WEB 2.0 APPLICATIONS IN EDUCATION
Introduction and Web 2.0 Introduction (Derya Oztan Kabak, Student No.: 211252913)
Technology in education has about 40 years background and new technologies (especially web 2.0 applications) have a wide application in education. Over the years, technology has advanced to become not only an instructional tool but also a medium of education itself. Throughout the 1980s, a huge number of educational programmes were launched containing some element of interactive technologies (Haugsbakk, 2009). Technology is one of the main tools in the classroom for teachers and they are encouraged to use technology for their instruction. What is more, web or internet applications, referred as web 2.0, such as wikis, blogs, and social networks are the technologies which have a good trend in education are the educational tools which able integrating users (teachers, students, administers etc) to the creative learning environment. The meaning of Web 2.0 and applications of web 2.0 in primary, secondary and tertiary education will be discussed in this essay.
WEB 2.0 IN EDUCATION The internet has begun to spread into the public arena in 1990s as World Wide Web (www) which was the major name of web 1.0 is known as web. On Web 1.0 only the editor of the web page can make the changes, while it is an interactive environment on Web 2.0 which allows to users editing options like on wikis and blogs. To make a webpage on web 1.0, the instructor should know html programming as well. Web 1.0 applications are only for reading such as searching for information. The applications of web 2.0 are huge in these days in education as well. Web 2.0 technologies cover a range of applications, which claim to offer new and improved ways of interacting for community building and networking, but also for knowledge creation and transfer in collaborative endeavours (Hanewald & White, 2008). Web 2.0 (O’Reilley, 2005; cited in Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010) is a new paradigm that exploits various Web-based applications to provide communication, contribution, and communication capabilities, which enable users to produce and share information with other people through a variety of services (Mills, 2007; cited in Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010), such as social networking sites, blogs, wikis, media sharing sites, and other interactive conferencing sites (Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010). Web 2.0 is a new technology which is not known by many people but is in use for many years (after 2000s). In 2004, Web 2.0 became a collective term for a mass movement in society: “A movement toward new forms of user engagement supported by Web-based tools, resources, services and environments” (Alexander, 2006; cited in Tuncay & Tuncay 2009).
Because Web 2.0 technology is relatively new, however, there has been little research about preservice teachers’ perceptions of Web 2.0 services and the influence of preservice teachers’ beliefs on their employment of the new Technologies to enhance student-centered learning activities (Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010). Web 2.0 services constitute a new pedagogical paradigm that makes students a central part of the learning process(Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010). According to the constructivist and cognitivist perspectives, the advantages of learning with Web 2.0 can be summarized as follows: •• Promotes student-centered learning such as horizontal (peer-to-peer) learning •• Increases creativity during reasoning and problem solving •• Enhances interaction for collaborative knowledge building •• Creates a rich, engaging, and exciting learning environment •• Engages in communities for Professional growth and leadership (Adapted from ISTE, 2008; McLoughlin & Lee, 2008; cited in Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010) There are a number of reasons for teachers to use Web 2.0 tools (Casey, 2008):
allows students and teachers to collaborate and communicate
enables teachers to collect evidence of participation in formative and summative assessment tasks
encourages higher order skills such as group work and problem solving
enables students to use this technology away from school
prepares students for a workforce in which industry likes employees who can communicate, collaborate and be creative (Casey, 2008).
Hanewald and White group the web 2.0 applications into 5 categories: 1) Applications with an audio-visual focus (Flickr; photo sharing, YouTube/ TeacherTube/ podcasts/ vodcasts; video sharing, Google Earth etc.) 2) Knowledge management and transfer, with learning management systems (LMS) (WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle, Wikis, Google etc.) 3) Collaborative focus for publishing or project work (Wikis, Google Docs, C-maps, WebEx etc.) 4) Social interactions, networking and community building (Facebook, MySpace and Blogs etc.) 5) Virtual Worlds (Second Life, World of War, IMVU etc.) (Hanewald & White, 2008).
