This document discusses problems that can arise from introducing Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom and proposes solutions. It notes that while Learning Management Systems are rigid, Web 2.0 tools provide flexibility but can lead to a lack of order and control. The document outlines benefits of Web 2.0 like increased collaboration, but also problems such as a scattered content, loss of control, and privacy issues. It proposes addressing these by combining structured wiki content with group blogs, personal blogs/portfolios, and microblogs, along with RSS aggregation.
Selwyn, n. (2010). web 2.0 and the school of the future, today. inspired by ...agus darwanto
This is an excerpt of a Chapter in the the book by Selwyn, N. (2010). Web 2.0 and the school of the future, today. Inspired by technology, driven by pedagogy (pp. 23-‐38). Paris: OECD Publishing. I hope this work provides you with some information or insights regarding how tech kicks in the teaching and learning living rooms as reported by Selwyn..
On the way towards Personal Learning Environments: Seven crucial aspectseLearning Papers
Authors: Sandra Schaffert, Wolf Hilzensauer.
The practice of learning and teaching is not pre-determined, but always related to the tools and systems used in the process. The development and rising success of social software applications such as weblogs and wikis and so-called Personal Learning Environments (PLE) changes, enables and challenges learning with the Internet.
Digitalization in Higher Education Knowledge ManagementDjadja Sardjana
Strong impact of the birth of globalization will result in a change in management strategy of education and training.
For that requires knowledge of education and learning methods are new
Selwyn, n. (2010). web 2.0 and the school of the future, today. inspired by ...agus darwanto
This is an excerpt of a Chapter in the the book by Selwyn, N. (2010). Web 2.0 and the school of the future, today. Inspired by technology, driven by pedagogy (pp. 23-‐38). Paris: OECD Publishing. I hope this work provides you with some information or insights regarding how tech kicks in the teaching and learning living rooms as reported by Selwyn..
On the way towards Personal Learning Environments: Seven crucial aspectseLearning Papers
Authors: Sandra Schaffert, Wolf Hilzensauer.
The practice of learning and teaching is not pre-determined, but always related to the tools and systems used in the process. The development and rising success of social software applications such as weblogs and wikis and so-called Personal Learning Environments (PLE) changes, enables and challenges learning with the Internet.
Digitalization in Higher Education Knowledge ManagementDjadja Sardjana
Strong impact of the birth of globalization will result in a change in management strategy of education and training.
For that requires knowledge of education and learning methods are new
The impact of cloud computing and web2.0 on e learning ecosystemMona Nasr
What we know is less important than our capacity
to continue to learn more until e-learning appeared. While elearning
technology has matured considerably since its
inception, there are still many problems that practitioners find
when come implementing e-learning. Also, knowledge society
of the 21st century requires a flexible learning environment
which is able to adapt according to learning and teaching
and communication technologies and services. So, many
advances in technologies are taking place throughout the
world to offer new opportunities in enhancing and making
learning environment more effective and efficient. This new
technologies enable students to personalize the environment in
which they learn, utilizing a range of tools to meet their
interests and needs. Therefore, universities are given great
attention to new technology through research and university
studies in achieving more and more advances to any country.
That's why Egypt as a developed country is seeking to
promote and develop its learning environment, specifically in
the field of research and university studies related with
applying new technology in e-learning field. So, research
community has believed that an e-learning ecosystem is the
next generation of e-learning but has faced challenges in
optimizing resource allocations, dealing with dynamic
demands on getting information and knowledge anywhere and
anytime, handling rapid storage growth requirements, cost
controlling and greater flexibility. So, flourish, growing,
scalable, available, up to date and strong infrastructure elearning
ecosystems in a productive and cost effective way will
be needed to face challenges and rapidly changing in learning
environment. This paper work focused on an e-learning
ecosystem (ELES) which supports new technologies is
introduced and implemented. An integration between cloud
computing and Web 2.0 technologies and services used to
support the development of e-learning ecosystems. Cloud
computing an adoptable technology for many of the
universities with its dynamic scalability and usage of
virtualized resources as a service through the Internet and
Web 2.0 brings new instruments help building dynamic elearning ecosystem on the web.
CTE 680 Web 2.0 Tools to Enhance Higher EducationBrian King
A powerpoint exported from my Keynote if you want to view this in more of a slideshow like setting. It may look weird as I haven't looked at it in PowerPoint and not all of the features may have exported properly. If you have Apple Keynote and want a file of my original presentation please email brianjosephking@gmail.com.
Thank you.
