BP8_RILS Publication

Brief Overview:

Web 2.0 technologies not only give Internet users the potential to interact with the web as well as other human beings, who are on the Internet, actively (as opposed to being passive consumers of information) via social networking sites, for example, but they also give users the potential to create change. In this Learning Scenario, adult learners will understand the impact they can have on the world community by using social media and their professional skills to solve real-life problems with Sparked, an online micro-volunteering application.

1. Target Audience-

Millennial Generation (born between mid-late 1970s and mid 1990s). Learners (in Higher Education or the workforce) primed for civic engagement and using social media to solve problems.

2. Materials–

Instructor

·       RILS plan

·       Computer/mobile device and Internet connection

·       Google docs/form

·       Facebook account*

Learners

·       Interest/motivation to apply (professional) knowledge/skills to help others

·       Computer/mobile device and Internet connection

·       Between 2 minutes and 2 hours of spare time

·       Facebook account*

*A LinkedIn group can be used as an alternative to Facebook; however, all learners should still like and comment on Sparked’s Facebook page.

3. Objectives–

At the end of this scenario the learner will be able to: (Knowledge) Identify the social causes he or she cares about and the skills he or she would like to apply towards those causes in creating a Sparked profile; (Comprehension) Match or choose a volunteer challenge based on interest and ability; (Application) Complete the challenge (or solve the problem) in applying professional knowledge and skills to produce the product or solution; (Analysis) Compare the online volunteer experience to in-person volunteer experience(s), or experience in applying knowledge and expertise in in–school/work projects, in a status update on the Sparked Facebook page; (Synthesis) Report the overall Sparked experience on Facebook by writing a short persuasive status update, encouraging his or her friends to micro-volunteer at Sparked or to find and share other ways to harness the true potential of Web 2.0 technologies for change; (Evaluation) Evaluate the experience by completing the Google docs/form (survey).

 

4.     Procedure–

·       GET THE WORD OUT Prepare an email or blog post or another kind of electronic announcement regarding Sparked (Ideally, it would be available as an advertisement or prepared in advance to send out to whomever is interested in micro-volunteering; it could be another option for employees who would like to get involved in a philanthropic activity and don’t necessarily have the time); the opportunity could also be presented to learners or employees in class or during a meeting.

·       PROVIDE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS for accessing Sparked, posting to Facebook and completing the Google docs/form.

o   Watch the one minute commercial or the YouTube Rolex videoing regarding Sparked;

o   Go to Sparked.com, choose a cause or causes of interest, select your skills and sign in with your social network (Twitter, Facebook, Google account, or LinkedIn); or sign up for a Sparked account;

o   Choose a challenge;

o   Proceed to complete the challenge;

o   Like Sparked on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparked/116041028456768;

o   Post a message on Sparked’s Wall regarding your experience;

o   Post a persuasive/motivational status update on your Facebook wall to encourage discussion of and participation in harnessing the power of human potential for the greater good via social media;

o   Complete the survey and submit your challenge product in the appropriate place on the survey;

o   Continue to micro-volunteer on Sparked!

·       ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION or continued participation by asking learners to share their stories via a blog post on a volunteer blog for the organization/company; possibly provide incentives to people who complete their challenges—gamify the experience.

5.     Web 2.0 Tool–

Sparked is a website that makes volunteering mobile and easy. Busy adults can apply their knowledge and expertise for the greater good on their computers or mobile devices for minutes of their time.

Sparked website: http://www.sparked.com/

Informational video: http://youtu.be/HPcbjLJXelU

6. Social Participation/Social Learning–

The target audience will realize the power of the relationships between their connections on social networking sites, like Facebook, as they share their experiences in using social media to affect change in the world for the greater good and persuade their friends to join them, through status updates and comments, in “moving human kind forward” (Colker, http://youtu.be/HPcbjLJXelU) via Web 2.0 tools, or applications, like Sparked.

7. Making Connections– Learners will connect with:

a) Previous knowledge in order to create new knowledge. 

Learners will use their knowledge and skills effectively in the online environment to solve new problems. They will apply what they know and can do to help people in organizations similar to or different from their own that may be dealing with similar or different problems as their own (for example, designing a logo, editing a Wikipedia page, or finding ways to attract more Twitter followers). In working with the organizations on their problems, learners will share relevant and innovative information and benefit from real-world learning opportunities by being able to use insights from practice in other current or future endeavors.

b) Something that is relevant for them (the target audience).

Initially, learners will be drawn to micro-volunteering on Sparked because it is mobile and easy (bits of time). Additionally, however, they will be attracted by the autonomy they have in choosing volunteer opportunities, or challenges, that best match their skills and expertise. Furthermore, because Sparked is social (volunteers receive feedback from the organizations they are volunteering for through an answers feed) they will be motivated to improve their work and complete the tasks they have taken on. Finally, practice makes perfect. The challenges they take on will provide the learners with more time to use their skills and in effect continue to improve them.

c) With a local or global audience.

Sparked provides a platform for organizations around the world to post challenges; therefore, learners will have the opportunity to connect with people who are in need of their talents, abilities and interests in this country or another one. And what is nice about the site is that it does not aim to compete with or replace organizations that recruit volunteers for in-person activities; rather its opportunities are complementary to and often work in conjunction with in-person opportunities that take much longer to complete.   

8.     Create/Produce –

Learners will create or produce a challenge product. Meaning, depending on the challenge they choose to complete, the outcome of their work for the sponsoring organization is the product of their efforts. Some examples might include a brainstormed list of ways to run a social media club at school; thank you notes to donors; a website; research findings; translations; and more. 

9.     Assessment –

Learners will be assessed based on their participation in the activity as well as by their challenge product being completed, which will be submitted with their survey results. Additionally, Sparked is working on preparing a link for its volunteers to be able to put evidence of their micro-volunteering activities on their resumes (another method for Instructors to ensure learners’ participation in the activities). 

10. Reflection – The reflection for the RILS has two parts.

1.     To reflect on the experience, the learner will fill out a survey in a Google docs/form. He or she will also like the Sparked Facebook page and comment on it as well as provide at least one status update of their own on Facebook.

2.     The person who implements the RILS will the opportunity to evaluate and improve on the process by summarizing and analyzing the survey data in order to look for ways to incentivize it for the learners.  He or she may also choose to share the results of the survey with the learners as well as with his or her peers through a blog post or in some other public forum.