With the recent surge in next-generation internet technologies becoming available to both students and instructors, it is undeniable that technology will soon become an integral part of everyday classroom life. Social networking sites, instant messaging programs, and online collaboration tools may be beneficial to student learning provided that they are utilized properly. However, if these technologies are used inappropriately, they can severely hinder the effectiveness of a lecture. Therefore, it is important that these tools are studied in a suitable context in order to understand how they can be used properly in the classroom. Considering this need to study the impact of emerging internet technologies on learning, this paper will explore how social networking and online collaboration tools can be used to both strengthen note-taking skills and also provide instructors with feedback regarding the effectiveness of their teaching. To do this, we have made use of two free, online applications, mynoteIT and Gliffy, that provide a framework for students to publish online notes for each of their classes, to share their notes with their classmates, and to make comments on each other's notes. Using these applications, students are able to create a powerful learning toolset accessible from any computer that has a capable web browser. Our results have shown that there is a great deal of potential in using these tools, however, much care must be taken for them to be used effectively. In particular, we tested the usefulness of the tools with respect to collaborative note taking and exposed several strengths and weaknesses. We also observed that social networking effects and behaviors can impact the way that students take notes. Finally, we discovered that it is possible to use the tools to help prepare more effective lecture material based on the notes that were taken.
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