As I have been doing some reading all summer, my whole notion of research is shifting somewhat. Maybe it is reflecting the shift that many of our students are living, as well.
I’m coming to realize more and more that although in schools we treat research as a somewhat solitary activity, in its true form, research is a very networked activity.
As George Siemens writes, in describing Connectivism, “learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity.” He goes on to point out that learners “remain current in their field through the connections they have formed.” I often think of how scientists or historians conduct research, not in an isolated bubble, but in a network of colleagues, acquaintances, librarians and in the company of information from the past.
Siemens goes on to cite Karen Stephenson, who writes:
“Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge.”
Our students already practice the power of knowledge sharing because they use their social networks not only socially, but in order to help one another….in the olden days, via long phone calls about homework, and now via Facebook or MySpace or IM. But do we ask them to employ those skills DURING the school day, officially, particularly when they are engaged in a research project?
As I read more and think about research projects, and then think about how my own approach to learning has changed the last few years with the increasing ability to network both within and outside of my campus, I am realizing that we need to be addressing those changes in library research programs as well.
What ways can we support students in drawing on the knowledge of both experts and of one another?
Some practical ideas I am considering that would allow students to network more:
- Using message boards or forums during research projects so that students can give one another research tips is a way to engage students more actively. We tried this last year during our Vietnam Wall project and it worked well. Students enjoyed giving tips to one another.
- Creating collaborative wikis for projects is another way. Again, we tried this on a government policy project, where students collaborated across class periods on a wiki.
- Asking a student to explain to the class how they would approach a research problem establishes that students have expertise as well (a fact they already realize, since students often ask other students for help.)
- Asking students to “play” librarian for a class and explain how to use the appropriate databases.
- Enabling some sort of “chat” during a research period that could be used for research help from one another.
- Making sure that students spent time conferencing face to face with one another every couple of days to share good resources with each other (ala the Cha-cha website model).
- Employing a “team” of researchers–assign a research project to a team, much as a team of scientists would work on a research dilemma. Allow the teams to conference with other “teams” from other class periods, via blogs, wikis, Skype chats, chatrooms, or face-to-face meetings.
- Posting white butcher paper on the wall where students can write requests for help on a topic and others can volunteer to assist them or write suggestions. (It doesn’t always have to be “high tech.”)
- Helping students set up a Pageflakes site with feeds from helpful blogs and links to helpful websites to “display” their learning network.
- Having students use web-mapping software like Inspiration or Bubbl.us to map out who their information “lifelines” are.
- Teaching them how to use the del.icio.us bookmarks of other experts or their friends as a way to broaden their network and find good information.
- Asking them to show you how they use social networking to help them with research–What are the sites they use to share information and help one another?
By redefining research in a more “real world” and connected way, I think we can help it become more integral to our campuses and more integral to the way our students learn.
I’d like to hear of other ideas you may have for helping students “network” during a research process. Thanks to Dean Shareski for the links.
