed students to access this data through the structure
of the informational ‘Library Minute’, this structure provided students with
their basic educational requirements as well as offering the capacity to have a
‘conversation’ with a librarian 24/7 via ‘chat’, phone or email.
By
repetitively using the 4Cs, the ASU Library expresses what a web 2.0 library
ought be. ASU exploits Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Vimeo
and YouTube, across multiple formats and through a variety of access points, with
the primary object of providing user centered ‘guidelines’ responding to the
needs of all its clients, within and without
the physical boundaries of the University (Farkus, 2008; Miller, 2005).
My
evaluation of ASU’s processes has broadened and developed my understanding of
how to use these tools in a primary school library setting, in order to
effectively make a difference to how my clients; the students, teachers,
administrators and parents access their learning and information needs.
