Web 2.0 and Education

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is not some sort of new Internet. You don't need to get a different Internet Service Provider or change your browser. Web 2.0 is simply the term used to describe a way the web is used. When the web was originally built, and for the first 10 years or so of its existence, content for any one site was created by one person, or team, and posted for others to see. There is nothing inherently wrong with that concept, but does mean that the site's creator controls everything that the user can experience. At some point, though, technology became advanced enough to permit groups of people to collaborate on a single site, and Web 2.0 was born. It soon became evident that "all of us is smarter than any of us" and savvy web users look for interactive sites to answer their questions. One of the first types of interactive sites was a wiki. Although a wiki's creator starts the proverbial ball rolling, others are invited to edit and add to the contents so the result is a joint effort reflecting many different points of view. Today, Web 2.0 sites provide places for people to share opinions, rate goods and services, edit a knowledge base, or just hang out together.

Web 2.0 is creating a profound change in higher education. Here are a few positive trends:

Interactions between instructors and learners are shifting from the classroom to an online environment
Interactions between students and the instructor can continue after the course is over
The perception of learning can shift from simple content delivery to a guided process (the "sage on stage" becomes a "guide on the side")

Other trends, which are not so positive, may also be realized:

There is a deluge of unfiltered information leading to an overload on the student
"Proof" is becoming less important as students tend to trust whatever they read online
Academe is placed in a role of following industry rather than leading

Web 2.0 and "Community"

What is a Community?

A community is a group of people who interact with each other. In days gone by, communities were defined by geographical space; everyone who lived within a walk or horse ride to the nearest church or saloon formed a community. Communities overcame common problems (wild animals, invading armies, etc.) and shared life and love with each other. In many ways, a community became an extended family and the members' support of each other was crucial.

On the web, communities form based on common interests or needs rather than geography. Web communities are strong as members grow to know each other through shared experiences, and, sometimes, even intimate revelations. They are also dynamic since members join and leave at will and outsiders can pop in for a quick visit. As an example, Amazon.com started as a bookstore where books were made available and publishers could write materials designed to persuade me to purchase something. Today, though, it is a community of book lovers and I frequently read reviews other people have written about books before I order one. It is almost like having a lot of people who have read the books I'm interested in with me when I go shopping. This makes the Web 2.0 experience even better than just walking into a bookstore.

Building Community with Web 2.0 Tools

From the above definitions, it becomes fairly evident that Web 2.0 is little more than building communities online. For educators, Web 2.0 provides an opportunity unparalleled in history to create a worldwide community of scholars where all can contribute equally and the community can long outlive a single class taught during the school semester. This is a deep and fundamental change to the way students have been traditionally taught and Web 2.0 may forever alter Academe.

Web 2.0 and Mobile Computing