Mobilizing Your Online Community
Abstract: Recent research suggests that online students felt that student -instructor interactions were often distant and delayed. With Web 2.0 tools, an instructor can create an online community, making students feel connected to the instructor and other students much like the face-to-face environment. Presenters will demonstrate how they utilize Yapp.us to increase community in an online course environment. Yapp.us allows users to create free mobile apps. Schedules, twitter feeds, websites and discussion forums can be loaded into the Yapp in an aesthetically pleasing application. Photographs can be shared and push notifications are possible for urgent course reminders. Badges and screencasts are also important tools that can increase the classroom connections. All these Web 2.0 tools require very little preparation and technological expertise and can be incorporated immediately in the online classroom.
Presider: Pamella Seay, Florida Gulf Coast University