{"id":491,"date":"2018-09-08T10:34:36","date_gmt":"2018-09-08T17:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0057\/?p=491"},"modified":"2018-09-12T09:18:58","modified_gmt":"2018-09-12T16:18:58","slug":"sideline-slack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0057\/sideline-slack\/","title":{"rendered":"Sideline: Slack"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preamble<\/em><\/h3>\n

We all have been using Slack since the Link after I set it up for the cohort. I introduced Slack as the main communication channel for my program\u2019s industry project course in May and will extend its use for all the courses in the program from the January intake. I wish to reflect on that, it might give you some ideas and inspiration as well as provide further readings and case studies.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Communication, involving the students, getting them to communicate and work together asynchronously and synchronously in project teams, integrate their field-specific workflow, and use industry tools, while using the environment as a learning space is a significant challenge for every instructor.<\/p>\n

The free version of the Slack app has been introduced as the primary communication tool in the current intake of the program I lead for the industry project.<\/p>\n

Slack is a web-, desktop-, and mobile device-based platform made for collaboration for consolidating synchronous and asynchronous communication within a group, easily carry on the group and individual conversations, some private and some public within a simple user interface. For centralization, it seamlessly integrates educational, and in my case, web development field related technology tools. The Slack app itself is easy to use on the phone, or any other mobile devices and it fosters an emoji-laced vernacular, which is standard in the web design and development field, and it does well with millennials (Steinmetz, 2017).<\/p>\n

A fast track, content heavy higher education certificate program requires different engagement than a degree program with several semesters. To ensure the participation from each learner and successfully reach the learning outcomes, both the instructional design of the learning environment, and the used technology are crucial (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). According to Veletsianos (2016), a digital learning environment (DLE) is defined as a digital space or platform that may or may not be intended for educational use. A learning management system (LMS) is used in educational setup, while Slack is the most popular company messaging app. Bringing real-world technology tools and apps into the classroom and using it as DLE, the students will be acclimated to their post-education experiences early on, as opposed to using a conventional LMS that the students will never use for work unless they teach.<\/p>\n

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Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Slack was launched publicly in 2014 and is the fastest-growing business application ever, with more than eight million daily active users (Greenwood, 2018). The company also predicts it will be bigger in the workplace than e-mail by 2025 (Woyke, 2018).<\/p>\n

Slack is not the only service of its kind, but thanks to its many useful features and user-friendly user interface the web development industry players utilized the tool\u2019s advantages from the beginning.<\/p>\n

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Advantages of using Slack in the student groups.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The following are some, but not all of the ways learners and educators can benefit from using Slack as a communication platform in student groups:<\/p>\n