Navigating 21st century education: A practical integration strategy for interactive and collaborative learning

Abstract

Much research exists on the value of using web tools in higher education for more interactive, student-centred learning - social media and web tools should be 'embraced by [universities] to allow faster feedback, broader, more trans-disciplinary learning and allowing the student to join and build communities of experts in their field' (French 2008). However, little is available in the way of practical support strategies for educators to effect this change. Teaching styles often remain unchanged with a lack of support, or worse, change is viewed negatively following a poor experience with ineffective and time-consuming implementation. This paper describes a practical, scaffolded approach to supporting teaching staff across disparate disciplines in integrating social media tools (in this case, online publishing and journaling via web logs, or 'blogs'). It outlines a project in which lecturers developed interactive and collaborative teaching practice via the use of blogs, supported by academic development staff.