Social software allows teachers and students to teach and learn efficiently. Blogs, wikis, podcasting and social bookmarking allow teachers to involve their students in constructivist forms of learning. Gallagher, Marini, Petta, Santrock and Woloshyn (2004) define constructivism as “an approach to learning that emphasizes that individuals actively construct knowledge and understanding”(p. 482). “In the constructivist view, information is not poured into children’s minds. Rather, children are encouraged to explore their world, discover knowledge, reflect, an think critically” (p. 9). In a report by the Evans (2007) it was also noted that social software allowed teachers to connect learning with the six levels in Blooms Taxonomy - knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (p. 35). This paper will analyze four types of social software, the benefits of using them in the educational setting, and how they allow teachers to involve students in constructivist forms of learning.

Blogs

Blogging is effective social software for teaching and learning. Blogs are personal websites that are easily updated and are often used as journals. Readers can make comments, post links, and keep track of other blogs (Facer, Grant, Owen, and Sayers, 2006, p. 14). Blogging increases student communication, participation, motivation and learning. Students and teachers work together to create an effective learning environment. According to Dimitracopoulou, Fessakis, and Tatsis (2008) assert that blogs allow teachers to increase participant communication, collaboration and engagement while enabling them to intervene and point students in the right direction whenever the need arises (p. 202). They also found that blogs enabled students to communicate more efficiently, take part in a variety of learning activities, and analyze the content of their geometry course while teachers were able to better monitor student participation and interaction(p. 211). Clyde (2005) states that blogging motivates students, increases collaboration, promotes literacy, allows publishing for an online audience, and provides a means for receiving feedback and reflecting on ones learning. Blogging helps students develop a variety of essential skills (p. 44).

Blogs allow teachers to teach in a way which is not traditional. By using the blog teachers are helping students construct their own knowledge and develop important skills. Ellison and Wu (2008) describe blogs as important in the educational setting because they involve students in writing, analytic and critical thinking, and expressing onself in a digital environment (p. 105).

Research has shown that teachers can use blogging in a variety of ways in the classroom. Siegle (2000) identifies journaling, planning group projects, debating, and hypothesizing about science principals as beneficial ways to use blogs in the classroom. Churchill (2009) studied a class of postgraduate students in a Masters in Informational Technology program. He concluded that the study "demonstrated that blogs can be effective educational technology and useful blog-based activities for learning are: (1) reading blogs of others, (2) receiving comments and (3) previewing tasks of others and reading feedback received in relation to these" (pp. 182-183).

Blogs have become more prominent in the educational setting and it is proven that there are many benefits for both teachers and students in using this technology to teach and learn more efficiently. Hayslett, Schweizer, & Whipp (2002) identify that social constructivist theories offer a framework for online teaching. They state, “we have found that online instructors need to (a) establish and nurture a collaborative and supportive climate and (b) use probing questions and modeling to scaffold discussions to deeper and more complex levels”(p. 152). Social Constructivist theories allow teachers to develop learning environments that “set rigorous and quality online courses apart from those courses that require not much more than rote learning in impersonal, isolated, and simplistic electronic settings” (p. 155). Blogging is one social software tool that can be used to create this complex online learning environment.

Wikis

Grant, Facer, Owen and Sayers (2006) state that "Wiki software allows people to easily upload content to the internet, with the important addition that it is then editable by other readers. One of the most well-known examples is Wikipedia, an online encyclopaedia" (p.16). Wikis provide students with an interesting means of learning. Wikis allow others to add to and update information which provides much more knowledge than one would have individually. This idea has a deep connection with social constructivism. According to Hyslop-Margison and Strobel (2008) “social constructivism avoids the idea that individual cognition is the sole generating force in knowledge construction and espouses the view that knowledge is a cultural or negotiated artifact generated in cooperation and understanding with others” (p. 81).

Wikis can also motivate and provide students with a learning environment where they can develop many essential skills. Wheeler, Wheeler, and Yeomans (2008) assert that "for many learners, wikis will be particularly appealing, providing instant, any time-any place access to a dynamic and ever building digital repository of user-specific knowledge and a voice in a live community of practice" (pp.995-996).

It is important that teachers develop ways to empower students and help them find success. Wikis can be used in many ways to help teachers create an effective learning environment for their students. Clyde (2005) identifies that wikis can be used for both collaboration and discussion and states that "wikis can be used as the basis of class or group projects, as sources of information...and as a basis for online publishing" (pp. 55-56). Students can use wikis to develop projects and publish them in the digital environment. The possibilities for using wikis in the classroom are endless. Siegle (2008) suggests many ways to use wikis in the classroom such as to allow students to edit each others' writing, to create personal portfolios, to work on group projects, to create research projects and reports, and to create a class calendar (p. 15). Bryant (2007) identifies wikis as an important aspect in the educational environment stating, "the so-called ‘wiki way' ... can teach some very important skills and help prepare young people for a world in which everything is not formal, ordered and perfect". He also reports that wikis allow students to work collaboratively to share knowledge online (pp.11-12).

