Purdue University Adds Twitter and Facebook to Class Participation
In my Leadership and Communication class, my students are working on projects focused on improving General Education at the UO. One of the problems they have identified with our Gen Ed approach is lack of student engagement, both because of large, impersonal classes and lack of understanding of the purpose of the Gen Ed curriculum
Might this approach, using Web 2.0 tools be a partial answer to lack of engagement in large lecture classes? We have some experience with “classroom response systems” (CRS), but they require an investment in technology and faculty training that may be a barrier to adoption. An approach using existing, free Web 2.0 tools may serve as a better, less expensive platform, that engages students with tools many of them already use. A system like this might also integrate better with a students “personal learning environment” (PLE). If we have students already engaged in creating digital spaces for learning and reflection, this type of system could more easily integrate into the PLE as opposed to a closed system like a CRS.
