Minocha, Shailey; Schroeder, Andreas and Schneider, Christoph
(2011).
|
Due to copyright restrictions, this file is not available for public download Click here to request a copy from the OU Author. |
| DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Link: | http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01131.x |
|---|---|
| Google Scholar: | Look up in Google Scholar |
Abstract
Higher and further education institutions are increasingly using social software tools to support teaching and learning. A growing body of research investigates the diversity of tools and their range of contributions. However, little research has focused on investigating the role of the educator in the context of a social software initiative, even though the educator is critical for the introduction and successful use of social software in a course environment. Hence, we argue that research on social software should place greater emphasis on the educators, as their roles and activities (such as selecting the tools, developing the tasks and facilitating the students’ interactions with these tools) are instrumental in a social software initiative. To address this gap, we have developed a research agenda on the role of the educator in a social software initiative. Drawing on role theory, both as the basis for a systematic conceptualization of the educator role and as a guiding framework, we have developed a series of concrete research questions that address core issues associated with the educator roles in a social software context. We have provided recommendations for further investigations. By developing a research agenda we hope to stimulate research that creates a better understanding of the educator’s situation and develops guidelines to help educators carry out their social software initiatives. Considering the significant role an educator plays in the initiation and conduct of a social software initiative, our research agenda ultimately seeks to contribute to the adoption and efficient use of social software in education.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Copyright Holders: | 2010 The Authors, British Journal of Educational Technology, Becta |
| ISSN: | 0007-1013 |
| Funders: | Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) |
| Keywords: | collaborative learning; educator; learning objectives; role ambiguity; role behaviour; role expectations; role overload; role strain; role theory; social position; social software; Web 2.0 |
| Academic Unit/Department: | Mathematics, Computing and Technology > Computing |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre: | Centre for Research in Computing (CRC) |
| Related URLs: |
|
| Item ID: | 22585 |
| Depositing User: | Shailey Minocha |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Aug 2010 12:57 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Jan 2013 05:26 |
| URI: | http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/22585 |
Actions (login may be required)
| View Item | |
| Public: Report issue / request change |