Using E-Learning 2.0 Tools in Business Education: A case Study

Using E-Learning 2.0 Tools in Business Education: A case Study Andriani PIKI - José-Rodrigo CÓRDOBA School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London, UK

Overview • Background - current learning needs • Using blogs in Business Education • Findings • Web 2.0 tools – Opportunities and Challenges • Conclusions Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

1. Background - current learning needs • Need for improving career prospects • Learn to work efficiently in groups of people from different cultures and diverse professional or academic backgrounds. • Learn how to use technologies to collaborate effectively with collocated, distributed, and mobile members. • Need for interaction and socialising – learning from each other • Life-long learning – continuous development • Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) anything anytime anywhere with anyone Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

2. Using blogs in Business Education: a case study • Research aim: • Explore how the use of Collaborative Technologies (blogs) affects the learning experience • Participants: • 43 postgraduate students in MSc in Business Information Systems. • Diversity of students: • Diverse academic and professional backgrounds • Ages raging from 20 to 45 • 68% have previous work experience. • 81% are international students, only 8 of 43 were European students. • Pedagogical approach = Blended Learning Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

2. Using blogs in Business Education: a case study Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

2. Using blogs in Business Education: a case study • Qualitative data collection methods: • Participant observation – Ethnography • Focus groups • Monitoring the blogs • 4 emerging themes: • Collaborative Learning • Individual Learning • Motivation to participate on the blog • Instructor’s active role and feedback Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

3. Findings – 'Collaborative Learning’ • Experiencing different perspectives IB: “The advantage is that you learn things from different people…Your horizon of learning increases.” • Communication skills EC: “I think group work improves your skills of communicating with other people” • Beneficial for future career CC: “I think it’s a big advantage to work as a group because you have to be ready to work like that in the future life and it is really important for us.” Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

3. Findings – ‘Individual Learning’ • Blogs are a goldmine of information EB: “The blogs for example when we were doing the actual coursework they were quite helpful because you had an overview of what we’ve done the whole term.” • Blogs facilitate the individual assignment EA: “On my assignment I’ve read at least 4 other groups’ blogs just to check other perspectives while writing my assignment which is a profit in knowledge.” Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

3. Findings – ‘Motivation to participate on the blog’ Motivating factors for using the blogs: • Helpful information for the assignment. • The information was in simple, daily language. • By reading other blogs, students ensured they are on the right track. • An alternative way for students to express their thoughts. • A useful tool for remembering the course content. FA: “We had the things written by our own hands so it was more helpful to remember things.” Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

3. Findings – ‘Motivation to participate on the blog’ Reasons for low participation on the blogs: • The blogs were not assessed and participation was optional. Interviewer: Do you think marking the group work would affect it positively or negatively? DA: Personally, if you apply it to me it could work positively because I would put more effort in when I am assessed. DD: Yeah because there is motivation behind. If there is motivation then we have more interest to find information and things. • Students were not posting comments to avoid conflicts. Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

3. Findings – ‘Instructor’s active role and feedback’ • Feedback is important Interviewer: What do you think about the feedback from [the instructor]? Was it helpful? FB: For me it was helpful because each time I read the blog I also read the comments because I think it helps us for writing the next time. FA: It provides motivation and guidance. Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

Motivation to participate on the blog Individual Learning Collaborative Learning Instructor’s active role and feedback 4. Overview of findings • Abstract framework showing the themes and the relationships between them. Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

For students For instructors • Autonomy • Creativity • Collaboration • Inclusivity • Writing skills • Critical thinking • Sharing experiences • Ongoing (formative) assessment • of students’ understanding • Stronger • teacher-student relationships Benefits • Need for moderation • Need for continuous and timely feedback • Unclear expectations • Low participation • Motivation Challenges • Limited or no experience with Web 2.0 tools 5. Web 2.0 tools – Benefits and Challenges Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

6. Conclusions • The integration of Web 2.0 tools facilitates learning and helps students develop skills useful for their future careers: • Working in groups • Using technology • The vision: new pedagogical models that utilise Web 2.0 tools for empowering learning and collaboration: • amongst students, • between the students and the teacher, • within a community of learners. Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

Using E-Learning 2.0 Tools in Business Education: A case StudyAndriani PIKI - José-Rodrigo CÓRDOBAA.Piki@rhul.ac.ukJ.R.Cordoba-Pachon@rhul.ac.uk Thank you Vă mulţumesc Ευχαριστώ Gracias Piki and Cordoba - eLSE 2009

Using E-Learning 2.0 Tools in Business Education: A case Study