Social media to foster self-organized learning for dropouts
1. Social Media to Foster
Self-organized Learning
for Dropouts
Pieter de Vries
2. Project data
• Lifelong Learning Programme
• Multilateral Project: KA3 (ICT)
• Duration: 01/01/2011 to 31/12/2012
3. The issue
Disconnect between curricula and Country 2009
learners' perception and expectations Portugal 35,4%
• Effects of remedy programmes are limited Spain 31%
• Urgency is revealed by individual, social
and economic consequences Italy 19,7%
• % of drop outs (2009)
Greece 14,8%
Netherlands 11,4%
Austria 10,1%
(EC, 2011; Iris, 2009)
4. reAct overall objectives
• Develop a new learning approach
• Using new technologies
• To improve the prospects and employability
• Develop insights and skills of teachers and management
Tapping into motivational behaviour
• Promote a change of attitude to learning
• Promote a wider perspective among the learners
• Learn to learn, develop learning skills (lifelong learning)
5. The learning concept
7 guiding principles & criteria
• Trust
• Challenge
• Self-directed
• Collaboration
• Ownership
• Creativity
• Relevance
(Veen, ao 2010; Wilson, ao 2009)
6. Organization
• 2 pilots studies of each 6
months
• Each pilot: international and
national project
• Emphasis on students –
than teachers
300 learners & 50 trainers
7. The process
1. Getting acquainted
2. Collaborative creative project
3. Support and reflection
4. Collaborative project integration
5. Final integration process
8. The Tool kit based on the concept of PLE
Diigo, Facebook, Google+ Hangouts, Google Docs for research
and presentations, Glogster and Pinterest for mood boards,
YouTube to share self-made videos, Blogger to capture stories,
Strip-creator, Splinder, Mnd42.com, iSpring, Flickr, Dipity, etc.
9. Mix academy
• Art Academy in Amsterdam,
many dropouts are successful
here
• Key points
• Learner identity and inter-
dependence
• From personal relevance and peer-
reflection toward developing artist
skills
• 21st century learning skills (self-
directed learning, communication,
critical thinking, entrepreneurship,
etc.)
10. Berlage Lyceum - Amsterdam
Example activity: branding
• What is your brand?
• Interviewing people from the
Occupy camp &
• Analyzing fashion brands in the
luxury warehouse next to it
• Question:
– How do these people and brands
brand themselves?
– How do you brand yourself?
12. Use of social media
Communication
• Google+ & Docs, Wiki
• Google sites, monitor
• Facebook
• Partners
• Teachers
• Students
• YouTube, Glogster, Prezi, Flickr,
Dropbox,
• Google translator
• Basecamp (project management
tool)
13. Trust
• Do we trust the
students to learn
independently?
• Do they trust the
teachers?
• Do they trust their
peers?
• Confident that their
contribution is valued?
14. Challenge
• Joy happens when a
learner achieves
something through a
number of difficult
steps.
• Challenging, but
manageable
• Assignments negotiable
15. Self-directed learning
Self-directed, autonomous
• Learners are motivated
when they have control
over their own learning.
• Autonomy requires trust,
time, and guidance.
• Balance autonomy and
structure through learner-
led guidance
16. Ownership
• Let students independently
define projects that relate
to their creativity and
personal relevance ….
• In control
17. Creativity
Creativity
• One can be honest
• Develop an identity
• Discover your talents
• Provide tools and objects to
play with and to visualize
the problem.
18. Relevance
• Start with their interests,
stimulate bringing up
personally relevant
issues, and relate to that
• Add relevance, foster
curiosity
19. Portuguese experience
Students in pilot 1
Case 2 Francisco
Teachers training
Case 1 Ana
25. Conclusions
General perception
• Learners appreciate the confidence this approach
mitigates.
• They value the opportunity to be self-organized and
experience learning autonomy.
• They believe that was is learned is relevant for them
to apply for a job, connect to others and have more
confidence related to learning.
• Learners are positive about the approach and feel
that it opens up opportunities for further personal
growth.
• Teachers get a better feel for and see more
possibilities for promoting learning.
26. You want to experiment?
Pieter de Vries
Pieter.devries@tudelft.nl
www.reactproject.eu
