Social Networking to Support Climate Change Education

- www.msteacher2.org

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING IN CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION

KIMBERLY LIGHTLE


The People Formerly Known The People Formerly Known as the Audienceas the Audience

……can now create, connect, and even can now create, connect, and even mobilizemobilize


Key Themes

• Climate Change Literacy: Translating Knowledge into Action (citizen science)

• Serving the Climate Change Education Needs of Different Audiences (long tail)

• Cost-effective Strategies for Scaling Up Programs (many of these tools are free)

• Leveraging Partnerships (tap into communities that already exist)


Build an “architecture of participation” that allows users to create, collaborate, connect

Look for an established community that has collaborative spaces, e.g. Encyclopedia of Earth (CAMEL), CLN/CLEAN, MSP2, other NINGs, Learn Central, state networks (Ohio – Project Discovery), regional CCE-P networks, Facebook

Pick what your audience wants to do (and what you want them to do) – and then find the tool(s) that allows for that to happen

Integrate those tools (including RSS) to allow these behaviors to happen


From: http://www.fredcavazza.net/2008/06/09/social-media-landscape/


http://beyondweather.ehe.osu.edu


http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org


http://msteacher2.org


MSP2: Year 2 Evaluation Focus Identify a profile of participation for its

users: quantitative and qualitative analyses of user participation in MSP2, Teacher Leader interviews, and member surveys

Developed a Participation Rank Rubric and Social Network Conversation Rubric

Evaluation Reports and participation rubrics can be found here - http://issuu.com/dlatosu/docs


Expectations Management• Small group of core “posters” – but lots of looky-

loos (we can tell by metrics)• Don’t make the “Milkshake Mistake”• Membership has more years of teaching

experience than we thought they would• Vast majority of members found out about MSP2

through Friend or colleague or Web search• Extrinsic motivation usually doesn’t work – value

social motivation (wanting to be part of group)


Still a Big Experiment

• Constant trial and error (i.e., what tools, rewards have the most impact)

• Behavior does follow opportunity

• Big % of audience is not comfortable with this “participatory culture”

• Mt. Rushmore vs. Bazaar – give folks reason to come back – new content

• Welcome everyone


Contact Kimberly Lightle at [email protected] http://people.ehe.ohio-state.edu/klightle/

Social Networking to Support Climate Change Education

Education

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