Organization
My experience... I was really excited to learn about citation management programs, but after spending a lot of time choosing one and learning to use it, it didn't give me the results I had hoped for. Also, I was using too many different programs to "organize" my resources, which, ironically, left me feeling unorganized. I was relieved when I made the decision to let the citation software go and figure out a different system. Don't be afraid to let go of a program that is not suiting your needs. |
BookmarkingThere are many ways to bookmark websites and other digital documents. Your web browser (ex. Chrome, Safari) has a simple bookmarking tool through which you can create folders to help keep all of your bookmarks organized and easy to access.
Social bookmarking tools can do this and more. Some social bookmarking tools are more visual (ex. Symbaloo) and others allow you to add tags to each bookmark (ex. Diigo). This means that a resource can be linked with several tags rather than just being part of one folder. With these tools you can easily share your bookmarks with others, search for resources that others have tagged with the same key words, or follow someone else's bookmarks. You can also make digital annotations with some of these apps. Tools Diigo Symbaloo Delicious |
Citation ManagementCitation management tools help you create reference lists for your assignments. You can import articles, books, web pages, PDFs and other types of documents into this software and it creates the reference list for you in your desired format (ex. APA).
A couple of words of caution: I found it quite time-consuming to learn to use these tools and they are not perfect. You still need to review each entry and know the rules of the bibliography format that you are using as there are often corrections that need to be made. For me it is easier and faster to just copy and paste the citation from Google Scholar into my reference list and make the necessary changes. Tools Zotero Mendeley RefWorks |
Cloud StorageStoring files in the cloud means that they are not stored directly on your computer, but rather on a remote server. Files stored in the cloud are accessible via the internet from wherever you are and from any device. This eliminates the need to email yourself files or use a memory stick to transport files from work to home or vice versa. and also facilitates file sharing with groups. In the event of the damage or loss of your device, files in the cloud are safe as they are unaffected by this. Also, cloud storage does not use up any memory on your computer.
Like any other information you put on the web, be aware that there are security and privacy risks to storing data remotely. Tools Dropbox Google Drive |
AggregatorsNews aggregators (also know as RSS readers) collect information from a variety of locations on the web so that they can all be accessed in one place. Whenever something is added to the site that you've included in your aggregator, it automatically updates within the aggregator. I use my aggregator to see what's new in a variety of blogs, institutions, and other websites in regards to distance education without having to visit each site individually.
Many applications allow you to save items to read later and to share articles with others. Tools Feedly |
Learning Management Systems |
Learning management systems (LMS) are used by many educational institutions to deliver content, allow for discussion and collaboration, and to hand in assignments and receive feedback. If you are taking a course at an institution that uses one, it becomes part of your PLE. It is time well spent to learn to easily navigate within the LMS and to learn about some of its features.
This is not a tool that you would download and use yourself if you are not associated with an institution that uses it . You will access it through your institution. Tools Moodle Desire2Learn |