leveraging social and mobile technologies in experiential courses

Today’s Goals

• What is experience-based learning and what are some examples?

 • What are some

challenges and best practices for experience-based course design?

• How can social technologies add new dimensions and enhance the learning experience?

jodicleghorn.wordpress.com/

Experience-based learning model

Kolb model from labspace.open.ac.uk/file.php/3914/EE851_1_001i.jpg

Experience-based course tool-kit

• Authentic experiences • Pedagogy

• Technology  • Learning outcomes

 • Reflective learning

 

Case study - #socstrat• Sociology course

 • Social stratification

 • Interdepartmental

collaborations • Community focus

 • 'Travel-abroad'

perspective

facebook

Flickr

• Longest dinner ever. The pink room now looks green. #socstrat

• 3 hour dinner. Casual. Southern. Once again, officially not in nj. #socstrat

• Learning about BB King and the chitlin circuit. #socstrat

• #socstrat B.B. King museum...i just learned that oprah and elvis are related

• Elvis and Oprah are kin?? Learning a variety of things at the BB king museum #socstrat

• 35 of us just decended on Pea Soup in Indianola for lunch. Mayhem! Po-boys ordered. #socstrat

• At Ground Zero in Clarksdale hearing a presentation on the Mississippi Delta by Bill Luckett. #socstrat

• Leaving shortly for Parchman visit: Mississippi State Penitentiary. I expect a more somber, reflective day than yesterday. #socstrat

• Parchman was one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had. We were standing where people receive the death penalty. #socstrat

• Mississippi is not economically sound enough so Parchman Prison Farm is downsizing.

• As before, the Parchman day was draining but important to the meaning of this class. #socstrat

• #socstrat parchman cannot be explained in words. so powerful.

• Parchman was unbelievable, there is so much to think about, and so many conflicts within this system, how can this be fixed? #socstrat

• can't stop thinking about parchman... I have so much to be thankful for #socstrat

• Off to Cleveland MS, for a full day of touring the region-Greenwood, Money, Merigold, Mount Bayou. Luther Brown is our guide. #socstrat

• At Delta State University with Luther Brown, founder of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning. http://tinyurl.com/pfe7la #socstrat

• To be profitable a farm in the delta needs to be over 4000 acres. #socstrat</a

• father of rock and roll: Ike Turner from Clarksdale; father of the blues: Charlie Patton, from Sunflower County. #socstrat</a

• Delta scene of many racist lynchings, most lynchings in South from 1870-1930. #socstrat</a

• By 1906 90% of Delta acreage within 5 miles of railroad tracks. Important to get goods from New Orleans, thru Memphis, to Chicago. #socstrat</a

• Delta: opulence and poverty. Close enough to observce these next to each other. Walmart an excellent place to observe! #socstrat</a

• Delta is the most American place on earth. #socstrat</a

• Reggie Davis, former superintendent of schools (and in Lalee's Kin) is now talking with the class. #socstrat</a

• A daytime stop at Po' Monkeys. New signage, look for pic shortly. #socstrat</a

• I am sure that is not the case based on the prevailing research #SOCSTRAT</a

• Still processing the long day at Parchman and ready to travel further into th Delta #socstrat</a

• #socstrat reggie barnes is my hero</a

• #Socstrat - i am falling in love with mississippi.</a

• Visited the gravesite of Fanny Lou Hamer, a voting rights activist &amp;civil rights leader-"sick and tired of being sick and tired" #socstrat</a

• @petran7 incredible talk wasn't it! #socstrat</a

• Lunching @ Hoovers. Okra, black eyed peas and chicken. #socstrat</a

• #socstrat i will now die happy because i have seen where brandy was born</a

• #socstrat money mississippi...site of bryant's store</a

• Visited the "official" Robert Johnson grave @ Little Zion Church. #socstrat</a

• Dockery Farms-birthplace of the Delta blues. Company town,up to 40,000 acres, cotton farm. #socstrat</a

• Lets get it on was written in mound bayou...just when i thought this day couldnt get better after moesha's birthplace, it did. #socstrat</a

• BEST meal of the trip this afternoon at a low-key laundry/grocery spot in Mississippi #socstrat</a

• Po' Monkey, here we come! #socstrat</a

• Ahhh monkeys everywhere and great live music #socstrat</a

• #socstrat omgomg where are we???</a

• Po monkey's is jumping! #socstrat</a

• Leaving the Delta for Jackson. #socstrat</a

• I never realized how strongly gender roles play out in bring it on... Disappointing. #socstrat</a

• You never really realize what you're listening to and watching till you read the writing...#socstrat</a

• In Jackson w/hosts the Wrights (WFU's Dru Wright's folks). Great tours of Tougaloo College and Medgar Evers' home. Nice afternoon! #socstrat</a

• Ugh more fried food, how do people eat this so often? But still, exciting buffet. Anyone try frog legs? #socstrat</a

• Moving on to Tunica, MS after church this morning

• Fried food is a staple in the South and no one in this class had to eat it if they did not want to #SOCSTRAT</a

