I wish I had found this article when I started blogging on this subject because the information is very useful for explaining what vlogging is and what purposes it can serve. You can skip section 1 because this covers what a vlog is, something we discussed in week 9. However, please read the Scenario and the other sections of the article. I found the “Why is it significant?” section to be of particular interest as well as section 7, “What are the implications for teaching and learning?” These sections discuss the impact that vlogging has by allowing greater personal expression than one is capable of achieving through text-based blogging. As they become more and more media literate, our students can take advantage of such benefits of vlogging in their classroom projects and as a means of expressing their own personal interests and connecting with others who share those interests. As this technology grows in popularity and becomes easier and faster to use, both teachers and students will find new and interesting ways to use this technology for wider communication of ideas and as an outlet for personal expression.
The Scenario section discusses Evan, a distance learning student who begins vlogging as a means of communicating with his fellow students about his educational experience. Since distance education is often criticized for being impersonal, do you think Evan has hit on a possible solution? Do you think vlogging is something that can help people create more personal connections and do you think vlogging with your professors and fellow distance-learning students would enhance your distance-learning experience?
Reference:
Educause Learning Initiative. (2005, August). Seven things you should know about…Videoblogging. Retrieved April 17, 2008 from the ELI Web site: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7005.pdf
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3 comments:
Oh, I wish I was as together as Evan! I definitely think vlogging with instructors and fellow students would help to create more connections. In classroom situations often people sit in the same damn seat, next to the same damn people (me included) all semester long. It is very possible to not connect with a person you spend 3 hours a week in person with. On the other hand, online we all chat. Vlogging would kick it up a notch. We might see our home, meet our families - I can see my partner chiming in in the background or my constant feline study companion walking in front of the camera... Those snapshots would perhaps connect us more quickly than written postings do. And wouldn't it be cool to see video of our fieldwork or practicum sites. I for one loved Steve's beginning of the semester vlogs. It helped a lot to see and hear the man who was assigning so much! Had I only read it all I think I would have thought, who is this guy and what is he thinking?! But because I kind of got to "know" him through the vlogs that wasn't my reaction. It's still a lot of work, don't get me wrong! :-)
Mariah,
It's true that sometimes, even when we sit right next to people we still do not make the kinds of connections that we have the opportunity to. Though technology is often criticized for keeping face-to-face interaction limited, vlogging does allow more openings for personal expression and for connections to be made between people, even over long distances. The capapbility of video adds a much deeper dimension and greater value to our communications.
I also liked Steve's vlogs at the beginning of the semester. I think all professors should do something like this, at least as an introduction to the class so that students can put a face to a name.
I agree with both Mariah and Elise that seeing someone on a vlog makes you feel a notch more connected than just exchanging posts (I also find chatting/IMing to be more personal than just posting). Both Steve's vlogs for this class, and Scott N's periodic vlogs make me feel more connected than just text based messages would.
My own thoughts about vlogging are that it would be great, but that both time and bandwidth might be limiting factors.
I'm glad Elise linked us to this educause article. I have found educause (www.educause.edu) to be a great source of educational technology info in the past -- if you don't know of it, take a look at http://www.educause.edu/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutSeries/7495
which has a listing of the "7 things you should know" on a variety of topics.
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