'The Mutual Shaping of Social Media, Learning Experiences, and Literacies: The Methods Revisited' as presented in the 4th International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries
Limerick (Ireland), May 25, 2012
Ecological Succession. ( ECOSYSTEM, B. Pharmacy, 1st Year, Sem-II, Environmen...
QQML 2012 - PhD Research The Mutual Shaping of Social Media, Learning Experiences, and Literacies: The Methods Revisited
1. 4th International Conference on Qualitative
and Quantitative Methods in Libraries
Limerick (Ireland), May 25, 2012
The Mutual Shaping of Social Media, Learning
Experiences, and Literacies:
The Methods Revisited
By Juan D. Machin-Mastromatteo
@judamasmas
This research was supported by European Social
Fund’s Doctoral Studies and
InternationalisationProgrammeDoRa
2. Core Theories
Constructivist learning (Piaget/Dewey)
Critical constructivism (Kincheloe, 2005, 2008)
Role of social interaction in the development of cognition (Vygotsky,
1978; Ackerman, 1996; Mayer, 2004)
Dimensions of learning: cognitive, social, emotional (Illeris, 2003)
Information skills: access, use, evaluation (Lau, 2006)
Affinity Spaces (Gee, 2009)
Participatory Action Research in Education (Freire, Fals-Borda,
Whitehead &McNiff, McIntyre, Herr & Anderson)
3. Brief Epistemological Assumptions
The concepts of learning and knowledge are closely connected
Knowledge is created through socialization (Vygotsky, 1978;
Nonaka& Takeuchi, 1995) and can be discovered (Whitehead
&McNiff, 2006) as people possess tacit knowledge within (Polanyi,
1958).
Teachers are capable of generating personal theories by
systematically studying their practice (Whitehead, 1989)
4. Research Questions
What significant issues, challenges and opportunities emerge when social
media are integrated into learning environments in higher education?
a) How do students’ experience learning when they are engaged in a
learning activity that integrates social media?
b) In what ways is students’ engagement dependent upon their literacies?
c) In what way do learning, literacy and social media mutually shape each
other?
5. The Issues of Social Media
Machin-Mastromatteo (2010,2011,2012), built upon Bawden& Robinson (2009)
Trust
Loss of identity
Emerging issues Machin-Mastromatteo(2012)
Crowdsourcing
Decision making
Balance of identities/voices/roles
Quality control
Fast changing features
Users’ satisfaction
Need for marketing SN tools
Information overload
Users’ underestimation
Permanence
Repackaging
Privacy
Negative consequences
6. The Concept(s) of Literacies
Information Literacy
as in Zurkowski (1974), Virkus (2003),
Tuominen, et al.(2005), Lau (2006)…
Digital Literacy (computer, ICT…)as in
Shapiro and Hughes (1996), Eshet-Alkalai
(2004)
New Literacies
as in Lankshear and Knobel (2007)
Literacies New
Literacies
7. Method: Participatory Action
Research (PAR)
Self and collective reflection on the subject of study
Researcher is part of and makes interventions on research
Cyclical process of exploration, knowledge construction and action
through questioning, reflecting, investigating, developing plan
implementing, refining, questioning… (McIntyre, 2008)
PAR is a philosophy of life as much as a method, a sentiment as much as a conviction (Fals-
Borda, 1997)
PAR leads researchers into unfamiliar pathways… think in new ways… generating
provocative new ideas. (Whyte, Greenwood, & Lazes, 1989)
8. Participants
LIS Master
Divided in groups
Pilot Study (2011), Final Study (2012)
9. Collection of Data
Diagnostic Questionnaire
Blog
Social Learners’ Input
ClassDiscussions
Blog
Social Media Sites
Social Learners’ Reports
2nd Questionnaire
Interview
10. Stages of Research / Assignments
1 Introduction
Diagnostic Questionnaire / Action Research / Methods / Literacies / SM
2 Access 3 Use 4 Evaluation
Issues of SM
User practices SM in organizations
Content curation
Information needs SM inlibraries
Creation of SM sites
Location / Selection Evaluation ofSM
Tool integration
Accessibility issues
5 Wrap up
2nd Questionnaire / Interviews
Assignments:
Individual reflection on own use of SM (2)
Create social site for an information service (3)
Evaluate an established social site (4), revisit (3)