The use of Web 2.0 tools in E-Learning
A company that uses web 2.0 tools to connect with its public is seen as a partner, an equal; it is accepted and regarded with less cynicism by the target audience, and that is what any company wants, after all. The same is the case with e-learning, where web 2.0 tools started to play an important role.
First of all, let’s clarify the meaning of web 2.0. Refers to interactive websites, where content is provided by users, rather than a single “authoritative” voice. Web 2.0 is easy to navigate and customize, and can be seen as a great collaboration between people from all over the world. Web 2.0 is dynamic, with content always edited or updated. It is the “social web”, made up of resources and instruments that are based on social interaction and collaboration, such as: blogs, microblogs, wikis, social networks, collective bookmarking systems, as well as instruments to create, publish and share content. Web 2.0 is defined in contrast to web 1.0, which was a collection of static websites (read-only web), with the user as a viewer and not a participant.
The most popular web 2.0 tools at the moment are: YouTube (video content), Wikipedia (online encyclopedia), Twitter (microblogging), WordPress (blogging platform), IMDB (movie database), Flickr (photo sharing) , Facebook (social network) and eHow (tips). We are going to discuss just a few of these and try to determine their educational value.
Most of the web’s video is now hosted on YouTube, the largest and most popular online community of its kind. Whenever someone searches for video content, they will search YouTube first. Online lectures are now available in multiple languages and are thought to be the future of distance learning. On YouTube you can find tutorials for almost any software. PowerPoint presentations and the like can become more engaging when paired with a tune and uploaded to YouTube. Students and trainees should be encouraged to create their own videos (shot with the cell phone or camera most people have access to today), for example a “how to” type: how to do research about… (option topic). In 2009, YouTube Edu was launched, specializing in educational videos. There you can find lectures, competitions, shows in various fields of study, from law to business, from science to arts. This page is a great way to start research or start using video material for a training course.
“Twitter is a real-time information network powered by people around the world that lets you share and discover what’s happening right now” (source: Twitter.com). This is basically a micro-blogging platform, somewhat similar to SMS, that allows people to share random information in 140 characters or less. This seems like it can hardly be used as an educational resource. But, for example, if you’re producing a working outline, you can ask for feedback, and get it right away, as to where the best research on the topic has been done. Twitter could also be used to teach students to express themselves briefly, given the limited number of characters. A useful idea for the study of literature or language is the creation of haikus that would be published immediately. As Twitter is an international platform, it leaves room for international information exchange: you can find out how the training system works in other countries and help improve your own teaching. A very interesting application that combines the media of web 2.0 is “Twitter4teachers”, a wiki that helps educators find other educators on Twitter, people who share the same educational field; there are lists (“college and university”, “retired professors”, “teachers of English as a second language”, “librarians”, etc.) where professors can be added by editing the wiki.
When it comes to uses other than Wikipedia for the wiki, people often get confused; mainly because they don’t realize how easy it is to use this structure. A wiki about a certain project has every reason to be well organized. While multiple people add to a Page, they can also use the “discussion” section of any Page to comment and discuss their work in progress. The leader or an endorser can look in the “history” section to see each version of the page, as edited by users. The wiki platform is easy to use and open to the integration of multimedia content. The trainer can assess both the quality and quantity of the participants’ work. The platform offers an audience to the learning process (the educator, as well as the other learners) and a collaborative workspace, where participants can create and share content. They can be used as personal portfolios or for the coordination of investigations. They facilitate the monitoring of a group project; They allow a system of Frequently Asked Questions for the participants, they make a good environment for debate and discussion. Basically, a wiki is a website that is easy to design, without any coding knowledge, so it can be helpful in many fields.
With the help of modern media, the learning process becomes easier, creativity is stimulated, and teamwork reaches its peak. In addition to the main e-learning platform, web 2.0 resources can be used for variety and to engage course participants. The use of familiar tools, such as Twitter or Facebook, will relax the students and they will be inclined to be more active and positive in the learning environment.