How to design and facilitate an online course

Nowadays social networks are one of the most used online tools in everyday life as well as work. They allow users to stay in touch with others, share information easily and make contacts with people - these characteristics can be used for online collaboration of a group of classmates on a task,  to share the results of their practical work with the community asking for feedback or ideas for solutions, as well as to contact remote students and teachers studying the same vocational subject, with a different perspective and from a different context. All this provides opportunity for collaborative learning and group work and can enrich the learning process. Users can join a social network that already exists (e.g. Facebook, in which you can create your work group) or create their own network (with Social go, Elgg etc.):

• Facebook (www.facebook.com)
• Social GO (http://www.socialgo.com)
• Elgg (http://elgg.org)