Dr. Diane Hamilton's Blog
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Professors’ Media Choices in Online Classes
There is limited research regarding the use of social media or other types of media in online courses. In 2013, I surveyed 110 adjunct professors from a Linkedin group to determine if they added media (including social media) to already developed curriculum. Due to the prevalence of online classes, it might help curriculum designers to determine media preferences. This type of study may also demonstrate the flexibility of online courses, the perception of content requirements in online courses, and professors’ best practices.
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Entrepreneurs and Celebrities Use Kickstarter for Funding
Kickstarter has been a successful crowdfunding option for potential entrepreneurs to garner cash. However it has not been without some issues. According to The Wall Street Journal article The Trouble With Kickstarter, “The only thing worse than having to watch your friend’s arty movie is having to pay for it too.” Aside from the problems associated with pestering friends to donate, there have been some successful ventures thanks to this site. The following list contains some of names of celebrities who have used the site:
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Millennial Student Entitlement Issues
The word Millennials is used to describe adults born between the years of 1980 and 2000. They are also known as Generation Y. Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me explained Millennials tend to be more self-focused and may expect to receive a lot of recognition. Sixty Minutes aired an interesting story titled The Millennials are Coming. In this show, they explained how this younger generation expects good things and expects them with little effort. I have noticed that this sense of entitlement has carried into the online classroom setting.
Most of my students are very respectful. They follow directions. They ask questions with the proper tone. However, there are a few that are more demanding. Although I have not formally studied the age group of the students who demonstrate issues with entitlement, I have noticed that my older Baby Boomer students seem to demonstrate more respect.
Facebook Better for Following Blogs than RSS
Facebook has made it so much easier to follow just about anything. RSS feeds and Twitter are still an option for many people. However, with Facebook, once someone “likes” a page, it shows up in their feed on their homepage whenever anything from that page is updated. Unlike Twitter and RSS feeds, on Facebook, it is easier to see pictures and information.
It is simple to create a Facebook page that includes links to blogs like this one. What I think is great about a Facebook page is that I can incorporate links to this blog, to my other blogs, and any other sites. It is an all-in-one spot to access information. To see my Facebook page, click here.
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Changing the Way Students Perform Online Research
Google and other search engines have changed the way people locate information. The problem is that online students think of Google as a proper tool to use to perform research for assignments. Google Scholar may provide access to some scholarly research. However, most online schools prefer that students use the school’s library search feature. It is important that students consider the reliability of the type of content that is available on traditional websites.
Pew reported that the majority of students are not able to recognize bias in online content. This has become frustrating for professors because these skills should be taught in first-year college courses. Turnitin’s white paper titled What’s Wrong with Wikipedia, reported that in over 37 million papers submitted by students, there were 156 million matches to content found from the Internet. This means that students use sites like Google Books, May Clinic, Yahoo Answers, Wikipedia, etc. These are unacceptable sources to use for college-level courses.
According to Turnitin’s research, the following problems exist with student’s research behavior:
- Problem: Students value immediacy over quality – Students use sites like Wikipedia to find quick answers. Wikipedia may offer some valuable resources at the bottom of their site to support the content. Solution: These sources are usually available through the school’s library search feature. Schools’ search engines are quite easy to use. They access some of the best material available for free. Students can easily mark a box for peer-reviewed studies. This will ensure that their research contains quality information.
- Problem: Students often use cheat sites – Students may find sites that offer to write their papers for a fee. Most of these papers are captured within Turnitin’s plagiarism detecting software. Therefore when students buy the paper and submit as their own, the software will detect it as plagiarized. Solution: The time it takes to find and buy a paper on the Internet could have been used to simply write an original paper. Nothing is gained from submitted plagiarized work. Students risk getting expelled. Most assignments are not that long or difficult. The point of writing them is to gain knowledge. Students who attend school just to obtain a piece of paper will not be prepared for the working world. They will spend money on a degree that will not help them if they have not learned the information.
- Problem: Research is not synonymous with search – Students may put a lot of faith in the information found on the Internet. Just because a site allows people to ask and answer questions, does not mean that the answers are correct. Searching for answers on the Internet does not mean that the answers are based on actual research. Solution: Using peer-reviewed sources that are available through the school’s library ensures that the information in the article has been reviewed by the author’s peers. These studies are actual research.
There are times when assignments allow for students to use websites like Apple.com, or other corporate or news sites. If this is allowed by the instructor, students must be able to recognize if the site is highly regarded. An example might be The New York Times. If students are in doubt, they should direct questions to their instructor for guidance.
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