New Paradigms For Collaboration & Knowledge SharingCollabor8now Ltd
The world of social interaction, fuelled by the plethora of social media tools, has opened up new opportunities to learn and share. Classroom training is no longer an essential part of learning and development. We can now tap into the collective wisdom of peers and experts as and when we need. Skilling ourselves for a challenging and volatile environment is a personal responsibility - we can't rely on others, including the people/organisations we work for.
100 herramientas para community managersSanti Rosero
Documento realizado por los alumnos de la primera edición del curso “Comunicación y Marketing Publicitario 2.0” en Barcelona impartido por Santi Rosero @SantiRoch en el centro “Tadel Formació”.
The impact of cloud computing and web2.0 on e learning ecosystemMona Nasr
What we know is less important than our capacity
to continue to learn more until e-learning appeared. While elearning
technology has matured considerably since its
inception, there are still many problems that practitioners find
when come implementing e-learning. Also, knowledge society
of the 21st century requires a flexible learning environment
which is able to adapt according to learning and teaching
and communication technologies and services. So, many
advances in technologies are taking place throughout the
world to offer new opportunities in enhancing and making
learning environment more effective and efficient. This new
technologies enable students to personalize the environment in
which they learn, utilizing a range of tools to meet their
interests and needs. Therefore, universities are given great
attention to new technology through research and university
studies in achieving more and more advances to any country.
That's why Egypt as a developed country is seeking to
promote and develop its learning environment, specifically in
the field of research and university studies related with
applying new technology in e-learning field. So, research
community has believed that an e-learning ecosystem is the
next generation of e-learning but has faced challenges in
optimizing resource allocations, dealing with dynamic
demands on getting information and knowledge anywhere and
anytime, handling rapid storage growth requirements, cost
controlling and greater flexibility. So, flourish, growing,
scalable, available, up to date and strong infrastructure elearning
ecosystems in a productive and cost effective way will
be needed to face challenges and rapidly changing in learning
environment. This paper work focused on an e-learning
ecosystem (ELES) which supports new technologies is
introduced and implemented. An integration between cloud
computing and Web 2.0 technologies and services used to
support the development of e-learning ecosystems. Cloud
computing an adoptable technology for many of the
universities with its dynamic scalability and usage of
virtualized resources as a service through the Internet and
Web 2.0 brings new instruments help building dynamic elearning ecosystem on the web.
CTE 680 Web 2.0 Tools to Enhance Higher EducationBrian King
A powerpoint exported from my Keynote if you want to view this in more of a slideshow like setting. It may look weird as I haven't looked at it in PowerPoint and not all of the features may have exported properly. If you have Apple Keynote and want a file of my original presentation please email brianjosephking@gmail.com.
Thank you.
New Paradigms For Collaboration & Knowledge SharingCollabor8now Ltd
The world of social interaction, fuelled by the plethora of social media tools, has opened up new opportunities to learn and share. Classroom training is no longer an essential part of learning and development. We can now tap into the collective wisdom of peers and experts as and when we need. Skilling ourselves for a challenging and volatile environment is a personal responsibility - we can't rely on others, including the people/organisations we work for.
100 herramientas para community managersSanti Rosero
Documento realizado por los alumnos de la primera edición del curso “Comunicación y Marketing Publicitario 2.0” en Barcelona impartido por Santi Rosero @SantiRoch en el centro “Tadel Formació”.
Pornpan Phatinawin No. 11 TESOL 5
To Asst. Prof. Dr. Seksun Saiseesod
This assignment is partially requirement of
Technology for Language Teaching
Udon Thani Rajabhat University
Universities and Web 2.0: Institutional challengeseLearning Papers
Author: Juan Freire.
The irruption of the Web 2.0 internet in universities does not modify only learning models - organizative models are also challenged, creating important fears among the managers of the institutions. Teachers, researchers and students started some years ago to use social software tools, but in few cases these experiences have allowed any scaling from the individual to the institutional level.
Similar to Education in the 2.0 Bazaar - IADAT e-2009 (paper) (20)
Diseñar juegos (de mesa, de rol, videojuegos, etc.) u otras experiencias lúdicas como escape rooms o similares está todavía a medio camino entre un arte y una ciencia.
En esta charla repasaremos los fundamentos básicos del diseño de juegos (mecánicas, historias, tecnologías y experiencias) y los diferentes tipos de diversión que puede buscar quien juegue a nuestros juegos (difícil, fácil, relacional y con propósito).
Además, veremos cómo empezar el diseño de un juego de mesa y qué fases deberemos llevar a cabo para terminarlo, desde el prototipado, testeo, edición, (micromecenazgo), producción y distribución.
