Ninging It

Context

The Department

• Interdisciplinary program that examines how digital media is disrupting traditional disciplines
• Begun in 1996 with a $1 million seed grant from Proctor & Gamble.
• One course in 1996, 30 in 2010
• Major, two minors (Interactive media & game studies) and a thematic sequence
• Faculty from every division on campus and Librarians.

IMS 201 Information Studies in the Digital Age

Explores what it means to be information literate in today's digital world. Students will not only learn about the latest technological advances but also reflect on ethical and legal issues created by the information age. Intended for students wishing to become competent in the fields of information literacy and information technology. Course includes all aspects of the research process from definition of the research problem to the acquisition and critical analysis of information, to the adaptation of that information for a digital environment.

Why?

IMS 201 instructors needed an LMS system that could:

• Allow students to upload their own multimedia creations
• Give us the ability to easily connect different Web 2.0 tools using API’s
• Create two-way communication between students and instructors
• Help facilitate group work among our students

Blogs

Discussion Boards

Group pages

Folksonomy

Twitter integration

Multimedia sharing

Survey Says...

"I really enjoyed the use and all that it had to offer."

Compared to Blackboard?

"NING was better then Blackboard."

"It was probably easier to figure out. It was straightforward and it was very clear where everything was located. Sometimes Blackboard is confusing because different profs put things under different places."

"I didn't use NING that much during the course other than to post assignments and find informaiton. I would have rather used Blackboard/email since informaiton for my other classes is already there."

"I use Blackboard more and like having all my classes located on Blackboard, rather than two separate places."

"I think NING is much easier to use than Blackboard, and it doesn't seem like it will go down like Blackboard often does."

"Sucked."

"Frustrating that I had to go to another site other than Blackboard, but it was easy to use and made sense."

Needs a gradebook

Changing Classroom

Model

"Sucked."

Conclusions

LMS needs

to be more social

Investigate

the alternatives

Customizable

Course-appropriate

Loves

Flexible

Availability

for post-grads

Intuitive Interface

Ninging It:

Social Networking as a

Course Management System

Third-party system

and all that entails

Loathes

Cloud Failure

Lack of control

and/or support

When?

• Fall 2009: Individual investigation
• Spring 2010: Cohort of IMS 201 Librarians
• All sections used ning.com and other social media sites to varying degrees
• Student Survey

Tools

• begin/conti

• begin/continue conversation

• readings
• completed assignments

Arianne Hartsell-Gundy - @hartsea

Amy Thornley - @amyjothompson

Elizabeth Sullivan - @muELIbrarian

Miami University

Oxford, OH