Tracing learning through spectrum of conversations A microblogging approach to students’ learning and research experience

Abstract This paper introduces a model for students’ learning by using an event stream in a microblogging environment. Thus, during the academic year 2009-2010, we integrated three different events in formal university courses. The events are archived on the cirip.eu microblogging platform and were evaluated in the authors’ previous papers. The aim of our study is to increase the understanding on how microblogging platforms can be used for learning from an event stream (and participate in the stream too), and to offer enough data for a more critical thinking and in-depth analysis on this particular research question: How do students consume a (real-time) event stream? Can we use the flow as a way to expand students’ experience in learning? Although we refer explicitly to cirip.eu, conclusions drawn from our study are applicable to other microblogging platforms or services.