The Evaluation of the Use of Online Community Tool Ning for Support of Student Interaction and Learning

The interaction within groups or networks of learners can be effectively supported with the use of online community sites like Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. In our study we investigated the potential uses of the online community tool Ning in a hybrid university course for part-time students. The introduction of Ning supported the interaction between students themselves and enabled them to help each other in solving various problems. The Ning tool was used by the students to present the results of their work and create online diaries. Some of the technical features of Ning that are important for e-learning communities are discussed in the paper as well as the results of the course evaluation survey regarding the effects of its use on student motivation and collaboration.

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