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ARTICLE 3. SOCIAL NETWORKING IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION: UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON NING

Dr. Gülfem SEZEN BALCIKANLI 

Gazi Üniversitesi, 

Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksekokulu, 

Abant Sok. Gazi Mahallesi, Ankara,TURKEY 

 

ABSTRACT

 It was the aim of this study to investigate physical education undergraduate students’ views on the use of social networking, one of the most typical representations of Web 2.0 technologies. In order to do so, the researcher, who was the instructor of the class, entitled “Fair Play Education in Sport”, introduced Ning and its educational aspects to her students with a 50-minute presentation prior to the study. Following this, the students were encouraged to use this networking for 15 weeks in parallel with their class. During this application, the researcher helped the students to make the best use of Ning in educational settings. Upon the implementation, the researcher interviewed the students (n=19) in five groups on the basis of the questions prepared and piloted earlier. The interviews demonstrated that the students enjoyed using social networking in educational settings.

The findings of the study were the following: Increasing student-student and teacher-student interaction, enhancing student motivation and classroom climate, sharing materials with the instructor and students, making use of students’ interests and needs, and making learning process more interesting and permanent. The research concluded that social networking could be used in PE classes effectively. 

Keywords: Web 2.0, social networking, PE students. 

 

INTRODUCTION

Web 2.0 has been in use since Q’Reilly (2005) described it as “web-based technology that facilitates and promotes communication and sharing among others worldwide”. This two-way interaction Web 2.0 technologies provide is of great significance in education due to their open nature, ease of use and support for effective collaboration and communication (Coutinho, 2008; Gura and Percy, 2005). 

The new version of Web, which differs from Web 1.0, can be very useful in contributing to the effectiveness of learning processes as long as 21st century educators employ them effectively. Richardson (2008) offers four benefits of using these technologies in educational settings;

new opportunities for learners to take more control of their learning and access their own customized information, resources, tools and services,

an array of expressive capability,

more collaborative of working, community creation, dialogue and sharing knowledge, d) a setting for learner achievements to attract an authentic audience. 

In order to address 21st century kids, known as “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001), “Generation N” (Caldwell et al., 2006) “Net Generation” (Toman et al., 2005) “Grasshopper Mind” (Raines, 2005), it is more than a requirement that web 2.0 technologies be utilized in educational settings. As McLoughlin and Lee (2010) claim, digital-age students want an active learning experience that is social, participatory and supported by rich media. Along those lines, situated learning theory shifts the view of learning from a cognitive process to a process of participation in an emotional sense in the social world (Lave and Wenger, 1990, cited in Lave and Wenger, 1998).

This shift leads to a growing interest in the need to support and encourage learners control over the whole learning process (Dron, 2007). Siemens (2007) believes that the world is changing and schools and universities play a key role in accommodating this change by transforming learners and preparing them to function in the world that is unfolding. Several researchers (Conole and Creanor, 2007; Windham, 2005a, 2005b) report that many students today juggle work and study, expect Internet connectivity and web based services and more importantly view social networking tools as being central to their lives. Thus, teachers of these digital students need to be equipped with digital literacy to creatively integrate ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) into their courses (Silverman, 1997). Otherwise, an unfilled gap is likely to occur between teachers and their students, which may hinder the learning process.

As far as physical education is concerned, it is believed that web tools can be used by PE (Physical Education) teachers to develop their own performances and to foster students’ learning processes. Several studies looked at issues such as office applications (Güclü, 2010; Silverman, 1997; Yaman, 2007a; 2007b; 2009) multimedia software and its impact on motor skills (Mohnsen, 2008), instructional video analysis software to improve pupils’ understandings on underlying concepts and techniques (Ladda et al., 2004), effects of web technologies on students’ satisfaction (Vernadakis et al., 2012), and web developers as physical educators (Papastergiou, 2010). In a similar fashion, multimedia educational software, in Mohnsen’s research (2008), constituted an important tool which;

- helped students understand PE-related concepts,

- introduced students to motor skill techniques, 

- provided simulations and practice experiences, 

- supported self-paced learning and unlimited practice, 

- provided immediate and constructive feedback, and 

- accommodated various learning styles. 

 Specifically designed for primary and secondary school students, such software programmes played a key role in teaching cognitive concepts such as fitness concepts and motor skills including basketball skills (Siskos, Antoniou, Papaioannou, and Laparidis, 2005; Vernadakis et al., 2012). The results of the aforementioned two studies indicated that the software offered very promising results concerning the concepts namely fitness and motor skills. 

Another area of research in the context of PE in terms of web technologies is that Internet offers numerous opportunities to remain professionally current by providing various information sources and facilities for communication with colleagues (Lazerte and Lathrop, 2006; Pennington et al., 2004; Thornburg and Hill, 2004). In line with modern learning approaches, web technologies are designed to offer constructivist-learning experiences for students. 

The trend that students are encouraged to design individual projects combining various digital media and text images is existent in 21st century school environments.

According to a research study conducted in the USA, PE teachers are aware of the importance of web technologies at the service of education and pupils better understand the concepts and skills under study and critically reflect on their progress through these technologies (Mohnsen, 2008). In other words, such technologies are likely to help students evaluate the learning process, which ultimately leads them to be aware of their competencies more effectively. Despite the popularity of online technologies at the service of education, surprisingly not many studies are available in the field of physical education except a few (Ladda et al., 2004; Lazerte and Lathrop, 2006; Mohnsen, 2008; Özsoy, 2011; Pennington et al., 2004; Sezen, 2009; Silverman, 1997; Siskos et al., 2005; Papastergiou, 2010; Thornburg and Hill, 2004; Vernadakis et. al., 2012). 

More specifically, the importance of social networking, one of the most striking realizations of Web 2.0 technologies, is not mostly pronounced in the studies of physical education. Web 2.0 technologies can be effectively used for PE students who receive both theoretical and applied classes. For instance, web technologies can be employed in theoretical classes like fair play education, sports philosophy and olympism where topics such as ethics, sports personship, match-fixing and aggressive behaviors are interactively discussed. These theoretical classes are very important especially in terms of increasing the quality of learning and teaching processes, and making use of recent technological innovations to capture students’ attention. In a similar vein, in online environments, current sports events can be integrated into classroom environments so as to increase the effectiveness and dynamics of the class.  

This way students are encouraged to research about the topics, which is mostly related to personalized learning experiences. Thus, the use of social networking is an important component of educational processes for students. In this regard, this study aims at investigating undergraduate students’ views on the use of social networking in educational settings with a specific emphasis on Ning. 

 


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