Request 4 Learning: A Connectivism Inspired Social Media Learning Environment

In this paper we will present the theoretical framework for learning with social media, core concepts of the developed tool Request4Learning, the social media interactions that are used to stimulate connectivism-based learning and present the results of the conducted evaluation. So far comparatively few attempts have been made to use social media concepts to enhance collaborative learning and active resource creation. Therefore we created the prototype Request4Learning, which is a web-based social media community and learning platform. Its didactical concept is strongly inspired by the Quest to Learn concept used in a prototype school in New York, USA. The game-based concept behind provides pupils with missions, which they can take over and try to accomplish. Missions cover several subjects and are structured into smaller quests. In this concept, the teachers become mentors and learning is characterized by highly individualized activities. Our proposed Request4Learning social media application provides a community platform where users see an overview about activities related to the currently active missions that are offered by the system. The quests of missions can be of different types. These types are didactically inspired and range from material collection to jigsaw sessions. Users can share web content or type solutions to quests, can see, vote up, vote down and comment others' solutions thereafter and earn badges in the end, if their solution got the most votes. Teachers can create missions, quests and badgets and manage the user accounts. In general, users gain points for each activity. Leaderboards present most active users and/or badge owners. Overall, such modern social media-based learning environments may be able to change the way learning and teaching takes place in a connectivism-inspired environment. Students of an international class used Request4Learning during a full-day seminar and were offered with two missions. Each mission consisted of several quests for resource collection. Thus they were strongly involved in searching the web for resources and answers and commenting, voting and discussion the results within Request4Learning (and within class). The evaluation results show strong acceptance of the system and give hints for future research.