Immediate relevance
Chapter 9 – 2002 – Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Pretty much every school whether it be high school, college, or university is using some form of LMS. Even though the layouts and ways of doing things may be somewhat different, the abilities are similar. Weller states that their benefits include reliability, institutional support, and standardization. I use Blackboard Ultra where I work and it is constantly being updated and changed to meet the growing needs of what is required by the institutions. Some of these changes are beneficial, some are not. The LMS allows me to see submissions, who has logged in and when, track attendance and grades, and post announcements and assignments. Students are able to complete assignments and tests, see due dates and grades, and communicate with faculty and classmates.
Conflicts with or Contradicts
Chapter 16 – 2009 – Twitter and Social Media
I work at a college and all upcoming events and anything newsworthy is posted via social media. Weller states the benefits include democratization, visibility, engagement, and research dissemination. This can be great for getting the word out there, connecting people around the world allowing for support and a sense of community, and for locating help resources for topics such as mental illness. Weller warns that there are risks including harassment, context collapse, platform monopolies, and blurred personal or professional boundaries. Social media has been linked to negative effects such as anxiety and depression, social comparison, sleep disruption, addictive feedback loops, cyberbullying, and isolation. It seems somewhat contradictory to advertise a mental health workshop or session on social media that can ultimately lead to things like depression. There is also the point that students are told not to use social media in class as it is distracting to them while at the same time asked to look at current posts. This puts students between a rock and a hard place.