Web 2.0 and the 21st Century College Classroom

According to one recent estimate, a typical college student will read eight books this semester-but 2,300 Web pages and 1,281 Facebook profiles. The student will write 42 pages, but over 500 email messages.

We recently entered a new phase in the evolution of electronic technologies: Web 2.0, which holds out the prospect of fundamentally altering the way we teach and how students interact with one another and with their professors.

Technology, in short, is an integral part of today's students' lives. How can we use technology to enhance learning?

Web 1.0 - email, discussion boards, class web pages, and course management software like Blackboard and Web/CT - enhanced student-faculty communication and improved the way that faculty deliver course materials to students. Web 2.0, in stark contrast, emphasizes collaboration, active engagement, and social interaction.

Wikis, blogs, mash-ups, podcasts, tags, and social networking are the buzz words of Web 2.0. These technological innovations offer opportunities to students to:

• learn from one another;
• share resources; and
• engage in collaborative projects.
  

A Glossary of Web 2.0 Terms

Blog: An online journal.

Mash-up: A web application that combines data from more than one source. An example might involve plotting social phenomenon on a Google map.

Podcast: A digital recording, which almost any user can create, which is broadcast online.

Social networking: A website that allows users to link to, interact with, and share information with one another.

Tagging: User-assigned commentary (or tags) to text, images, and other resources.

Wiki: A site which allows users to add and edit content collectively.