Continuing a look at benefits of social software, as described in the book Teaching Crowds …
Photo: accessible well pump seat (Mali) via OttawaAC CC BY 2.0
8. addresses both social and individual needs
“… the benefits of schooling to either individuals or the state depend upon learners being able to work, collaborate, and engage in discussion and decisionmaking with others. Social networking both encourages and affords opportunities to practise these social skills in contexts that range from small groups to large and widely distributed networks.”
9. builds identity, expertise, and social capital
Social networking helps students reach goals they could not accomplish on their own.
10. easy to use
“To attract high numbers of users, social software architects spend considerable effort in making interfaces friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate.”
11. accessible
Social software is accessible in two senses of the word. First, the content isn’t hidden behind a password or classroom door. Second, most social software is accessible to all learners, regardless of physical or mental constraints. Additionally, the content is available on a wide variety of devices such that (theoretically, at least) anyone can learn anywhere.
12. protects and advances current models of ownership and identity
“Digital property, like the flame of a candle, is not diminished when shared with others. Indeed, the sharing of both candles and digital artifacts creates more light for the benefit of all.”
13. persistent and findable
“The use of syndication, automatic and cooperative tagging, indexing, and spider tools allows social software contributions and information about their authors to be searched, harvested, and extracted.”
14. supports multiple media formats
Audio, video, and graphics “can be combined to create immersive worlds, waves, VoiceThreads, and many other engaging media combinations.”
Next week: we wrap up a review of social software benefits by focusing on those related to higher order thinking skills.