Students can use wikis to take control of their own learning while teachers are still able to maintain the leadership role. According to Morgan and Smith (2008), wikis allow teachers to remain in control and monitor student progress and participation. They assert that wikis "are engaging to students, easy to use, and the multitude of uses is limited only by your and your students' imaginations" (p. 82). Teachers need to take the initiative to develop learning activities involving wikis that will help them meet curriculum outcomes. By using wikis, teachers are able to meet curriculum outcomes while engaging students in constructivist learning activities that help develop many essential skills. Friedman and Heafner (2008) studied the use of wikis in secondary social studies classrooms and their ability to foster constructivism (p. 292). It was noted that student-centered constructivist learning had an impact on student learning. “Data suggest that the use of wikis facilitated a pedagogical shift from traditional teacher-centered instructional approaches to student-oriented, constructivist learning, which resulted in increased student self-efficacy and motivation” (p. 288).

Podcasting

Podcasting is another social software tool that holds an important place in the educational setting. Harris and Park (2008) describe podcasting as "audio or video MP3/MP4 recordings that can be downloaded directly to the desktop computer as well as to various mobile devices" (p. 548). Podcasting works well in increasing student collaboration. In a study by Chan, Lee and McLoughlin (2008) it was discovered that when using podcasts in teaching and learning students were able to collaboratively build knowledge. They state that "there was in-depth engagement in collaboratively developing the podcasts for a peer audience, resulting in the production of knowledge-creation discourse" (p. 513).

Research has proven that there are many constructive uses for podcasts in the classroom. Ertmer and Park (2008) identify problem-based learning as a form of constructivism. They assert that technology can play an important role in problem-based learning as students search for, organize and analyze information, and present solutions. Students can use video clips for both collecting data and presenting their findings (p. 632). Podcasts are an easy-to-use social software tool that can be used to accomplish this type of learning with students.

Teachers and students can use Podcasts. Teachers can use podcasting to post lectures or for review and students can use podcasting to do research and communicate with others. Harris and Park (2008) identify teaching-driven podcasting as a popular form of podcasting at UK universities. Teachers use podcasting to facilitate their teaching by posting lectures and other relevant academic material (p. 549). Though both teachers and students can benefit from the use of podcasts, Sprague and Pixley state "the real power of podcasts, as with any technology, is when it is placed in the hands of the students"(p. 231). By using podcasts, students learn to construct and develop their own knowledge. Students can use podcasts throughout the curriculum. Johnson and Lamb (2007) identify numerous ways in which podcasts can be used throughout the curriculum to enhance student learning. They contend that "podcasts provide yet another powerful medium to enhance the informational and instructional resources of your school library collection" (p. 57).

Huntsberger and Stavitsky (2007) executed a study of podcasting in an introductory journalism course. It was discovered that "podcasts brought a new and popular technology to the curriculum, engaged student interest, and expanded time available for discussions and lectures in class". Through surveys it was determined that students in the study found that the podcasts were" informative, accessible, and added value to their class experiences" and "enhanced teaching and learning" (p. 406). It is important that students are satisfied with the learning experiences they are presented with. It is evident that podcasting is motivating and enjoyable while still being conducive to constructivist teaching and learning.

Social Bookmarking

Grant, Facer, Owen, and Sayers (2006) define social bookmarking as "a web-based application that allows users to store bookmarked links to URLs in a format accessible via the internet rather than searching bookmarks stored on a specific computer" (p. 17). Teachers can use social bookmarking as a way of improving communication with their students. Rosenfeld (2008) describes social bookmarking as a beneficial collaborative tool to help students store and share bookmarks. She states that "pathfinders for student projects can be created, and teachers can organize "reading lists" of online material (including podcasts) they want students to read and listen to" (p. 72). Posting valuable information online presents all students with easy access from any place with Internet connectivity. Students can access the bookmarks at school or at home. This allows students some flexibility and control in their own learning.

According to Dalsgaard (n.d.)"social bookmarking tools can also support relations between people" (Social Software section, para. 5) by creating connections between students and teachers, especially when used in conjunction with such tools as wikis and blogs (Personal Tools and Social Networking Section). Carter (2008) identifies social constructivist instructional approaches as beneficial to todays’ ‘Millenial Generation’ learner. Learners must be active participants and become involved in social interaction, conceptual thinking, and critically examining information (p.8). This type of learning can be improved through the use of such tools as social bookmarking. Social bookmarking has a place in class research projects and in allowing students and teachers to collaborate on a given topic. Bryant (2006) states, "using tags agreed upon by the class and the description field, students can create their own research bank of related sites" (p.63). Students can share their bookmarks and access the bookmarks of other students in their class. This sharing of knowledge involves students in constructivist learning.

There are many social bookmarking sites available for use by teachers and students. Eastment (2008) comments that "the most popular of the social bookmarking sites is probably StumbleUpon" and "what makes SU useful for the teacher, however, is that it is possible to modify one's interests at any time" (p. 217). These social networking sites must be user friendly and easy to use if they are to make teaching and learning more efficient. Another useful social bookmarking site is Del.icio.us. McPherson (2007) asserts that "Del.icio.us fosters social construction and expression of knowledge and is excellent groundwork for students participating in research and collaborative literacy projects" (p. 70). With the wide variety of social bookmarking sites available, teachers can choose the site they are most comfortable using and which best suits the needs of their classroom and teaching style.


