Preparing a social software environment

Managing a social software teaching/learning environment

Once you have worked out the details of the activity you wish students to complete in a social software environment and arranged for the software to be enabled for yourself and your students, you will need to allow some time to construct the site.

Which resources will you include in the site to support your students' use of the software? For example:

• Help
  Is the online help provided sufficient?
• Orientation
  Will you provide a guide to orientate students to the site, whether in text, image or an instructional video?

Example of an image to orientate users to a wiki
(Image created by Dr Charlotte Brack, used with permission of Monash University)

• Framework
  In a wiki, will you suggest categories for students to use as a starting point if they wish? If you decide to propose a structure it will save students time, but be aware that it will limit the development of original approaches to the subject matter.

• Protocols and etiquette
  Will you provide a set of recommended protocols and etiquette? (This is strongly advised, especially if your students have not used social software in an academic setting before.) For example, in a wiki, consider placing a notice front and centre of the main page setting out expectations such as:

  • Feel free to edit each other's content, but do this with respect and sensitivity.
  • Always sign and date contributions and edits.
  • Keep discussion in the discussion pages only and not in the article content.
  • Save your work on your own computer before posting, just in case there is a technical glitch.

• Group work
  Which resources will you provide in the site to support your students' group work? (These could either be included in the site or provided separately in the unit materials.)

  • Suggesting major tasks, roles and schedules can save groups a lot of time and administrative effort.
  • You might consider also providing a link to the Division of Student Life's Working in groups page (http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-skills/resources/groups.php).

• Supporting students' work on the activity
  Which resources will you provide to the site to support your students' work on their activity? For example:

  • To introduce the activity - will you provide instructions and assessment details in the site or elsewhere?
  • To learn research skills - you could provide a link to the Library's Smart Searcher tutorial (http://www.deakin.edu.au/library/tutorials/smartsearcher/).
  • To learn referencing skills and styles - you could provide a link to the Division of Student Life Resources: referencing and avoiding plagiarism site.
  • To find relevant resources - you could provide links to key resources in the subject area.

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