Educational Applications on the Internet: What's Out There And What You Can Do With Them

Erin Karper

Niagara University

Introduction

• What Internet-based technologies are out there?
• What can we do with them?
  • Share information and connect online
  • Record and broadcast audio and video
  • Provide interactive experiences
  • Communicate with each other
• What classroom applications do these have?

Sharing Information and Connecting Online

• Static Web pages
• Dynamic Web pages
  • Blogs
  • Wikis
  • Discussion forums
  • Content Management Software (CMS)
  • RSS Feeds
  • Portals
  • Social networking/content sharing sites

Static Web Pages/Sites

• A static Web page is a file that contains both content (text, images, video, audio) and code that explains the formatting (HTML) and presentation (CSS) of the content.
• Static Web pages are created by a person on his or her computer. Content is added and then codes for formatting and presentation. The page is then uploaded to a server (a computer that "hosts" pages so that people can access them using a Web browser).
• A new file must be made for each page, and each page must be linked to all of the other pages.
• Every time a change is made, the file must be downloaded, changed, and then re-uploaded.
• Static Web pages were the first types of Web pages. They are still useful when you want to add information that will not be changed frequently, or when you do not need to add a lot of content.

Dynamic Web Pages/Sites

• A dynamic Web page separates out content and formatting/presentation.
• Users no longer have to create content and add codes on their computer and then upload files to a server.
• Instead, users log into a Web site running Content Management Software (CMS) in their Web browsers. Then they add content, which is stored in a database. They can also add "metadata," which is information about the content that can be used to classify or categorize it.
• Site owners choose templates to control how they want the content to be formatted and presented when people see it on the Web.
• When people visit the site, a program on the Web server combines the content with the templates and generates the pages that the user interacts with.
• It is faster and easier for people to add and change content on dynamic Web sites.
• Dynamic Web pages and the types of communication they encourage make up the Web 2.0 movement (sometimes called the semantic Web).

Blogs

• Blogs are dynamic Web sites where people create short chunks of content ("posts") that are arranged in reverse chronological order when a user visits the site.
• Posts often have comment sections attached to them where people discuss the content of the post.
• Blogs are used for topical discussion of issues due to the time-dependent way that content is presented and organized.
• Blogs can also be used like journals or diaries.

Wikis

• Wikis are dynamic Web pages where people create content (called "nodes" or "pages") based on a specific topic.
• Content is displayed as a list of pages that users can choose from when users visit the site.
• Any visitor to a Wiki page can edit the content of a page by clicking on the Edit button.
• Users can add content, delete content, make links to other content, or start new pages.
• Versions of the pages are saved so that people can see the "history" of a page: what was added, deleted, or changed.
• Wikis are most often used to produce collaborative or community projects; the most famous is Wikipedia.

Portals

• Portals are dynamic Web pages that aggregate different types of content to give users a "one-stop shopping" experience.
• MyNU and WebAdvisor are both examples of portals here at NU.
• Blackboard also offers a portal experience for students by giving them access to course material, tests, grades, etc.
• Portals are most often used by schools and companies to provide access to different areas of information.

Social Networking Sites

• Social networking sites are dynamic Web pages where people share information about themselves and their interests and make connections with other people.
• Examples of social networking sites include Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn.
• Social networking sites can be used to reinforce or generate "real world" connections but also to connect people interested in a common topic who do not know each other or are geographically close.

Content Sharing Sites

• Content sharing sites allow people to upload and share different types of content such as pictures, video, links to Web sites, or information/reviews about what they're reading, listening to, or watching.
• Examples of content sharing sites include Flickr, YouTube, Delicious, and GoodReads.
• Content sharing sites also allow users to comment on the content that is being shared.
• The content shared on such sites can be linked to or shared on other Web sites.

RSS Feeds

• RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.
• Dynamic Web sites such as blogs, Wikis, and content sharing sites generate RSS feeds which offer updated information about content that has been added to a site.
• People subscribed to RSS feeds using tools such as Google Reader so that they can be notified when sites add content instead of having to visit a site to find out if content has been added.

Delivering Audio/Video

• Podcasts are audio or video programs that are recorded and made available over the Internet . People can listen to podcasts on the Web or download them to their personal audio players.
• People can use an animation program called Flash to create animations, or they can create video clips using digital video cameras and editing software.
• Video clips and programs can also be uploaded or found on video sharing sites such as YouTube. Google indexes videos, and there is a new video search engine called Flurl.
• Podcasts and video clips are growing in popularity as more people gain access to broadband Internet.

Providing Interactive Experiences

• More and more dynamic Web sites provide interactive experiences for users to "play" with, including ways to explore news stories or educational content or games that people can play.
• These types of experiences are often created using a combination of programming languages and Flash animation.
• Some Web sites also allow people to generate interactive experiences or create content such as Google Maps.
• People also play games such as Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) over the Web.

Communicating With Each Other

• Email and electronic mailing lists allow individuals and groups to communicate with each other.
• Discussion forums allow people to post different topics to which users can respond. All of the related content about a topic gets grouped into a "thread"so that it is easy to keep track of the discussion. Blackboard provides discussion forums.
• Chat rooms allow groups of people to communicate synchronously (in approximately real time). Blackboard provides chat rooms.
• Instant messaging services allow individuals (or groups) to send messages to each other synchronously or asynchronously.

What classroom applications do these have?

• Delivering information to students (online/in the classroom): static Web pages, dynamic Web pages, podcasts, video clips, Flash animations, games, email, discussion forums
• Outside of class discussion: mailing lists, discussion forums, chat rooms, social networking sites, wikis
• Journaling/reflective writing/writing to learn: blogs, wikis
• Assessment activities (quizzes/tests/homework/written reflection): dynamic Web pages, games, podcasts

What classroom applications do these have?

• Document collection: content management software, content sharing sites
• Individual projects: static Web pages, dynamic Web pages, blogs, podcasts, video clips, Flash animations, games
• Group or class projects: wikis, dynamic Web pages, blogs, podcasts, video clips, Flash animations, games
• Networking with other educators/scholars: content sharing sites, social networking sites

Specific Questions

• How to create a webpage with the following: Bar (side or top) with topics linked to subsequent pages Graphics/Pictures Animation—video and audio PowerPoint link
• How to create interactive links that allow students to play games or explore content in an interactive way.
• Allowing students to post their own web pages so they can share their work with the rest of the class without doing a presentation. This should be a way to post quickly, without much of a learning curve.
• Technologies that could be used for purposeful group work-allowing groups to work effectively on a product, editing, etc. and then having it be the end product.

Questions I Can't Answer (Yet)

• As far as pedagogy, I would like to figure out what I can use in my methods classes that students could then use with elementary students. I think podcasts might be a useful way to report information such as end of unit product.
• I have students answer questions before class so I can use the answers in class. I'd really like a way to view all of the answers at once, assign a grade, and comment on the ones that need it. Right now, I use blackboard and download a .CSV of the answers which I read with Excel. This makes it easy to scan through the questions quickly, but doesn't allow me to comment or leave a note. I'd also like to better use the student responses.