It has been argued that processes of participatory culture, afforded by social media and technologies blur the boundaries between creative production and consumption, and open up novel, public spaces for, and styles of, networked learning; social spaces that promote collaborative knowledge building, and shared assets. However, empirical evidence on the application of such technologies for supporting teaching and learning in higher education contexts is only slowly emerging.
This chapter explores these concepts in the context of analysis of emergent patterns of behaviour and activity in Cloudworks, a specialised networking site, and a public space for aggregating and sharing resources and exchanging ideas about the scholarship and practice of education, with particular emphasis on the relationship between ICTs and teaching and learning. Performance and expression within the site are analyzed through combining notions of self-representation and collective intelligence with dimensions of expansive learning and activity patterns. The chapter contextualizes findings through a critical lens, and offers insights that can shape the future research agenda for productive learning in networked environments.
Authors
Panagiota Alevizou, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
Rebecca Galley, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
Gráinne Conole, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
Book Chapter, Pages 75-97
Book Exploring the Theory, Pedagogy and Practice of Networked Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-0496-5_5
Online ISBN 978-1-4614-0496-5
Print ISBN 978-1-4614-0495-8
