Faculty Exchange/Tamara Berg Discusses Ning

General Information Audience - All WSU instructors interested in teaching larger classes without sacrificing the sense of community found in smaller courses. Interview Date - 4/9/2012 Tools Used - Ning Meet the Faculty Member Dr. Tamara Berg, WSU Associate Professor in and Director of Women's & Gender Studies, received her Ph.D. from Indiana University in English Literature and a PhD minor in Women's and Gender Studies. She has presented and published on service learning and women's and gender studies issues. She has led service-learning trips to the island of St. Croix since 2004 and has twice co-taught a service-learning course that included an alternative spring break trip to New Orleans where students participated in the hurricane relief effort. Minne Hall 329 (507) 457-5475 tberg@winona.edu Viewing the Interview Segments The full interview is divided into six segments. Select play to begin viewing Segment 1. To advance to another segments at any time by using the Next button.

Segment Descriptions Introduction Segment Why Ning? Tamara describes that the use of this tool is in larger format courses has allowed her to facilitates the creation of FaceBook like experience allowing for a sense of community where ideas can be shared. Describe some of the policies or guidelines you use for your Ning site. Tamara sets expectations of professional and affirming communication in this space. The parallels to Facebook make this sense of sharing and building friendships extend very naturally over to the Ning ecosystem. What outcomes are you seeing from using this tool? Tamara describes how Ning site allows for many more students to create a sense of identity and connectivity would otherwise not occur in a large lecture course. She also has noted that student writing with a real sense of purpose that she typically does not see. What advice would you give faculty considering the use of a shared note-taking in their classes? She encourages faculty to try creating space like this where social interaction can flourish without intruding on your personal Facebook space. What help did you receive as you implemented this activity? Tamra explains talking to folks over in TLT about navigating the licencing, setup, and options regarding different tools and functions of Ning was helpful. Good Practices Creating a flourishing sense of community begins with tools that are easy for the student to use and provide safe spaces for dialogue to begin. Having a robust set of tools within courses social ecosystems that can be activated when needs or interest arise helps the community establish new levels of understanding and connection. Key Outcomes Having an easy to use tool like Ning where students can share ideas and socially connect in large classes can serve as one effective way to create a sense of community. Writing assignments in these types of settings allow for more purposeful submissions and subsequently more reflective dialogue. Related Articles Learn How to Replicate Tamaras's Activity in Your Own Course working Learn More About Ning Ning.com Ning and Writing to Learn