Presentación empleada en la conferencia Bilbostack 2022.
Luces y sombras en el uso de la tecnología en clasePablo Garaizar
Intervención de Pablo Garaizar en las jornadas "Las pruebas de la educación" organizadas por la Fundación Promaestro y la Cátedra de Cultura Científica de la EHU/UPV en CaixaForum Madrid
Neurobollocks: el nuevo aceite de serpientePablo Garaizar
Lo “neuro” está de moda. Los recientes avances en neurociencia han insuflado tanto optimismo en otras disciplinas que todas ellas quieren participar de la fiesta: neuroeducación, neuromarketing, neuropolítica, neuroeconomía... Hemos pasado del “todo es mejor con Bluetooth” al “todo es mejor con una imagen del cerebro tomada por resonancia magnética funcional”. Sin embargo, de la misma forma que los hallazgos en física cuántica no son directamente aprovechables para el deporte, muchos de los descubrimientos neurocientíficos están lejos de ser de aplicación directa en todas esas disciplinas con las que se pretende converger.
A pesar del interés que despierta la neurociencia en ámbitos muy variados, la comunicación de sus hallazgos es muy definciente. Esto provoca que sean muchos los neuromitos que persisten y muchas las teorías no probadas que se asumen como ciertas (estilos de aprendizaje, inteligencias múltiples, paisajes de aprendizaje, etc.). Esta charla pretende pinchar el globo de lo “neuro”, repasando qué sabemos que funciona y qué propuestas no han demostrado su validez. Un jarro de agua fría en clave de humor para entusiastas de las neuromandangas, sin intención de sentar cátedra pero sí de provocar debate.
Algunas cuestiones psicológicas que nos pueden ayudar a diseñar mejorPablo Garaizar
Breve introducción a la psicología para ayudarnos en los procesos de diseño.
Master class dentro del master clandestino de Arketipo: http://www.arketipo.net/index.php/10-lanzando-el-guante/10-montate-un-master-clandestino-no-es-oficial-y-eso-es-lo-mejor.html
Participación en las VI Jornadas Tecnología, Desarrollo y Sociedad, Ciencia, Tecnología y Feminismo organizadas por Ingeniería Sin Fronteras en la Universidad de Deusto (01/10/2015)
Errores comunes en la visualización de datos y algunas solucionesPablo Garaizar
Charla sobre visualización de datos para BilboStack 2015 en la Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, 17 de enero de 2015.
Todas las imágenes son propiedad de sus respectivos creadores (ver sección de Referencias).
Video-games 101: Unleashing the potential of students and teachers to create ...Pablo Garaizar
Video-games 101: Unleashing the potential of students and teachers to create fun stuff
Presented at Scratch Conference 2013, 25-27 July, Barcelona.
Since 2006, hundreds of learning resources about Scratch have been developed and shared through the Internet. Therefore, learning how to install Scratch, arrange the blocks, upload projects, or create simple animations is straightforward for younger scratchers. However, they often realize that knowing how to use the Scratch programming environment does not necessarily mean knowing how to develop video-games. Moreover, teachers are usually not aware that their Mathematics, Physics or Arts knowledge can easily turned into video-game programming skills. With the purpose of helping both students and teachers to develop their own video-games in mind, we have created an online course that will be open and freely available for everyone.
The course covers several kinds of video-games and provides step-by-step tutorials to build them from scratch. The first section explains typical videogame mechanisms (i.e., scores, stages, etc.). The second section shows how to build a simple “snake” game using Scratch 2.0 new features like cloning or saving high scores in the Cloud. Section 3 is aimed to create a “Pang” version where simple Physics knowledge is needed to define the movements of the balls. In the fourth section of the course, we use a “Pac-Man”-like game to introduce basic concepts of Artificial Intelligence. Section 5 is focused on horizontal scrolling games like “Super Mario”. Non-arcade video-games are explained in section 6 with a two-player “Checkers” videogame. Finally, miscellaneous demos and proof-of-concepts are shown in section 7.
We want to explain how to create completely finished games, not simple demos. Therefore, each section shows every aspect involved in their development (i.e., architecture, design, fx, coding). In summary, our aim is to create an environment where students and teachers could learn how to use their Mathematics, Physics, or Arts knowledge in a fun-oriented way.
Scratch Eguna: From Scratch Day to Scratch every dayPablo Garaizar
Scratch Eguna: From Scratch Day to Scratch every day
Presented at Scratch Conference 2013, 25-27 July, Barcelona.