REFERENCES: Casey, G. 2008. Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning. Scan Vol 27 No 3 August 2008. P.36-39 Cheon, J. Song, J.Jones, D.R & Nam, K. 2010. Influencing Preservice Teachers’ Intention to Adopt Web 2.0 Services.Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education. Volume 27 Number 2. P.53-62 Hanewald, R. & White, P. 2008. What, how and why Web 2.0? AUSTRALIAN EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING. VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2008. P.3-6 Haugsbakk, G. 2009. Technology and Teaching in Post-Modern environments- or Rhetoric Negotiations of Education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE July 2009 Volume: 10 Number: 3 Article 5 Tuncay, N. & Tuncay, M. 2009. Let Students Talk: Web 2.0? Web 3.0? Or None?. Proceedings of European Conference on e-Learning. P.657-664
Primary (J.Downie, Student No.: 210642976)
The use of Web 2.0 applications in Primary Schools is quite different to other educational settings. Comparatively, Primary schools tend to have less access to computers on a whole class scale making it difficult to utilise these programs on a more regular basis. Furthermore, the teaching of information technology and introduction to new software in Primary schools is facilitated by the class teacher, whose time and expertise is already spread across all key learning areas. Time to discover and explore new software usually comes out of a Primary school teacher’s personal time. Hanley (2011) discusses how technology can “open up new spaces and practices of creativity, knowledge, and communication” (p. 10), and the need for teachers to, “think about technology differently” (p. 10). As professionals, we need to realise that the advantages that come with exploring Web 2.0 applications easily outweighs the disadvantages of the time taken to explore these applications, particularly since the societies that we are preparing are students to be a part of are becoming more and more technology driven. There are many interactive applications available on the Internet that can be very beneficial to the Primary classroom, and the following are just a small sample.
Prezi is an online program that assists in the preparation of presentations. Users upload their data and arrange it in a highly effective and visually appealing presentation. Prezi has developed easy to follow tutorials. Prezi’s can be downloaded for use without an Internet connection. Advantages PowerPoint presentations are becoming very common in primary schools, and now present very little challenge in preparation for some children. Prezi challenges students not only with the development of a new skill, but a new way of thinking about and viewing presentations. A free version is available for educational use. Disadvantages The highly active nature of Prezi makes their file size very large. Teachers intending on downloading Prezi’s to retain as work samples may find their networks reaching capacity very quickly.
PhotoPeach allows the user to upload images and create a slideshow. Captions and music can be added to slideshows. Completed slide shows can be embedded into websites and blogs. Advantages This has many possible uses in primary schools. Images created by students could be scanned and turned into electronic creative writing story slide shows. Photographs from excursions can be used to create electronic recounts of experiences. Photographs of Science investigations could be combined with captions to create electronic procedures.
Wallwisher is an online notice board. Notices can be posted and moved around the board like post it notes. Advantages Teachers can set up a discussion wall where students can post comments. ‘Walls’ can be set up so that teacher approval is required before comments are made public. Wallwisher has free but registration is not required to post comments, so students do not need to set up an account in order to contribute to online discussions. Disadvantages All ‘walls’ are public and can not be made private to stop unwanted posts from outside of the classroom environment.
TodaysMeet is an application that connects presenters directly to their audience, taking advantage of the ‘backchannel’ – the involvement of an audience consisting of whispering questions to each other, passing notes and asking questions in the middle of a presentation. TodaysMeet gives the presenter real-time feedback on audience thoughts, but also allows an audience to pose questions when they arise, without interrupting the flow of the presentation, as these questions can be answered by the presenter when an appropriate time arises. Advantages Not only can this be used to capture the backchannel in a primary setting, it can also be used by students to share what they have learnt. Teachers are then able to create a print version of the ‘Meet’ and retain as a student work sample. No account setup is necessary, just create a ‘room’ and get started. Disadvantages All ‘rooms’ are public, so there is the possibility of unwanted posts appearing which are visible to all viewers of the ‘room’.
TypeWith me is a synchronised application which allows multiple users to concurrently type in the same document, viewing in real time the submissions of other users. Advantages This could be used for construction of group presentations, and progressive creative writing stories, where students can add to each others ideas in the creation of a text. Each student contributing to the document has their name visible to others, and text appears in different colours according to what the user selects. Like TodaysMeet, documents can be downloaded and printed for work samples, and no account setup is necessary. Disadvantages Multiple users can select the same text colour to mask their identity. Print friendly versions of documents do not show the different colours of users, this would need to be completed manually after printing.
