Design and Digital Technologies: Web 2.0

Web 2.0

This week the focus was around using technology to connect with a range of other people or to make your views public through the use of social media, YouTube, Blogs or email which is referred to using the term Web 2.0. Below is a short animated clip describing the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.

Posting on the web was initially a very slow process which required knowledge of HTML code; however, through the use of Web 2.0 technologies it has become far more simple for people with any level of technological ability to create a web space (Peace, n.d.). The internet is now a "read/write tool, not simply a reference tool with one-way communication, but a collaborative communications board on which anyone can publish" (Peace, n.d.). Throughout this course we have been working on both Blogs and Wikis. As a result, I have become aware of the many benefits of working in an online space both as an individual and working collaboratively in a group. Our Course Co-ordinator provided the following summary of the benefits associated with working in an online space, which I believe is concise and relevant:

Individuals:
– Transparent learning

– Publishing for an audience

– Log and record of thinking development maintained

– Supports reflection on and about learning

– Multimodal ways of representing thinking

– Easily commented on, easily edited

– Supports interaction with others across boundaries of time and place

– A container for embedded artefacts

Groups:

– Equitable contribution

– Transparent and trackable ideas

– Easily negotiated and edited, improved, built upon ideas

– Global collaboration, easy translation and interpretation of ideas

– Continuation of learning

– Networking beyond the classroom (Fasso, 2015)

The above list led me to question why Web 2.0 is not used more frequently within the classroom environment and ways in which it could be utilised. Peace (n.d.) outlines a variety of different uses for Web 2.0, include digital scrapbooks, class journals created on Blogs, group work using Wikis, podcasts, multimedia presentations and brochures. Although concerns regarding privacy, online respect and safety have been voiced in alignment with children using technology, it is clear that with the appropriate education around their use they can create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for children. It is inevitable that technology use and availability will continue to become more prevalent, therefore it is important that future educators embrace and maintain currency of knowledge to ensure that students' learning is relevant and engaging. In closing, the images and statistics below provide some insight into the importance of using technology within the classroom to maximise learning outcomes.