Kama nimekuwa kufanya baadhi ya kusoma majira yote ya joto, dhana yangu nzima ya utafiti ni kuhamia kiasi fulani. Labda ni kuonyesha mabadiliko ambayo wengi wa wanafunzi wetu wanaishi, pia. Mimi kuja kutambua zaidi na zaidi kwamba ingawa katika shule sisi kutibu utafiti kama shughuli kiasi fulani upweke, katika fomu yake ya kweli, utafiti ni shughuli sana mtandao. "Kama George Siemens anaandika, katika kuelezea Connectivism, ""kujifunza si tena ndani, shughuli ya mtu binafsi,"" anaendelea kusema kwamba wanafunzi ""kuendelea sasa katika uwanja wao kupitia uhusiano wao wameunda.""Mimi mara nyingi kufikiri jinsi wanasayansi au wanahistoria kufanya utafiti, si katika Bubble kutengwa, lakini katika mtandao wa wenzake, marafiki, maktaba na katika kampuni ya habari kutoka zamani." Siemens anaendelea kunukuu Karen Stephenson, ambaye anaandika: <unk>Uzoefu kwa muda mrefu umekuwa ukichukuliwa kuwa mwalimu bora wa maarifa. Kwa kuwa hatuwezi kupata uzoefu wa kila kitu, uzoefu wa watu wengine, na kwa hivyo watu wengine, wanakuwa surrogate kwa maarifa. wanafunzi wetu tayari wanafanya mazoezi ya nguvu ya kushiriki maarifa kwa sababu wanatumia mitandao yao ya kijamii sio tu kijamii, lakini ili kusaidiana... katika siku za zamani, kupitia simu ndefu juu ya kazi za nyumbani, na sasa kupitia Facebook au MySpace au IM. Lakini je, tunawaomba watumie ujuzi huo wakati wa siku ya shule, rasmi, hasa wakati wanafanya kazi ya utafiti? """Ninaposoma zaidi na kufikiria juu ya miradi ya utafiti, na kisha kufikiria jinsi mbinu yangu mwenyewe ya kujifunza imebadilika katika miaka michache iliyopita na uwezo unaoongezeka wa kuunganisha ndani na nje ya chuo changu, ninafahamu kwamba tunahitaji kushughulikia mabadiliko hayo katika programu za utafiti wa maktaba pia." Ni njia gani za kuwasaidia wanafunzi kutegemea ujuzi wa wataalamu na wa kila mmoja? "Kama ni kweli, kuna njia kadhaa ambazo zinaweza kuwezesha wanafunzi kushirikiana zaidi: kutumia ""viunga vya ujumbe"" au ""forums"" wakati wa miradi ya utafiti ili wanafunzi waweze kutoa vidokezo vya utafiti kwa kila mmoja ni njia ya kujihusisha na wanafunzi kwa bidii zaidi." Tulijaribu hii mwaka jana wakati wa mradi wetu wa Ukuta wa Vietnam na ilifanya kazi vizuri. Wanafunzi walifurahia kutoa vidokezo kwa kila mmoja. - Kuunda wikis ushirikiano kwa ajili ya miradi ni njia nyingine. Kwa mara nyingine tena, tulijaribu hii kwenye mradi wa sera ya serikali, ambapo wanafunzi walishirikiana katika vipindi vya darasa kwenye wiki. - Kuuliza mwanafunzi kueleza kwa darasa jinsi wao ingekuwa kukabiliana na tatizo utafiti huanzisha kwamba wanafunzi kuwa na utaalamu pia (kitu ambacho tayari kutambua, tangu wanafunzi mara nyingi kuuliza wanafunzi wengine kwa msaada.) - Kuuliza wanafunzi "kucheza" maktaba kwa darasa na kueleza jinsi ya kutumia hifadhidata sahihi. - Kuwezesha aina fulani ya <unk>chat<unk> wakati wa kipindi cha utafiti ambayo inaweza kutumika kwa ajili ya utafiti msaada kutoka kwa kila mmoja. - Kuhakikisha kwamba wanafunzi walitumia muda wa mkutano uso kwa uso na kila siku mbili kushiriki rasilimali nzuri na kila mmoja (ala mfano wa tovuti ya Cha-cha). - Kutumia "timu" ya watafiti <unk> kugawa mradi wa utafiti kwa timu, kama vile timu ya wanasayansi ingefanya kazi kwenye shida ya utafiti. Ruhusu timu ya mkutano na nyingine "teamu" kutoka vipindi vingine darasa, kupitia blogu, wikis, Skype mazungumzo, vyumba vya mazungumzo, au mikutano ya uso kwa uso. - Kuchapisha karatasi nyeupe kwenye ukuta ambapo wanafunzi wanaweza kuandika maombi ya msaada juu ya mada na wengine wanaweza kujitolea kuwasaidia au kuandika mapendekezo. (Si lazima daima kuwa <unk>high tech.<unk>) - Kusaidia wanafunzi kuanzisha tovuti Pageflakes na feeds kutoka blogu muhimu na viungo kwa tovuti muhimu <unk>kuonyesha<unk> mtandao wao wa kujifunza. -Kuwa na wanafunzi kutumia programu ya ramani ya mtandao kama Inspiration au Bubbl.us ramani nje ambao habari zao "lifelines" ni. - Kuwafundisha jinsi ya kutumia del.icio.us bookmarks ya wataalamu wengine au marafiki wao kama njia ya kupanua mtandao wao na kupata habari nzuri. - Kuwaomba kukuonyesha jinsi wanavyotumia mitandao ya kijamii kuwasaidia na utafiti <unk> Ni tovuti zipi wanazotumia kushiriki habari na kusaidiana? Kwa kufafanua upya utafiti katika njia ya "dunia halisi" na iliyounganishwa zaidi, nadhani tunaweza kusaidia kuwa sehemu muhimu zaidi ya vyuo vikuu vyetu na sehemu muhimu zaidi ya njia ambayo wanafunzi wetu hujifunza. Ningependa kusikia ya mawazo mengine unaweza kuwa na kwa ajili ya kusaidia wanafunzi <unk>mtandao<unk> wakati wa mchakato wa utafiti. Asante kwa Dean Shareski kwa viungo.