By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
The change in the way e-learners are starting to approach their educational experience is not really about the technology, even though that's definitely the core. What it's really about is the way we think about how to learn with and from each other. Peer reviews, immersion, collaboration, sharing, instant messaging, subscribing to feeds, mashing up are some of the activities that characterize the Web 2.0 experience.
Here is a brief overview of some of the Web 2.0 applications that e-learners are using to help them get the information they need to succeed in their courses, choose good programs, and network for jobs.
Social Bookmarking
Individuals use social bookmarks to tag and share Web pages they find interesting. These bookmarks can be saved privately, and can be in a combination of public and private domains. The allowed people can usually view these bookmarks chronologically, by category or tags, or via a search engine. Social bookmarks are often the reason why a video on YouTube goes "viral" — it's an amazingly efficient way to share information.
Sometimes online courses encourage students to bookmark and share sites, especially if they are commenting on current events in the discussion board, or needing to write a research paper.
- del.icio.us
- digg.com
- stumbleupon.com
- furl.com
- reddit.com
Social Networking
Many e-learners already have an account with a social network, and have developed a presence on the Web. The most popular by far is Myspace, but Facebook is very popular among college students. Ning.com has become popular with educators because of its flexibility and the ability of individuals to create their own new networks.
Twitter allows individuals to social network via cell phone.
Some colleges and universities have established their own social networking programs. This is a bit risky, though, because content shared can be problematic.
Social networking, however, can be invaluable within a course, or where and when peer reviews, tutoring, and collaborations are used.
- MySpace.com
- LinkedIn.com
- Facebook.com
- bebo.com
- reunion.com
- plaxo.com
- ning.com
- twitter.com
- iMeem.com
Wikis
Wikipedia is far and away the best-known example of the collaborative, anyone can be an expert, anyone can be a critic, collaborative repository of information. The experience of sharing one's ideas an expertise is deeply engaging, and many elearning programs have found that giving students a chance to share their knowledge and to build an in-class Wiki is a great way to encourage and engage individuals.
- Wikispaces.com
- Wikipedia.com
Podcasts (audio and video)
Podcasting involves being able to subscribe to feeds and to listen to MP3 files. Audio files are increasingly useful to students who would like to listen to chapter reviews and review questions as they commute to work, drive to campus, or walk the dog. Instructors who post videos and audio often find that their students appreciate it a great deal.
- odeo.com
- youtube.com
- google.com/video
Blogs
Blogging allows students to keep journals and to comment on fellow students' work. It can also be used for a portfolio as a showcase for work.
Many learning management programs accommodate the need for blogs, and allow one to include a blog in the course space. Some have a built-in blogging program, which is convenient, but often not ideal, because learners may want their work to live on past the last day of class.
blogger.comlivejournal.comxanga.comRSS feeds/aggregators
Aggregators where one can subscribe to RSS feeds allow learners to obtain blog, Wiki, and other informational updates as soon as they appear. This is a great way to be able to keep up-to-date effortlessly.
Serious Games
Serious games are online games that have a "serious" or educational purpose. They often include simulations and role-playing. What all serious games have in common is the desire to learn something about a topic and to be able to replicate it. The Serious Games Initiative is probably the most well-known and is focused on uses for games in exploring management and leadership challenges facing the public sector. Part of its overall charter is to help forge productive links between the electronic game industry and projects involving the use of games in education, training, health, and public policy.
Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds are computer-based simulations that allow individuals to enter them and to interact by means of avatars. They are often used in training employees in policies and procedures. Perhaps the most popular educational use at the point is the learning and practicing of languages, especially English language instruction. There are other educational uses for them, and they are often used by organizations that would like to make individuals aware of their environments, products, and services.
Virtual worlds include:
- secondlife.com
- there.com
- activeworlds.com
Mashups (pull info plus amenable mashup spaces)
The term, "mashup" can be used to describe integrated Web applications. It can also be used to simply denote when programs and materials are blended together in ways not necessarily intended by the designers. Yahoo pipes is a program that allows individuals to pull together programs. Many portal programs and start pages, such as iGoogle make it easy to bring together Web applications in a single space.
- iGoogle.com
- bebo.com
- netvibes.com
Web 2.0 applications are likely to expand as time goes on, and more benefits to students will present themselves. The best applications in the elearning space will be the ones that piggyback on behaviors that students are already engaged in outside the classroom. That is one reason why mobile learning (using new Wi-Fi enabled cell phones) is predicted to boom.