Some thoughts on Google+ in the Online Classroom
Just a collection of my first-order reflections on Google+ considering what little I know thus far...
Biases:
Simple Ways Google+ Could be Used:
Concerns:
Biases:
- Focusing on higher ed
- Within higher ed, online courses
- Disregarding attempts to use Facebook/other social media in the online/college classroom
Simple Ways Google+ Could be Used:
- Create Circles for each course being taught
- Within that, create circles for each group within a course
- Depending on how crazy this could get, you could even have circles for each individual student for mini-help sessions or ongoing dialogues
- Create Circles for collaborative research (student/advisor, postdoc/PI, etc.) to make sharing easier
- Utilizing Huddle on the Google+ Mobile Apps, help students take coursework, collaboration, and announcements on the go
- Hangouts could become the new Virtual Office hours... and depending on how many people it can support it could also facilitate synchronous class meetings
- For a twist on assignments, students could use the quick photo upload feature to post and share pictures for an assignment or project
- I'm not 100% sure how Sparks could be use as a whole class unless you required everyone to have the same sparks... but I'm sure it can be used in some way...
Concerns:
- What will Google+ look like given how many universities are already Google Apps subscribers?
- How do you ensure every student joins (and is able to get an Invite to) Google+ considering the lack of invites?
- How will this new tool occur for students?
- What limits that might not be able to be seen now exist?
- What can be learned from other social networks with regards to utilizing these tools in educational settings?
- Would this be considered a standalone tool? Or is it best integrated into using other tools?
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