Online Communities

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Online Communities

Kerrie SmithSchools Information
Officerksmith_at_educationau.edu.au
Kate DibbenOnline Communications
Officerkdibben_at_educationau.edu.au
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About EdNA
EdNA Online at www.edna.edu.au is one of the
worlds largest education and training websites.
It is a gateway to more than 15,000 evaluated
internet resources and services for education and
training, provides free collaborative tools such
as discussion lists and forums, and is a national
asset collaboratively funded by the Australian
State, Territory, and Federal education
ministries. education.au limited manages EdNA
Online.
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What are Online Communities?
A group of people usually, like minded people
come together online to participate, debate and
share information. Online communities will use
a range of online tools from discussion forums,
chat, discussion email lists, Information
Management Systems (WebCT) etc.
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Why go online?

• Communicate remotely
• Extend communication, networks with like mind
  groups
• To learn and share
• Provide support structure for mentoring
• Provide records and archives
• Enhance an online community
• Online Training

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Online Forums

• The EdNA Online Forum is a tool for online
  participants to join in and/or create online
  discussion about teaching and learning using a
  threaded discussion forum and/or chat.
• There are many different forums tools however
  EdNA Online offers a free service and support to
  the education and training communities.

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Creating and Managing Your Own Forum

• If you have your own group of people/community
  you want to create, enhance or to take online
  then you can create and manage your own Online
  Forum through EdNA Online.
• Register with EdNA Online Forums
  forum.edna.edu.au
• Request a new event space decide Public or
  Private
• Familiarise yourself with the tools using the
  site Guides
• http//forum.edna.edu.au/GuideGettingStarted.asp

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Things to Consider

• All users will need to register with EdNA
  Online Forums
• Need an Ice-breaker initial postings
  insights into the forum community and the
  opportunity to have users introduce themselves.
  Different users have different abilities and
  understanding of the tools need support and
  understanding of time commitments
• Stipulate a timeframe for the Online Forum ..
  Is it for a month, on-going, once a month
• Use different strategies/methodologies to
  encourage and stimulate conversation
• Six thinking hats what do you know, how do
  you feel, what is wrong with .., what are the
  benefits etc.
• Questioning skills
• Debates
• Articles and websites
• Summarising

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EdNA Online Forums and Chats
Free Collaborative Tools for the Education and
Training Community EdNA Online Lets investigate
http//forum.edna.edu.au/
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Other EdNA Online tools and services

• EdNA Online has a range of other free
  communication tools and services than can enhance
  the community further
• EdNA Online Email Newsletters Schools, Whats
  new, Early Childhood, News and Views, VET and ACE
  news
• Email Distribution Lists
• Noticeboards
• EdNA Search

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Online Community Models

• There are a range of models of how different
  people have used the EdNA Online tools.
• Some examples
• eSchola http//www.edna.edu.au/eschola
• OzProjects http//ozprojects.edna.edu.au
• Netd_at_ys - http//netdays.edna.edu.au/2001/
• E-Moderators Course Gilly Salmons 5-step
  model
• (Can register your interest with Kate Dibben
  kdibben_at_educationau.edu.au )

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School Forums and Resources _at_ forum.edna.edu.au

• http//forum.edna.edu.au/Event.asp?Id14057
  Online Projects ... Let's have a go This online
  forum and chat is an area for teachers to share
  classroom tips and resources for Online Projects.
  The next chat will be on Monday 8th July between
  4.30 - 5.30 CST. There are also a lot of good
  tips and case studies on the OzProjects website
  http//ozprojects.edna.edu.au
• http//forum.edna.edu.au/Event.asp?Id2798 NSEP -
  National Software Evaluation Project This forum
  will allow the discussion of software suitable
  for use in schools. Contributors may wish to
  alert others to strategies for using a specific
  in the classroom, tutorials in the software
  available on the Internet, or problems that may
  be encountered in setting up the software on a
  network and the solutions to problems.

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VET Forums and Resources _at_ forum.edna.edu.au
http//forum.edna.edu.au/event.asp?Id15321 WSROC
Learnscope Project - The Learnscope Project is
devoted to developing flexible learning/teaching
processes for Western Sydney Region.
http//forum.edna.edu.au/event.asp?Id14097 Onli
ne Teaching Strategies - Discussion forum about
Online Teaching Strategies for online
faciliatators.