Posted via web from David Middleton’s posterous

Posted via web from David Middleton’s posterous

from Carnegie Views

Posted via email from David Middleton’s posterous

Posted via email from David Middleton’s posterous

Google argues that its new Google Wave system could replace e-mail by blending instant messaging, wikis, and image and document sharing into one seamless communication interface. But some college professors and administrators are more excited about Wave’s potential to be a course-management-system killer.

“Just from the initial look I think it will have all the features (and then some) for an all-in-one software platform for the classroom and beyond,” wrote Steve Bragaw, a professor of American politics at Sweet Briar College, on his blog last week. 

Mr. Bragaw admits he hasn’t used Google Wave himself — so far the company has only granted about 100,000 beta testers access to the system. Each of those users is allowed to invite about eight friends (who can each invite eight more), so the party is slowly growing louder while many are left outside waiting behind a virtual velvet rope. But Google has posted an hour-long video demonstration of the system that drew quite a buzz when it was unveiled in May. That has sparked speculation of how Wave might be used.

More hype for a product that hasn’t been made publicly available yet. It amazes me that conjecture on the potential of how a product might be used, theroretically, is enough to promote it as a game changer.

I’m not arguing that Google Wave doesn’t have that potential, it very well may. I have yet to receive an invitation, and as a result, I am in no position to make claims about its potential.

From my experience working with Faculty on online course development, as well as with technology for its purposeful uses in the classroom and for hybrid and online learning, it seems to me that this is a few years off. Strategies for best practices, management, support, training and then managing the culture shift for faculty and students alike will need to be planned, piloted and investigated before we dub Google Wave a “Course Management System” killer.

Posted via web from David Middleton’s posterous

Dr. Tracy Alloway of Scotland’s University of Stirling, says her study shows using Facebook stretches our “working memory” (our short-term or recent memory), while Twitter, YouTube and text messages tend to weaken it.

The article goes on to say that students are more frequently “friending” University admissions officers when considering schools, but it is unclear if this gives them a competitive advantage.

I would interested in seeing the instrument used to collect the data. Without more details, I’m hesitant to believe that there is validity concerning the manner in which the various social networks are used by students.

For instance, using Twitter with course and topic hashtags, combining student perspectives, opinions experiences and links to relevant materials might provide more directed attention than sifting through mafia Wars and Farmville updates to find relevant course information, even if collected on a course Facebook page.

My point is that there are way too many variables to be able to make such broad generalizations without providing information on the methodology and instrument used, and steps to ensure validity to the study.

Posted via web from David Middleton’s posterous

Yep. I am completely revamping how this site will be utilized. As a result, you may not see much here for a while. There are elves in the background though.