Introduction

A number of OERu courses use microblogging to support learning and help learners connect with each other. We anticipate that a large number of OERu learners will not be active microbloggers. This support tutorial has been prepared for students who have been asked to create a microblog account to support their learning, but don't know where to start.

Microblogs originated in 2005 when they were first known as tumblelogs. By 2006 and 2007, the term microblog came into greater usage referring to services offered by Tumblr and Twitter.

Think of a microblog as a stream of digital consciousness comprising short and concise posts in answer to the question: What are you doing or thinking now?

Outcomes

In this tutorial, you will: Create a free microblog account on Twitter; Establish an account on WikiEducator to use WENotes - a microblog-like feature used on OERu courses; Decipher the anatomy of a micropost; Cover a few basic tips and microblogging conventions; Prepare a test microblog post on Twitter and WENotes.

President Barack Obama tweets a question during the Twitter Town Hall on 6 July 2011.

Let us know if you are a regular microblog reader or poster and whether this is your first attempt to create a microblog account by logging into WikiEducator (you can create a free account) and responding to the following poll:

1. How would you rate your knowledge of using microblog software?
   • Beginner
   • Intermediate
   • Advanced
2. How frequently do you read microblog posts?
   • Never
   • Sometimes
   • Frequently
3. Before today, did you have a registered microblog account?
   • Yes
   • No
   • Not sure
4. How frequently do you post microblog entries?
   • Never
   • Sometimes
   • Frequently