1. 02.09.2010
Institute of Information Science and Language Technology
Joachim Griesbaum, Saskia-Janina Untiet-Kepp
Facilitating collaborative knowledge
management and self-directed
learning in higher education with the
help of social software
Concept and implementation of
CollabUni – a social information and
communication infrastructure
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2. 02.09.2010
Outline
Social Software as an information and
communication infrastructure in higher
education
Emergence of CollabUni: basic concept and approach
Current status and preliminary evaluation data
Outlook
CollabUni 2
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3. 02.09.2010
Social Software in higher education
Formal Learning: As
tools to support and
allow specific didactic
scenarios, for example
e-portfolios as an
assessment tool
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4. 02.09.2010
Social Software in higher education
Knowledge Management
Approach [Nonaka, 1995].
University
As an infrastructure,
Department
primarily supporting Group
informal learning Individual
[Baumgartner, 06]
and enabling new
possibilities for Knowledge
manifold knowledge Community)
processes across
personal and organi-
zational boundaries
within (and, potentially also
outside) the institution
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Information and communication
infrastructures in higher education
Primarily organization Rarely corresponding to ideas of
centric and following an
supporting knowledge growth
information distribution
by fostering interpersonal
paradigm. Only restricted
interaction and knowledge
and predefined many-to-
many communication exchange as argued by e.g.
environments [Reinmann-Rothmeier, 01],
[Wenger, 98], [Nonaka, 95] with
the help of social software
[Chatti, 07]
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Educational process in higher education
Course of studies Time
Course Course Course Course
Course Course Course Course
Course Course Course Course Final exam
and thesis
Course Course Course Course
Exams taken in the course of the studies
Knowledge and
communication infrastructure
Support for knowledge
CC
processes across personal
Library and organizational
boundaries?
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7. 02.09.2010
Technical concept of a social information and
communication infrastructure [Griesbaum, 09]
Web-
Course A resources
Library
Social network
E-Portfolio A E-Portfolio C
Interfaces to/
integration of (n:m-)
communication and
collaboration tools
E-Portfolio B
Course B
CollabUni Course C Course D
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Implementation process approach
of a social knowledge community
• Controlling
Evolution • Feedback
• Advance in cooperation with participants
• Initial marketing, activation of disseminators
• Initiation and support of communication and
Roll out collaboration through support mechanisms
(Moderation): events, rituals (awards, anniversaries,),
„topic weeks“, „profile of the week“, polls, news
• Technical: system selection, configuration, GUI-design
Design & • Administration and organization: social norms, incentive
Configuration schemes, community building
• Contents: acquisition, editing, copyright, quality criteria
• Analysis and definition of goals and target groups
Analysis • Framework conditions
• Needs
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9. 02.09.2010
Outline
Social Software as an information and communication
infrastructure in higher education
Emergence of CollabUni:
basic concept and approach
Current status and preliminary evaluation data
Outlook
CollabUni 9
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10. 02.09.2010
CollabUni
CollabUni is an
example and a case
study for building up
a social information
and communication
infrastructure at the
University of
Hildesheim
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11. 02.09.2010
CollabUni
Based on a low cost
and bottom-up
design and
configuration
approach actively
involving the target
group
Participants of the seminar
„collaborative knowledge management“
CollabUni 11
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12. 02.09.2010
CollabUni
Based on Mahara,
an open source
E-Portfolio system
with social
network features
Profiles
Groups
Views
www.uni-hildesheim.de/social/collabuni/
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Example profile in CollabUni
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Student created groups in CollabUni
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Mixed group (lecturer and students)
Covering topics
related to the B.A.