The Hero Factory is a Web 2.0 application that assists the user to create unique super hero characters. Completed characters can be embedded into websites or printed. Advantages Completed characters are a great stimulus for creative writing – students could create their own hero and then create a story that features their hero. Teachers could create a character with certain attributes for a visual literacy activity, in which students write about the character justifying their writing with elements found in the image.
There are many different combinations of attributes for creating characters which could absorb students (and teachers) for extended periods of time.
Google fast flip displays articles on a chosen topic from a variety of newspapers at the same time. Advantages This application quickly provides different perspectives on topics of research, so it is useful for showing students the different ways in which different countries view the same event.
Kerpoof is a Walt Disney Company application in which users can create artwork, animated movies, and electronic stories and so on. Kerpoof is a lot of fun and very simple to use. Advantages Kerpoof allows students to explore the creation of electronic art, particularly good for students who lack confidence in their own abilities to draw. Text can be added to artwork for the creation of electronic illustrated narratives Disadvantages The ease in which electronic art can be created through this application makes it very appealing and very easy to spend too long creating interesting things.
Block posters is a great application for teachers creating displays. Block posters takes an image uploaded by the user, re-formats it to an enormous size that is printed in parts on a regular printer which can then be pieced together like a giant jigsaw. Advantages A great substitute for what used to be done using an overhead projector, this application saves a lot of time for busy teachers.
Introduction and Web 2.0 Introduction (Derya Oztan Kabak, Student No.: 211252913)
Technology in education has about 40 years background and new technologies (especially web 2.0 applications) have a wide application in education. Over the years, technology has advanced to become not only an instructional tool but also a medium of education itself. Throughout the 1980s, a huge number of educational programmes were launched containing some element of interactive technologies (Haugsbakk, 2009). Technology is one of the main tools in the classroom for teachers and they are encouraged to use technology for their instruction. What is more, web or internet applications, referred as web 2.0, such as wikis, blogs, and social networks are the technologies which have a good trend in education are the educational tools which able integrating users (teachers, students, administers etc) to the creative learning environment. The meaning of Web 2.0 and applications of web 2.0 in primary, secondary and tertiary education will be discussed in this essay.
WEB 2.0 IN EDUCATION
The internet has begun to spread into the public arena in 1990s as World Wide Web (www) which was the major name of web 1.0 is known as web. On Web 1.0 only the editor of the web page can make the changes, while it is an interactive environment on Web 2.0 which allows to users editing options like on wikis and blogs. To make a webpage on web 1.0, the instructor should know html programming as well. Web 1.0 applications are only for reading such as searching for information. The applications of web 2.0 are huge in these days in education as well. Web 2.0 technologies cover a range of applications, which claim to offer new and improved ways of interacting for community building and networking, but also for knowledge creation and transfer in collaborative endeavours (Hanewald & White, 2008).
Web 2.0 (O’Reilley, 2005; cited in Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010) is a new paradigm that exploits various Web-based applications to provide communication, contribution, and communication capabilities, which enable users to produce and share information with other people through a variety of services (Mills, 2007; cited in Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010), such as social networking sites, blogs, wikis, media sharing sites, and other interactive conferencing sites (Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010).
Web 2.0 is a new technology which is not known by many people but is in use for many years (after 2000s). In 2004, Web 2.0 became a collective term for a mass movement in society: “A movement toward new forms of user engagement supported by Web-based tools, resources, services and environments” (Alexander, 2006; cited in Tuncay & Tuncay 2009).
Because Web 2.0 technology is relatively new, however, there has been little research about preservice teachers’ perceptions of Web 2.0 services and the influence of preservice teachers’ beliefs on their employment of the new Technologies to enhance student-centered learning activities (Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010). Web 2.0 services constitute a new pedagogical paradigm that makes students a central part of the learning process(Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010).
