Using Web 2.0 and collaboration tools in a Sharepoint LMS to teach International Baccalaureate

By Ian Quartermaine - Head of Learning Technologies John Paul College, Daisy Hill, QLD, Australia.

ABSTRACT

Using the Sharepoint/Scholaris LMS as a base I have developed a workspace and strategies to teach the International Baccalaureate (IB) subject Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS). I’ve done this with tools and pedagogies that were largely theoretical in the past. The last two years has seen an incredible surge of Web 2.0 services such as Del.icio.us, Everyzing, Google Gadgets, YouTube and UStream. The choice of content for 3rd party podcasts has ballooned and Skype has made VOIP a reliable and accessible medium. Match this with the improvements of Microsoft Office 2007 (with OneNote & Outlook on Exchange), tablet computers, an extensive wireless infrastructure and a truly integrated approach is possible. Through the use of web parts I have embedded Del.icio.us Link rolls, You Tube video, Flash video, Google Gadgets, RSS news/podcast feeds and artificially intelligent avatars. Students have their own workspaces and participate with collaborative documents, podcast response tasks, OneNote real time collaboration notebooks and blogs. The content and tools are current, the students are enthusiastic and this educator feels that ICTs are finally delivering on promise.

INTRODUCTION

In 2007, I was first introduced to the Sharepoint/Scholaris learning management system (LMS) when I took up employment at John Paul College (JPC). In 2008, I have used the Sharepoint /Scholaris system to deliver the International Baccalaureate (IB) subject ITGS. The subject has a strong emphasis on the social implications and application of ICTs and requires analysis of current case studies and issues. The web is heavily utilised. The LMS has allowed a high degree of ‘embeddedness’ with Web 2.0 tools as well as other collaborative applications. Discussion of these strategies forms the basis of this paper.

DESCRIPTION

Sharepoint/Scholaris Features

The LMS system involves a Sharepoint 2007 content management base with a layer of learning management tools on top of this called Scholaris. Many of the management tools have not been utilised yet and presently the predominant function comes from Sharepoint with Scholaris providing work space templates and a suite of web parts that can be embedded in the pages. An array of workspace templates is available but most users use the standard ‘team site’ template which provides a uniformity of navigation, look and feel across the many sites. The suite of web parts available is extensive but most users focus on a core set of approximately ten web parts.

Like most content systems a standard set of objects include:

 Document & picture libraries

 Link lists

 Discussion and survey objects Selective use of user permissions on these web parts and the documents in them can allow student compilation of lists and collaborative documents. Surveys and discussion objects have obvious collaborative benefits. These objects can also be used for student submission of assessment.

The real power however, comes from the use of other web parts, both generic Sharepoint and Scholaris.

These web parts include:

 Content Editor - Allows embedding of script and videos. Increasingly, Web sites generate and make the script available and a simple copy and paste into the source window is the only skill required. Sites offering embed functionality include Delicious, YouTube, TeacherTube, Google Gadgets and SitePal. Programs such as Flash generate the embed script during the publishing process.

 Dynamic Page Viewer - Allows documents to be embedded and viewed in native format – Used most often for PDF documents

 Page Viewer – allows embedding of individual external web sites

 Site Aggregator - Allows multiple live web site windows tabbed within a single object

 Calendar - Allows linkage to Outlook on Exchange server – Used for assessment notification

 Tasks - Allows linkage to Outlook on Exchange server - Used for homework notification

Others include student and staff timetable objects, RSS feed and search.

Specific Application and Integration

The nature and content of the ITGS subject provided me with a great opportunity to fully explore and integrate a whole range of tools. I will now specifically outline these uses.

Specific Applications:

 Microsoft OneNote

The use of a tablet computer, stylus pen and a Note book stored on the Sharepoint/Scholaris server allows exposition that might normally be put on a whiteboard and then deleted to be permanently stored for future student reference. The clipping tool allows snapshots of window portions to be embedded into the document. Attribution details are added automatically by the software. Note books with correct permissions can be shared with a class through an email distribution list. Real time collaboration can then occur with class participants sharing text, ink annotations, pictures and links.

 Del.icio.us Link Rolls

Web sites are tagged with keywords through the browser. The tool generates the script required to extract certain sites based on selected ‘tags’. This is copied into a content editor web part that then provides a link list that instantly reflects any new sites tagged with the same keywords. Every subtopic in the course has a link roll embedded in it. All students have a Del.icio.us account and are encouraged to tag their sites and use their own link rolls.

 Free Online Video Resources

Sites like YouTube and TeacherTube generate the URL or the script required to embed their videos. Once again, a Content Editor Web part is used to house the script. Embedded videos and links are used throughout the ITGS workspace. The quantity and quality of suitable content on YouTube continues to improve. Similar embed code can be used to embed in-house video as well. Flash video (with player control skins) and WMV are the preferred formats.

 Google Gadgets

A range of embeddable gadgets can be used. Once again the script for each is generated and transferred into a Content Editor Web part. The main use is for RSS news feeds. An object is embedded for all the major technical publications. It provides a link to the main stories and summaries. Sites linked include The Australian- IT, Digg-Technology, BBC – Technology and Sydney Morning herald. These provide impetus for daily class discussion and more detailed analysis exercises. Other gadgets used include Quotes of the day and a range of technical tools to display Network system concepts.

 Podcasting

RSS feeds once again provide students with a range of 3rd party podcasts including a number from Leo Laporte’s TWIT network, ‘Buzz Out Loud’ and ‘Security Now’. Creative commons licensing on many of the podcasts allows edited snippets to be embedded in course content. Otherwise only links to podcasts can be used. I am encouraging students to carry and use the podcasts on their personal devices (iPods etc.)

Students also produce Social and Ethical analysis activities as Podcasts. We use the freeware application Audacity for recording, compilation, editing and MP3 output. Students are encouraged to use copyright free ‘pod safe’ music backing tracks to enhance the presentation. Student efforts are housed in the work space.

 Student Work Spaces

Students are given access to their own workspaces with full permissions. In these areas students have the same access to the LMS tools as staff members. They are used by students for their class journals, notes and study links.

 Collaborative Documents

Selected documents are given the permissions to allow students to actively edit them. For example, we keep a central definition list (Excel) that is added to on almost a daily basis.  Blogging

While Sharepoint/Scholaris offers a blogging tool I prefer to use a Wordpress blog where the class discusses various issues on an ongoing basis. Students have their own accounts. I plan to collaborate with other IB schools using this tool.

 Avatars

Embedded talking avatars relate course content and messages at the click of a button. An AI module allows knowledge bases to be added and gives the avatar the ability to be questioned on a range of content.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that the level of integration I am attempting requires a high level of existing infrastructure. JPC is a notebook school from Year 4 upwards and has wireless access across all three campuses. Small classes in the IB program are also an obvious advantage when implementing the strategies outlined above. There are still issues however like the demand on Internet traffic quota. With the increasing use of embedded external resources we are finding that the current internet quotas are not sufficient. It has been decided that the only alternative is to negotiate an unlimited traffic arrangement with a carrier.

Future developments planned include students recording Skype conference calls and exporting in podcast format. This will satisfy the requirements of the extension portfolio task where key stakeholders on a particular issue must be interviewed. I plan to conduct some exploratory sessions inside the Virtual world Second Life in the near future. JPC is also negotiating externally hosted third party documentary and news service video services that will be streamed into the school on demand.

In recent times I have thought, for the first time, that much of the ICT based pedagogy discussed over the last 20 years is finally becoming a reality. Exciting times!