Page 221 - Štemberger Tina, Čotar Konrad Sonja, Rutar Sonja, Žakelj Amalija. Ur. 2022. Oblikovanje inovativnih učnih okolij. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
P. 221
Using Academic Online Conference in Teaching and Learning Process
assessment tool. One of the authors has been involved in teaching a course
at Curtin University in Australia that used an online asynchronous confer-
ence as an assessment tool, and this method has been implemented in New
Media course at the University of Zenica. This text described implementation
of those teaching methodologies in a large course at the Curtin University
in Australia, and in a small class in the course of New Media at the Univer-
sity of Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and compared lesson learned from
both cases. We found that linking the participatory culture of Web 2.0 media
and the concept of distributed cognition (Hollan, Hutchins, and Kirsh 2000)
and creativity can be an effective way in designing learning environment.
This case study confirmed that Web 2.0 media could be used effectively in
learning environments, fostering creativity that is distributed through me-
dia, individuals, and collective in a constant circulation in which formal and
informal learning exchange. The formal learning provided an agenda and a
stage for informal learning which was initiated with uncertainty and perplex-
ity brought by formal propositions inscribed into information objects (web
pages presenting new lessons, glossaries, and other students’ conference
papers). The students tried to interpret these inscriptions, and put them in
new context through a web media which allowed the conference discus-
sions. Such an online discussions enabled an interface for different contexts,
which often resulted in rich distributed creativity in both cases
This study indicates that using the Web 2.0 media in learning environments
can foster students’ creativity. However, using the Moodle glossary module
in these case studies showed that it is not enough to simply employ the Web
2.0 tools as the level of creativity depends of the ways of using the media.
If the interactivity of the Web 2.0 is not fully used, and instead these tools
are used for one-way communication, there is a little chance that they will
create space for distributed creativity. The study thus suggests that there is
an opportunity for further research on the modelling students’ behaviour in
learning environments enabled by the Web 2.0 media.
The comparison of the implementation of the methodology in different
context indicate that small classes are not the best context for using this tool.
In a large class, sharing of new information was very dynamic due to many
weak ties, while this sharing decreased in a small class. But, this study found
that even small classes can provide ground for new information, as even a
good friend can be a weak ties in a new context, which can easily occurred in
learning environments. Another weakness of a small class using the confer-
ence tool is a difficulty to define a topic for a conference to motivate students.
In the first semester, we tried several topics, but there were not enough par-
221
assessment tool. One of the authors has been involved in teaching a course
at Curtin University in Australia that used an online asynchronous confer-
ence as an assessment tool, and this method has been implemented in New
Media course at the University of Zenica. This text described implementation
of those teaching methodologies in a large course at the Curtin University
in Australia, and in a small class in the course of New Media at the Univer-
sity of Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and compared lesson learned from
both cases. We found that linking the participatory culture of Web 2.0 media
and the concept of distributed cognition (Hollan, Hutchins, and Kirsh 2000)
and creativity can be an effective way in designing learning environment.
This case study confirmed that Web 2.0 media could be used effectively in
learning environments, fostering creativity that is distributed through me-
dia, individuals, and collective in a constant circulation in which formal and
informal learning exchange. The formal learning provided an agenda and a
stage for informal learning which was initiated with uncertainty and perplex-
ity brought by formal propositions inscribed into information objects (web
pages presenting new lessons, glossaries, and other students’ conference
papers). The students tried to interpret these inscriptions, and put them in
new context through a web media which allowed the conference discus-
sions. Such an online discussions enabled an interface for different contexts,
which often resulted in rich distributed creativity in both cases
This study indicates that using the Web 2.0 media in learning environments
can foster students’ creativity. However, using the Moodle glossary module
in these case studies showed that it is not enough to simply employ the Web
2.0 tools as the level of creativity depends of the ways of using the media.
If the interactivity of the Web 2.0 is not fully used, and instead these tools
are used for one-way communication, there is a little chance that they will
create space for distributed creativity. The study thus suggests that there is
an opportunity for further research on the modelling students’ behaviour in
learning environments enabled by the Web 2.0 media.
The comparison of the implementation of the methodology in different
context indicate that small classes are not the best context for using this tool.
In a large class, sharing of new information was very dynamic due to many
weak ties, while this sharing decreased in a small class. But, this study found
that even small classes can provide ground for new information, as even a
good friend can be a weak ties in a new context, which can easily occurred in
learning environments. Another weakness of a small class using the confer-
ence tool is a difficulty to define a topic for a conference to motivate students.
In the first semester, we tried several topics, but there were not enough par-
221