• Some real good material from Dr Brown's discussions for the 48 hour FINAL EXAM #SOCSTRAT</a

• TUNICA, Mississippi: Gaming industry has failed to deliver on "trickle-down" from gambling except for the gains of "city fathers" #SOCSTRAT</a

• On our way to early church services. #socstrat</a

• huck finn is always a good metaphor. from travel to baptist sermons #socstrat</a

• We just passed Coffeeville, Mississippi. Any town with coffee in it's name is worthy of a visit. #socstrat</a

• We may be going to graceland! #socstrat</a

• Headed to Graceland to see the Elvis Museum! #SOCSTRAT</a

• #Socstrat - im in graceland!</a

• Heading into graceland #socstrat</a

• Gotta love Elvis's self proclaimed musical originality #socstrat</a

• #socstrat graceland is freaking xtina out</a

• Graceland was everything I ever imagined AND more!! A monument to bad taste and excess. Loved it! Thanks, profs for the side trip #socstrat</a

• #socstrat graceland! i want a tiger suit!</a

• No shame in being a total tourist at graceland... its a pretty crazy page #socstrat</a

• #socstrat harrahs has a paula deen buffet...prof hatter was talking about coming full circle... That would do it for our food journey</a

• Go TIGER! #SOCSTRAT</a

• #Socstrat - taking the long road back home. Its been a great adventure!</a

• Tennessee is one long state west to east. The miles keep rolling by. #socstrat</a

• Deep South course coming to an end

• moana is a wonderful hotel sink fixer #socstrat</a

• #socstrat going back to wake tommorrow</a

• Homeward bound to W-S after 17 busy, informative and fun days in the South. Over 3,000 miles logged and 21 new friends met! #socstrat</a

• Good Morning #SOCSTRAT</a

• #Socstrat - just engaged in a very exciting discussion about religion spirituality race class and all sorts of diverse variations of gro ...</a

• Dinner at the pit #socstrat</a

• #socstrat back in winston, saying bye :( quite the journey</a

• @jnlee27 what did you think of the Pit? How does it compare with dining @ Colgate? #socstrat</a

• @susanssmith Its better in some ways and and worse in others. Tha salad bar is wayyy better.#socstrat</a

• AHHH this final is so legit #socstrat</a

• Hope everyone got home quick * safe

• dear #socstrat class, my 2nd graduation picture is up on flickr!</a

• Great picture next to Elvis! But what is the mystery about the 2nd graduation? #SOCSTRAT</a

• count down to tonite's season premier of "True Blood" www.hbo.com/trueblood/ This is southern social stratification we DIDN'T see #socstrat</a

• Searched Twitter for #socstrat: http://tinyurl.com/rdmqww</a

• waiting for the BET awards to drop tonight; MJ will be the "guest of honor"

• Searched Twitter for #socstrat: http://tinyurl.com/rdmqww http://url4.eu/2MEh</a

• @smithea1 not sure why it won't search #socstrat. All the tweets are still there if you go to individuals. Will have to check this out</a

Videos

Challenges / Best practices

Challenge Best practice

Sense of isolation Connect with immediate and extended community

Tying content/context into experiences Transform “in-the-moment” activities into meaningful connective experiences

Finding technology solutions that work for all students

Be aware of digital divide issues, identify student technology tools, gaps and opportunities

Connecting experiences to course learning goals

Collaboratively plan course goals, pedagogical approaches and technology tools

Connect withyour community

• Engage with experts • Build internal and

external relationships • Find partners and

benefactors

• Community immersion

Connect content and experience

• Seek genuine experiences

• Encourage reflective practice

• Use information seeking to extend experience

  

www.flickr.com/photos/28074655@N08/2631275540/

Break the digital divide• Keep technology and

pedagogy connected to experience

• Be aware of your students and your community

  

Be prepared to scale your efforts and technology to fit their needs

Negotiate a balance• Negotiate a balance

between course content, pedagogical approaches, and technology

 • Seek experts in each

area and form new partnerships

 • Create authentic learning

environments that empower students, teachers, and experts

• Be open to serendipitous moments (Rita interview)

Find time to play

Technology Roles

Create

Disseminate

Archive

Analyze the experience

Moving forward

•New technology

•Marketing   •Enthusiasm  •Partnerships •Problem-solving

  

Resources

Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/south_2007/

Facebook, current - tinyurl.com/socstrat Facebook, Internet Archive - tinyurl.com/socstrat-wfu Google Calendar (May 2009): tinyurl.com/socstrat-cal

2007 Course Site: cloud.lib.wfu.edu/wiki/social_stratification/

 

Contact Information

• Erik MitchellAssistant Director for Technology ServicesZ. Smith Reynolds Library/Wake Forest Universitymitcheet@wfu.edu erikmitchell.info

• Susan Sharpless SmithDirector of Research, Instruction & Technology ServicesZ. Smith Reynolds Library/Wake Forest Universitysmithss@wfu.edususansharplesssmith.info

Questions?