and M.A. degree
programs of
“International
Information
Management” (IIM)
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16. 02.09.2010
Initial conclusion
CollabUni offers manifold features
Students succeeded in
to support formal and informal
drafting and implementing
learning
a basic system and
also designed important A place for self-presentation
organizational and and networking
administrative aspects Rooms for self-determined
n:m-communication and
collaboration
CollabUni 16
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17. 02.09.2010
Outline
Social Software as an information and communication
infrastructure in higher education
Emergence of CollabUni basic concept and approach
Current status and preliminary
evaluation data
Outlook
CollabUni 17
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18. 02.09.2010
Current status
System robustness
Winter term 2009 first
evaluation phase on the Necessary resources for a
departmental level sustainable operation
User acceptance and usage
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User acceptance and usage
User test with a cohort of 79 first-year students in the “International
Information Management” bachelor program
There was little self- Results of a survey indicate
initiated knowledge that roughly one third of
activity of these 79 first students see an added value
year students during the in CollabUni and declare
whole term themselves ready for active
participation
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20. CollabUni
User acceptance
N=44. Mean values, measured on a 5-stage
5
20
scale. Values ranged from 1 “under no
circumstances” to 5 “for sure”
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21. 02.09.2010
Usage
Number of
users: 221
(27.08.2010)
Number of
groups: 31
(27.08.2010)
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22. 02.09.2010
Outline
Social Software as an information and communication
infrastructure in higher education
Emergence of CollabUni: basic concept and approach
Current status and preliminary evaluation data
Outlook
CollabUni 22
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23. 02.09.2010
Conclusion
…ease and cost effectiveness on
CollabUni shows and stands
the technical side
for a possible low-cost and
bottom-up approach of …aimed for knowledge
implementing social software processes are not self-initiating
as a personal and social and self-supporting. Little
information and awareness and little explicitly
communication infrastructure mentioned need on the part of
in higher education. Results so the users. Nevertheless a
far indicate… substantial fraction seems to be
open minded towards such an
environment
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24. 02.09.2010
Outlook
The university-wide roll Administrative and organizational
out phase is the next step support components and incentive
in implementing schemes
CollabUni at the
Appealing content (an initial
University of Hildesheim
inventory e.g. a repository of term
papers or theses)
The evaluation confirms
the decisive importance Attractive use cases and
of the social design of applications (e.g. an Erasmus/
such an infrastructure exchange student „community of
practice“)
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25. 02.09.2010
Thank you
URL of this presentation
http://www.slideshare.net/griesbau/collabuni-i-know2010
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26. 02.09.2010
References
[Baumgartner, 06] Baumgartner, P.: Web 2.0: Social Software & E-
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[Dittler, 07] Dittler, U., Kindt, M., Schwarz, C.: Online-Communities als
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[Downes, 05] Downes, S.: E-learning 2.0, In eLearn Magazine October 16,
2005, http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=29-1
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References
[Giannoukos, 08] Giannoukos, I., Lykourentzou, I., Mpardis, G.,
Nikolopoulos, V., Loumos, V., Kayafas, E.: Collaborative e-learning
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[Griesbaum, 09] Griesbaum, J., Semar, W., Koelle, R.: E-Learning 2.0?
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und Transformationsprozesse auf den Informationsmärkten, ISI 2009 -
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Universität Konstanz, 1. - 3. April 2009, S. 429-444.
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28. 02.09.2010
References
[Jaksch, 08] Jaksch, B., Kepp, S.-J., Womser-Hacker, C.: Integration of a
Wiki for collaborative knowledge development in an E-Learning
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[Kim, 01] Kim, A.J.: Community Building: Strategien für den Aufbau
erfolgreicher Web-Communities, Bonn, Galileo Press, 2001.
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29. 02.09.2010
References
[Nonaka, 95] Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H.: The knowledge-creating
company, New York, Oxford University Press, 1995.
[Preece, 00] Preece, J.: Online Communities: Designing Usability and
Supporting Sociability, Wiley, 2000.
[Prensky, 01] Prensky, M.: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, In On
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[Ramanau, 09] Ramanau, R., Geng, F.: Researching the use of Wiki´s to
facilitate group work, In Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2009,
1, 2620-2626.
[Reinmann-Rothmeier, 01] Reinmann-Rothmeier, G.: Wissen managen:
Das Münchener Modell. Forschungsbericht Nr. 131, 2001
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References
[Sigala, 07] Sigala, M.: Integrating Web 2.0 in e-learning
environments: a socio-technical approach, In International Journal of
Knowledge and Learning, 2007, 3, 6, 628–648.
[Wenger, 98] Wenger, E.: Communities of practice: Learning as a social
system, In The Systems Thinker, 9, 5, 1-5.
[Wenger, 02] Wenger, E., McDermott, R., Snyder, W.M.: Cultivating
Communities of Practice, Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
[Wieden-Bischof, 09] Wieden-Bischof, D., Schaffert, S.: Erfolgreicher
Aufbau von Online-Communitys. Konzepte, Szenarien und
Handlungsempfehlungen, Salzburg NewMediaLab, 2009.
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