Creating a Community of Inquiry Through Social Bookmarking

Presenter(s)
Kimberly Balko (SUNY Empire State College, US)
Lisa Rapple (SUNY Empire State College, US)
Additional Authors
Dana Longley (SUNY Empire State College, US)
Session Information
November 10, 2011 - 4:30pm
Track: 
Technology and Emerging Learning Environments
Areas of Special Interest: 
Innovative Blends; Practical Application
Institutional Level: 
Universities and Four Year Institutions
Audience Level: 
All
Session Type: 
Poster Session
Location: 
Southern Hemisphere I-III
Abstract

The past few years, conducting research has changed due to the rise of the Internet. SUNY Empire State College's nursing program offers a nursing research course in which students use a social bookmarking tool Diigo. This tool allows students to annotate, use APA, share references, and create an online repository.

Extended Abstract

SUNY Empire State College's online RN to BS in nursing program started in the fall of 2008 through the Center for Distance Learning (CDL). The program offers innovative course design, and flexible learning opportunities that support individual student choices for lifelong learning. As part of a 400 level nursing research course, students were directed to use a social bookmarking tool called Diigo. The purpose of this activity is for students to learn how to conduct research using online tools, create an online repository of their resources, and post references from their research to share with their classmates. Students were provided detailed tutorials on creating an account in Diigo. Tutorials were also provided on showing students how to use the various Diigo tools. The directions for this assignment were to find, read and bookmark 15 peer reviewed articles over a 3 module period (6 weeks), cite in Diigo using APA style, annotate why they chose this article and how it fits into the literature on their topic of choice, and then comment on their peer's articles and annotations. During this assignment, a college librarian was active in guiding students and answering questions along with the course instructor, who gave feedback as to the quality of the sited articles. Feedback was collected from the students through an online survey at the end of the course. Several important lessons were learned through conducting this activity such as the importance for students to understand the long term benefit of learning how to conduct online research and the need to build private lists before sharing with the group. In addition, students found the supporting tutorials helpful as they provided direction and helped them to successfully complete the assignment. Participants attending this conference will be able to apply this free technological tool in their courses. Its private or individual use can be beneficial to instructors that incorporate research projects and that address APA, annotative bibliographies, online research and social networking.

Final Presentation: 
Supplemental File 1: 
Lead Presenter

Kimberly Balko MS, RN Assistant Professor, Nursing program, Center for Distance Learning Kimberly Balko received a Master of Science in Nursing Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing cum laude from State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT) and a diploma from Albany Memorial School of Nursing. Her experience encompasses over 26 years of nursing which includes long-term health care, school nursing, and as an instructor in an associate degree nursing program. Balko has been with the nursing program at Empire State College for over 2 years and is a member of Iota Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the National League of Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Currently, she is working on her PhD in Education at Capella University.

Presenter 1 Email: 
Kimberly.Balko@esc.edu