According to the constructivist and cognitivist perspectives, the advantages of learning with Web 2.0 can be summarized as follows:
•• Promotes student-centered learning such as horizontal (peer-to-peer) learning
•• Increases creativity during reasoning and problem solving
•• Enhances interaction for collaborative knowledge building
•• Creates a rich, engaging, and exciting learning environment
•• Engages in communities for Professional growth and leadership (Adapted from ISTE, 2008; McLoughlin & Lee, 2008; cited in Cheon, Song, Jones, & Nam, 2010)
There are a number of reasons for teachers to use Web 2.0 tools (Casey, 2008):
- allows students and teachers to collaborate and communicate
- enables teachers to collect evidence of participation in formative and summative assessment tasks
- encourages higher order skills such as group work and problem solving
- enables students to use this technology away from school
- prepares students for a workforce in which industry likes employees who can communicate, collaborate and be creative (Casey, 2008).
Hanewald and White group the web 2.0 applications into 5 categories:1) Applications with an audio-visual focus (Flickr; photo sharing, YouTube/ TeacherTube/ podcasts/ vodcasts; video sharing, Google Earth etc.)
2) Knowledge management and transfer, with learning management systems (LMS) (WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle, Wikis, Google etc.)
3) Collaborative focus for publishing or project work (Wikis, Google Docs, C-maps, WebEx etc.)
4) Social interactions, networking and community building (Facebook, MySpace and Blogs etc.)
5) Virtual Worlds (Second Life, World of War, IMVU etc.) (Hanewald & White, 2008).
REFERENCES:
Casey, G. 2008. Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning. Scan Vol 27 No 3 August 2008. P.36-39
Cheon, J. Song, J.Jones, D.R & Nam, K. 2010. Influencing Preservice Teachers’ Intention to Adopt
Web 2.0 Services.Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education. Volume 27 Number 2. P.53-62
Hanewald, R. & White, P. 2008. What, how and why Web 2.0? AUSTRALIAN EDUCATIONAL
COMPUTING. VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2 - DECEMBER 2008. P.3-6
Haugsbakk, G. 2009. Technology and Teaching in Post-Modern environments- or Rhetoric
Negotiations of Education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE July 2009 Volume: 10 Number: 3 Article 5
Tuncay, N. & Tuncay, M. 2009. Let Students Talk: Web 2.0? Web 3.0? Or None?. Proceedings of
European Conference on e-Learning. P.657-664
Primary (J.Downie, Student No.: 210642976)
The use of Web 2.0 applications in Primary Schools is quite different to other educational settings. Comparatively, Primary schools tend to have less access to computers on a whole class scale making it difficult to utilise these programs on a more regular basis. Furthermore, the teaching of information technology and introduction to new software in Primary schools is facilitated by the class teacher, whose time and expertise is already spread across all key learning areas. Time to discover and explore new software usually comes out of a Primary school teacher’s personal time.
Hanley (2011) discusses how technology can “open up new spaces and practices of creativity, knowledge, and communication” (p. 10), and the need for teachers to, “think about technology differently” (p. 10). As professionals, we need to realise that the advantages that come with exploring Web 2.0 applications easily outweighs the disadvantages of the time taken to explore these applications, particularly since the societies that we are preparing are students to be a part of are becoming more and more technology driven.
There are many interactive applications available on the Internet that can be very beneficial to the Primary classroom, and the following are just a small sample.
Prezi is an online program that assists in the preparation of presentations. Users upload their data and arrange it in a highly effective and visually appealing presentation. Prezi has developed easy to follow tutorials. Prezi’s can be downloaded for use without an Internet connection.
Advantages
PowerPoint presentations are becoming very common in primary schools, and now present very little challenge in preparation for some children. Prezi challenges students not only with the development of a new skill, but a new way of thinking about and viewing presentations. A free version is available for educational use.
Disadvantages
The highly active nature of Prezi makes their file size very large. Teachers intending on downloading Prezi’s to retain as work samples may find their networks reaching capacity very quickly.
PhotoPeach allows the user to upload images and create a slideshow. Captions and music can be added to slideshows. Completed slide shows can be embedded into websites and blogs.
Advantages
This has many possible uses in primary schools. Images created by students could be scanned and turned into electronic creative writing story slide shows. Photographs from excursions can be used to create electronic recounts of experiences. Photographs of Science investigations could be combined with captions to create electronic procedures.
