Podcast: On Ning Podcast Hello and welcome to Teaching Online. In this cast I will discuss Nings and how you can use this social network for educational purposes. But before I begin let me tell Three: you a little bit about social networking! Ning A social network is a community of people who share interest or activities or who are interested in meeting others that share these interest or activities. So let’s take this to the Internet and you can create a virtual network of people who communicate via a website. Some of the most common or popular sites are My Space, FaceBook and Twitter. So how does a Ning play into this mix? 1) What is it? A Ning is an online website where anyone can create their own social network. What makes a Ning different from those popular social networks, like FaceBook, is that anyone can create their own social network for a particular topic or need and they can cater to a specific membership base. An example would be an instructor setting up a Ning just for their class to discuss the subject they are studying. With a Ning, you can determine the site’s appearance and functionality, as well as whether the site is public or private. Nings can include features such as photos or videos, lists of network members and events, groups within the network, and communication tools such as forums or blogs. Best part of the Ning, it is free and easy to set up and navigate. No technical skill is required to set up a social network. When I was new to Nings, I set one up and was inviting members within 15 minutes. Now I have a variety of Nings for various interest groups. 2) Who’s doing it? Many groups are tapping into the power of the Ning. Some organizations use Ning to complement their website, while others are using Nings to focus on a particular commercial product for “social advertising”. Another trend is that high schools and colleges are using Nings for alumni groups to stay connected and to entice student interaction in online campuses. 3) How does it work? First, you will need to go to the Ning website at www.ning.com. I would suggest that you explore some Ning sites before you create one of your own. At the bottom of the Ning homepage is an area called Discover New Social Networks. They have a few featured and you can search for topics that interest you. For example, if you type in University of Arizona, quite a few Nings will come up. You will notice that some are by invitation only and others allow you to join. Type in UA Faculty Online and you can join one of my Nings. After some exploration, if you decide you want to create your own, go back to the homepage of Ning and follow the quick and easy steps. You will have to name your Ning and select a URL (that’s a web address). Then step through 4 screens where you will describe your Ning, indicate if you want your Ning public or private, and chose your features, like photos, videos, blogs, forums, events, etc. Then you will get to customize a visual theme for your Ning. Now you are ready to invite your members! Once you access the Ning, I think that you will find it very intuitive to use and easy to navigate. 4) What are some ideas for using it with my students In today’s world students spend lots of time in these social networks, but may not want their instructors watching them on those sites, because they see it as an intrusion into a private domain. And frankly do you really want to have your students follow you on FaceBook? Anyway, Ning provides an avenue for instructors to take advantage of social networking in a neutral setting, offering functionality and an experience that is familiar and comfortable to the student. You can create a Ning around academic topics, and create forums about specific projects for a course. In doing this an instructor can facilitate a strong sense of community among the students, encourage personal interactions that can lead to the creation of new knowledge and collective intelligence. Also, discipline‐specific Nings can tap into researchers from around the world working on particular topics of study. Have your students search other Nings on these topics and report their findings. Using Ning to create networks in the online course helps current or new students build connections with the each other. And by introducing your students to Nings you provide an opportunity for students to create their own social networks and learn how to cultivate and sustain a community of users of their own. OK these are just a few ideas that will introduce you to the world of Nings. There are many other ways you can use Nings with your students. If you have another Ning educational moment, email me at: mbuckner @arizona.edu or post it on my Ning. Just search UA Faculty Online to find me. One last word on Ning, the word Ning actually means peace in Chinese, so until next time here is a word of wisdom from the 14th Daili Lama “If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another”. This teaching online moment is gone! Reference: www.educause.edu/eli ‐ 7 things you should know about…Ning www.ning.com ‐ the Ning website .