Social software tools are finding an important place in the educational setting. Both teachers and students can benefit from the use of these tools in their teaching and learning. Research has shown that social software can help with the construction of knowledge and the building of essential skills across the curriculum. Dron (2007) asserts, "social software can allow learners to choose whether to control their learning or to delegate that control to the group. In principle, then, it appears to offer the best of both worlds, assisting dependent learners through the provision of structure, yet enabling autonomy at any point" (p. 63). Social software tools are beneficial to student learning and education while allowing teachers to introduce constructivist instructional methods in their classes.

References

Australian Flexible Learning Framework: Supporting e-learning opportunities. 2007. Networks, Connections and Community. Canberra City, Australia: Evans, V.

Bryant, L. 2007. Emerging Trends in Social Software for Education. Emerging
Technologies for Learning, 2, 9-18.

Bryant, T. 2006. Social Software in Academia. Educause Quarterly, 29(2), 61-64.

Carter, T. 2008. Millennial Expectations and Constructivist Methodologies: Their
Corresponding Characteristics and Alignment. Action in Teacher Education,

Chan, A., Lee, M., & McLaughlin, C. 2008. Talk the talk: Learner-generated podcasts as catalysts for knowledge creation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(3), 501-521.

Churchill, D. 2009. Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(1), 179-183.

Clyde, L. 2005. Educational Blogging. Teacher Librarian, 32(3), 43-45.

Clyde, L. 2005. Wikis. Teacher Librarian, 32(4), 54-56

Dalsgaard, C. (n.d.). Social software: E-learning beyond learning management systems. European Journal of Open, Distance, and E-learning. Retrieved from
http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2006/Christian_Dalsgaard.htm.

Dimitracopoulou, A., Fessakis, G. & Tatsis, K. 2008. Supporting “Learning by Design” Activities Using Group Blogs. Educational Technology and Society, 11(4), 191-211.

Dron, J. 2007. Designing the Undesignable: Social Software and Control. Educational
Technology and Society, 10(3), 60-71.

Eastment, D. 2008. Social Bookmarking. ELT Journal, 62(2), 217-219.

Ellison, N. & Wu, Y. 2008. Blogging in the Classroom: A Preliminary Exploration of Student Attitudes and Impact on Comprehension. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 17(1), 99-122.

Ertmer, P. & Park, S. 2008. Examining barriers in technology-enhanced problem-based
learning: Using a performance support systems approach. British Journal of ducational Technology, 39(4), 631-643.

Friedman, A. & Heafner, T. 2008. Wikis and Constructivism in Secondary Social Studies: Fostering a Deeper Understanding. Computers in the Schools, 25(3/4), 288-302.

Futurelab. 2006. Social Software and Learning. Harbourside, UK.: Grant, L., Facer, K., Owen, M., and Sayers, S.

Gallagher, T., Marini, Z., Petta, T., Santrock, J., & Woloshyn, V. (2008). Educational Psychology: First Canadian Edition. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.

Harris, H. & Park, S. 2008. Educational Usages of Podcasting. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(3), 548-551.

Hayslett, C., Schweizer, H., & Whipp, J. 2002. Quality Control in Online Courses:
Using a Social Constructivist Framework. Computers in the Schools, 19(3/4) 143-158.

Huntsberger, M. & Stavitsky, A. 2007. The New "Podagogy": Incorporating Podcasting
into Journalism Education. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 61(4), 397-410.

Hyslop-Margison, E. & Strobel, J. 2008. Constructivism and Education: Misunderstandings and Pedagogical Implications. The Teacher Educator, 43(1), 72-86.

Johnson, L. & Lamb, A. 2007. Podcasting in the School Library, Part 1: Integrating
Podcasts and Vodcasts into Teaching and Learning. Teacher Librarian, 34(3), 54-57.

Morgan, B. & Smith, R. 2008. A Wiki for Classroom Writing. The Reading Teacher, 62(1), 80-82.

McPherson, K. 2007. New Online Technologies for New Literacy Construction. Teacher
Librarian, 34(3), 69-71.

Pixley, C. & Sprague, D. 2008. Podcasts in Education: Let Their Voices Be Heard.
Computers in the Schools, 25(3-4), 226-234.

Rosenfeld, E. 2008. Useful Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers and Students. Teacher Librarian, 35(4), 72.

Siegle, D. 2000. Podcasts and Blogs: Learning Opportunities on the Information
Highway. Gifted Child Today, 30(3), 14-19.

Siegle, D. 2008. Working with Wikis. Gifted Child Today, 31(2), pp. 14-17.

Wheeler, D., Wheeler, S. & Yeomans, P. 2008. The good, the bad and the wiki:
Evaluating student-generated content for collaborative learning. British Journal
of Educational Technology, 39(6), 987-995.