Wallwisher is an online notice board. Notices can be posted and moved around the board like post it notes.
Advantages
Teachers can set up a discussion wall where students can post comments. ‘Walls’ can be set up so that teacher approval is required before comments are made public. Wallwisher has free but registration is not required to post comments, so students do not need to set up an account in order to contribute to online discussions.
Disadvantages
All ‘walls’ are public and can not be made private to stop unwanted posts from outside of the classroom environment.
TodaysMeet is an application that connects presenters directly to their audience, taking advantage of the ‘backchannel’ – the involvement of an audience consisting of whispering questions to each other, passing notes and asking questions in the middle of a presentation. TodaysMeet gives the presenter real-time feedback on audience thoughts, but also allows an audience to pose questions when they arise, without interrupting the flow of the presentation, as these questions can be answered by the presenter when an appropriate time arises.
Advantages
Not only can this be used to capture the backchannel in a primary setting, it can also be used by students to share what they have learnt. Teachers are then able to create a print version of the ‘Meet’ and retain as a student work sample.
No account setup is necessary, just create a ‘room’ and get started.
Disadvantages
All ‘rooms’ are public, so there is the possibility of unwanted posts appearing which are visible to all viewers of the ‘room’.
TypeWith me is a synchronised application which allows multiple users to concurrently type in the same document, viewing in real time the submissions of other users.
Advantages
This could be used for construction of group presentations, and progressive creative writing stories, where students can add to each others ideas in the creation of a text. Each student contributing to the document has their name visible to others, and text appears in different colours according to what the user selects.
Like TodaysMeet, documents can be downloaded and printed for work samples, and no account setup is necessary.
Disadvantages
Multiple users can select the same text colour to mask their identity. Print friendly versions of documents do not show the different colours of users, this would need to be completed manually after printing.
The Hero Factory is a Web 2.0 application that assists the user to create unique super hero characters. Completed characters can be embedded into websites or printed.
Advantages
Completed characters are a great stimulus for creative writing – students could create their own hero and then create a story that features their hero.
Teachers could create a character with certain attributes for a visual literacy activity, in which students write about the character justifying their writing with elements found in the image.
There are many different combinations of attributes for creating characters which could absorb students (and teachers) for extended periods of time.
Google fast flip displays articles on a chosen topic from a variety of newspapers at the same time.
Advantages
This application quickly provides different perspectives on topics of research, so it is useful for showing students the different ways in which different countries view the same event.
Kerpoof is a Walt Disney Company application in which users can create artwork, animated movies, and electronic stories and so on. Kerpoof is a lot of fun and very simple to use.
Advantages
Kerpoof allows students to explore the creation of electronic art, particularly good for students who lack confidence in their own abilities to draw. Text can be added to artwork for the creation of electronic illustrated narratives
Disadvantages
The ease in which electronic art can be created through this application makes it very appealing and very easy to spend too long creating interesting things.
Block posters is a great application for teachers creating displays. Block posters takes an image uploaded by the user, re-formats it to an enormous size that is printed in parts on a regular printer which can then be pieced together like a giant jigsaw.
Advantages
A great substitute for what used to be done using an overhead projector, this application saves a lot of time for busy teachers.
References
Block Posters, Datadial, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://www.blockposters.com/
Google, 2010, Google fast flip, Googlelabs, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://fastflip.googlelabs.com/
Hanley, L. 2011, 'Mashing Up the Institution: Teacher as Bricoleur', Radical Teacher, vol., no. 90, pp. 9-14, Retrieved 7 June 2011
Kerpoof, Walt Disney Company, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://www.kerpoof.com/#
Nitesh 2009, Wallwisher, SharedCopy, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://www.wallwisher.com/
Nota Inc. 2009, Photo Peach, Nota Inc, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://photopeach.com/
Pirillo, C & Warner, J, n.d., TypeWith.me, Atlas Networks, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://typewith.me/.
Prezi Inc. 2011, Prezi, Prezi Inc., retrieved 24 May 2011, http://prezi.com/
Socol, J 2011, TodaysMeet, Automattic, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://todaysmeet.com/
The Hero Factory, retrieved 24 May 2011, http://cpherofactory.com/