Web 2.0 Potential
When we discuss the potential of social technologies, it cannot be adequately described without the term Web 2.0, which is really a marketing term describing the different ways of building applications online, according to Eric Schmidt of Google. These social applications, such as Facebook or Flickr, allow users to communicate and be connected through the web. That, literally, is the potential of our current social technologies, also known as Web 2.0.
Learning Potential
In terms of learning, educational institutions are jumping on the bandwagon of Web 2.0 because it provides educational opportunities for social collaborative learning. Through applications, such as blogs and wikis, students are able to contribute and learn anytime, anywhere without the restraints of the physical classroom. As well, these social applications empower the individual to actively share knowledge and learn. Even some colleges are beginning to offer classes on YouTube, so anyone can potentially peek into their classrooms and motivate postings of video responses. The concern is, will these Web 2.0 experiments actually become opportunities for greater learning or do they have limitations that will turn students off from using these applications?
Please read the following three articles to get a better idea of Web 2.0 potentials in terms of school learning:
School Learning Goes Web 2.0, YouTube Studies, and Web 2.0: A New Wave of Innovation for Teaching and Learning?
Web 3.0 Potential
Web 3.0 is still a relatively new term that is predicted to help us connect all social applications together, so that the web becomes one big database, where the content is accessible and connected by all people, organizations, services, products, websites, and other entities. In other words, the currently fragmented and inconsistent social applications of Web 2.0 will eventually become interconnected and cooperative when a single platform can join all the functions and data. Moreover, this database and its social applications can be runned and customized quickly on any electronic device, such as a PDA or a cellphone. It is worth thinking about the large difference and impact Web 3.0 would make to school learning. Can you imagine a student working on a research project who types in a general word on Google, and instead of the million results he/she would currently get, this student gets an elaborate but concise list of results that would be compatible with his/her personal updated profile, bookmarks, and recent website visits because all his/her information entered previously are stored and connected to all other applications?
We realize this may all sound new and complex, so to help you obtain a greater understanding of the potentials of Web 3.0, we recommend that you complete the following optional readings and/or video viewings:
Ben Hunt on The Future Web 2.0 Experience
Eric Schmidt on Web 2.0 vs. Web 3.0
Bran Ferren on Web 3.0 during O'Reilly's Web 2.0 Conference (beginning @ 18:22 out of 25:47 total video running time)
Discussion Part 2:
After reading our sections on "Web 1.0 and the potentials of Web 2.0", please post memos on CrowdTrust regarding your thoughts on whether the influence of Web 2.0 and the future impact of Web 3.0 will be boom or bust. Tag memos with at least the following: M4, 522, discussion 2
(Part 2 memos should be posted latest Thurs, Oct 4 for adequate discussion time.)
*Please proceed to Discussion Part 2 in CrowdTrust.
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2 comments:
I tried to post this to crowdtrust but it won't post the memo. aargh.
After reading Ben Hunt's 3.0 vision I am underwhelmed by our existing system. It's amazing the power of a vision well expressed. Did anyone out there have similar visions for the future of the internet before reading this article? I have been focusing on a different aspect of growth for the internet. Thanks for getting me thinking... nicely chosen articles!
suz.
Hey Suz and all,
Boom or bust?
I like to think that these tools are another just that - another tool. It is a better way to work with technology, but will it boom? Most likely it will grow, but it won't boom. A new crop of tech savvy teachers and a new way of looking at things will even out eventually. It already seems like second nature, but the blended learning environment has not yet fully embraced the tech side, so I tend to think that there is some room for growth yet.
thoughts?
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