Kelly, That is indeed unsettling. I think I would talk to my own supervisor at the school to see what would be the protocol in solving the situation. - Doc Wibbeke

Whenever a "controversial" comes up, I try to neutralize the situation. I ask the students to put politics aside and debate the core issue. I try not to let it get to a stage when documentation is necessary. I always try to act efficiently and swiftly. - Doc Wibbeke

Trude, I think that some part of education has indeed become part "edutainment". In order to keep the attention of individuals who have given their attention wholly to digital devices, a live instructor online teaching them seems to pale in comparison to some students. - Dr. Eileen Wibbeke

I concur, that Wikipedia can be utilized for sharing of information, albeit not academically valid information. I, too, have seen completely incorrect information on Wikipedia. I tell my students that Wikipedia even has a disclaimer on their front page saying that they are not responsible for the quality of the content. It reminds me of another thought from my students. The students think something does not exist unless they can find it on Google. Ah, technology! - Dr. Eileen Wibbeke

Can anyone think of a reason as to when blogging would be a detriment to the online classroom? - Dr. Eileen Wibbeke

Yvette, I strongly agree that social media is a great tool for instruction. However, it is just one of many tools that instructors can utilize to providing a quality learning environment. I personally do not think any type of technology will replace the human interaction between student and instructor, albeit through the vehicle of technology. - Dr. Eileen Wibbeke

How does everyone feel about having instructors be required to use social media in the classroom. Will the social part of the content create too much "chatter" and tangential conversations? How can certain students and topics be reined in, even if they can only post in 140 characters? - Doc Wibbeke

I was interested to read in this training that Wikipedia (or wikis) in general can be seen as social media. While Wikipedia and wikis are collaborative crowd-sourced information sites, their academic validity can never quite match that of a peer-reviewed journal (for example) from a respected source (i.e. Harvard Business Review). - Doc Wibbeke

I agree, Herbert, that the video touch does add a personal ingredient to the course formulation. Although AIU, to the best of my knowledge, does not require a video warm welcome for students at the start of each course, I think it should. - Doc Wibbeke