In my last post I discussed Web 2.0 and how it is a transformational source on many aspects of culture. One of the areas I mentioned is education. Whether you call it Education 2.o or Learning 2.0 is irrelevant in that it is using the tools and applications of Web 2.0 for education. This idea of collaborative and dynamic learning could completely change the way that education is delivered.
What I found interesting was that in looking for information on Learning 2.0 I found several definitions that were about on-line learning for training. I think this definition is a little outdated or near-sighted. Education 2.0 has the potential to be so much greater than just on-line classes.
If you need an example of what I am talking about check out http://www.wiziq.com/ This group brings teachers and learners together in a collaborative environment to create new understanding. As a matter of fact the educator may be a student who has a different or better way to explain the concept being discussed. What their video to understand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yty0cPzlcU
WIZIQ77 (2007, October 11) Education 2.0 - WiZiQ Free [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yty0cPzlcU
The possibility of what this group is doing is amazing as they are showing what Education 2.0 can really be. This could transform the entire way that education and learning information is disseminated. The idea of a traditional classroom may be going the way of dinosaurs and it seems to me that if educators want to survive this change then they had better start learning about Web 2.0 tools.
One way that we can see that this trend is coming is looking at the demographics of students that are in schools now. In a 2007 report to higher education the researchers found that not only are the drastic changes in the demographics students that are aware of social networking but that these changes are reason enough to change and adapt to Web 2.0 for educational purposes(Franklin & Van Harmelen, 2007, p. 19). One of the greatest reasons they argue for adopting this change is ability to collect the largest samples of raw data through collaboration and be able to use and refine that information for any discipline and create more knowledge than ever before (p. 27). In other words the ability to share raw data and findings in the same manner that one shares a song of or blog post has the ability to transform research and education. You can read the whole report here: http://staff.blog.ui.ac.id/harrybs/files/2008/10/web-2-for-content-for-learning-and-teaching-in-higher-education.pdf
If we go back to the original definition that I posted of Learning 2.0 it was about on-line learning. One criticism with on-line learning is that it is not truly interactive and just mimics the traditional classroom so it is not constructivist either. One area of Learning 2.0 is rapidly changing that and that is the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). A VLE could be created by the institution or use existing technology like Second Life. Another 2007 report states that that using VLE’s give students that ability to use school resources, find information and collaborate with colleagues. It also allows students to construct models, test theories and tailor the environment to the specific area being learned (Anderson, 2007, p. 33). You can read the full report here: http://ioptimizerss.com/Documents/What%20is%20Web%202.0%20-morebuyertraffic.pdf
So with all this information and research saying that this is the way that education should be moving why are we not going in that direction? According to Donna Baumbach (2009) there are many reasons. The tools are inaccessible or blocked at the school, lack of professional development time due to increased work-loads, lack of training on Web 2.0 topics and a lack of knowledge by educators that these tools exist (Baumbach, 2009, p. 15). You can read the whole report here: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/aasl/baumbach.pdf
It seems to me that the world of education is on the edge or a revolutionary change yet few educators realize that fact. It seems it is time that educators get on the web and start collaborating and learning from those that are already there.
Here is another view of what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFUJ0dShmjs
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