Week 9 Post #2

 Designing for Classroom Learning vs Other Types of Learning

I love this class and all the different ways it makes us think! I have to be honest. Before I took this class I knew very little about Web 2.0 learning and I tended to frown on teachers using social media as an educational tool. I work for a university where I observe about 250 online courses to make sure the courses work well and instructors are meeting expectations. I have seen a lot of different class formats! From time to time, I will see a class that uses Whatsapp or a Facebook group for all their communication such as announcements, discussions, etc. This used to drive me crazy! (Mostly because it was hard to observe from my end. However, after taking this class I have hopes that those teachers were doing some really cool things by designing classroom learning using social media. 

The biggest thing that pops out to me when thinking about the difference between classroom learning and other types of learning via social media is privacy. This can be tricky when working with students, especially students under 18 years old. There are also more rules, laws, guidelines, standards to be met, etc. when working with K-12. I think designing for classroom learning in a Web 2.0 environment for higher ed is a much different experience and there is a lot more freedom. However, designing for this type of classroom learning is still different than other types of learning. There needs to be more accountability and interactive factors put in place. When designing for professional learning or informal learning situations, those are more driven by the participant. Engagement is generally initiated by the participant according to their own interest, desire, or workplace requirements. Designing for the classroom involves a little more creativity and an understanding of learning principles. It involves getting the students into the social media space and facilitating interaction whether that be discussions, peer feedback, etc. Knowing your audience and how to grab their attention is key to all types of web 2.0 learning.