Introduction to e-Assessment and the e-Learning Tools2

Objective

To get familiar to blogs and virtual worlds in such a level you can decide whether you would like to continue in a small group concentrating to these social medias.

General

Two social media will be introduced (blogs and virtual world/Second Life). Get familiar with them and think whether you are interested to experience one of these social medias deeper during the course? Second Life and blogs are both introduced with links in this wiki. Think with what social media you would like to work most. Prepare to have a second option also because each small group can have maximum 10 participants and your number one might be full before you register to small groups.

Take a look what kind of students there are in this course New Methods of Assessment. You can already now contact interested persons and discuss which small group they are planning to join.

Blogs

Overview

A weblog (now shortened to blog) is a communication tool which enables an individual to write an online personal journal and allows other people to comment on their entries. A blog is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as a 'Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer'.

A blog is the most common form of online reflection tool in use. A blog is a website where entries are written in chronological in a similar manner to a diary. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

Blogs can contain a variety of resources and need not necessarily concentrate on textual information. Blogs can contain videos (vlogs) photographs (photoblogs) audio (podcasts)

Video Introduction

A short Video Introduction is available for participants.

PDF of PowerPoint slides is available from: Media:Introduction_to_Blogs_and_Educational_Blogging.pdf‎

Further Resources and Links

• YouTube Video from CommonCraft on Blogs in Plain English
• Common blogging tools
  • Blogger, TypePad, Wordpress, Live Journal, Edublogs - Edublogs host blogs for anyone involved in education

• Further reading
  • Educational blogging

• Educational bloggers
  • Stephen Downes
  • Stefano Sessa
  • Teemu Arina

Second Life

Get your first impression of Second Life from Wikipedia Next step for you is to get familiar with Second Life Education Wiki. And as a third step take a closer look to the Second Life with Study Guide weeks 9 and 10 where are more links to educational use of SL and tutorials how to start with SL.

Tutor of Second Life -small group, Mauri Kantola, presents his avatar Maka Inglewood. Here the same content in written format: Tiedosto:Presentation of Maka Inglewood.pdf.

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