Messenger: should students create own groups?

Messenger: should students create own groups?

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
Number of replies: 4
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Messenger tools replaced forums and email in the students world. We all know that facebook groups and whatsapp are a problem.

Corporates installs internal messenger tools to simplify group building and communication.

The Moodle messenger is on the way to offer similar opportunities. One aspect is missing.

Why cant students create own groups in the Moodle messenger? School wide groups are course related groups for communication and collaboration.

Moodle started with a social concept of learning. 

What are the pros and cons for such a feature?

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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Re: Messenger: should students create own groups?

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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Remember seeing this topic coming up earlier. I repeat what I always say: schools should not try to be everything, for example not to be communications providers..
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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Messenger: should students create own groups?

by Stefan Schoch -
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Fair enough when we're talking about schools.
But I think Moodle is used widely also in corporate and adult learning (as I intent to use it), where I'd agree to Ralf that it would be a usefuly feature.
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In reply to Stefan Schoch

Re: Messenger: should students create own groups?

by Joost Elshoff -
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While the messaging component is interesting from a communications point of view, it is not per se part of the 'learning realm' of a Moodle instance. It might be considered a good means to facilitate 2-way communications between users, but it can't be directly monitored or moderated by a teacher/instructor as part of creating a safe learning environment for the end users (teachers as well as students).

If you were to enable group messaging in a course context, you should be able to also do that with groups selected through the Group choice activity. I don't know if I'd allow my students to use the Group Self Selection activity and have the 'allow group messaging' setting there.
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In reply to Joost Elshoff

Re: Messenger: should students create own groups?

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
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Hi Joost,

I think in scenarios of self organized learning.
We have something like this in different contexts: primary schools uses often free learning time (see Montessori concepts), in Vocational Training Schools who have up to 50% of the learning time in self structured processes and in corporate training in similar way.
The typical group model in courses is helpful sometimes, but its teacher structured.

Ralf
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