Over the last years, Scratch community has grown tremendously worldwide. Undoubtedly, the Scratch Day initiative has a key role in the popularization of Scratch. However, a one-day effort is often not enough to create a local community. With this concern in mind, we designed Scratch Eguna, an educational project aimed to bring Scratch into primary schools in an innovative way.
Scratch Eguna is sequenced throughout the school year in various stages. First, spreading the initiative. Second, training school teachers. Third, mentoring the work of student teams at schools. Finally, the Scratch Eguna, a science fair where young programmers of 5th and 6th grades share their Scratch knowledge and provide live demos of their work in a non-competitive environment.
Scratch Eguna places the emphasis on the children. Through a learner-centered approach, enables children to lead their own learning process. Considering Scratch knowledge naivety of school teachers, they adopt the role of facilitators, fostering self-learning processes in their students. This approach has been tested over the last three years with very positive results. Consequently, the Scratch community of the Basque Country is bigger than ever and some of the schools are considering to develop programming skills as a part of their curricula. Moreover, Scratch Eguna has been endorsed by the Institute of Educational Technologies and Teachers Training of Spain with the "Best Practices 2.0" award.
Our aim is to continue improving the Scratch Eguna’s methodology to engage more and more people in this participative learning approach. Therefore, this year we will invite students from the 1st Stage of Secondary School to take part in Scratch Eguna in order to show new ways of using Scratch to younger participants. From our perspective, fostering teamwork, creativity, and interest in research are the most valuable outcomes of Scratch Eguna, and we firmly believe our future society will take advantage from them.
El problema de parada y los castores laboriososPablo Garaizar
Charla de introducción al problema de parada y a los "castores laboriosos" dentro de los actos de homenaje a Alan Turing en la Universidad de Deusto con motivo del Alan Turing Year 2012.
Los nuevos paradigmas de computación como el Cloud Computing y los escenarios sugeridos en torno a la Internet del Futuro indican la próxima prevalencia de Web como entorno de ejecución de aplicaciones. Los desarrollos de estándares que posibilitan este cambio tienen a HTML5 como referencia. Sin embargo, a pesar de las múltiples APIs que han sido desarrolladas para igualar o incluso superar a tecnologías web anteriores a este estándar, la funcionalidad de reproducción, generación y análisis de audio está todavía en una fase definitoria en la que varias implementaciones compiten por lograr ser reconocidas como el estándar de facto. En esta presentación repasaremos estas API, aportando explicaciones de su funcionalidad y ejemplos de su uso.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
Personal development courses are widely available today, with each one promising life-changing outcomes. Tim Han’s Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course has drawn a lot of interest. In addition to offering my frank assessment of Success Insider’s LMA Course, this piece examines the course’s effects via a variety of Tim Han LMA course reviews and Success Insider comments.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Digital Tools and AI for Teaching Learning and Research
Education in the 2.0 Bazaar - IADAT e-2009 (paper)
1. EDUCATION IN THE 2.0 BAZAAR
Pablo Garaizar
University of Deusto
Bilbao, Spain
garaizar@eside.deusto.es
Abstract
Despite Learning Management Systems (LMS) popularity in most educational institutions (e.g. Blackboard,
Moodle, .LRN), some teachers find their lack of flexibility very limiting and have therefore chosen Web 2.0
liquid and adaptable tools in their learning processes. However, the wide range of possibilities offered by 2.0
technologies may lead to disorder and confusion, making learning resources management and contextualized
information assimilation more complex. In this paper, we will face these problems from a two-year teaching
experience using only a Web 2.0 application perspective. Difficulties found in communicating via blogs,
microblogs (e.g. Twitter, Yammer) or tumblelogs, and student-generated content dispersion will be analyzed,
providing wiki and RSS based solutions. Finally, other upcoming complications related to this
technological/pedagogical approach will be pointed out.
Keywords
Education, Edupunk, e-learning, LMS, RSS, Web 2.0.
1. INTRODUCTION
In this paper we will explain how to deal with problems caused by introducing Web 2.0 technologies at
classroom, and what are the main benefits of switching from a LMS oriented approach to a social software
oriented one.
The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 compares two opposing points of view on using technology in
education. Section 3 explains the advantages of using Web 2.0 tools in a learning process. Section 4 addresses
the main problems arose from this use. Section 5 proposes feasible solutions to these problems. Finally, in
Section 6 other upcoming scenarios are pointed out.
2. TWO OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW
During the last decade, LMS deployments have been consolidated in most of the traditional educational
institutions [1], not only to replace face-to-face instruction (e-learning), but also to combine it with computer-
mediated instruction (b-learning or "blended learning") [2]. No problems have been found by teachers and
students adapting to this change -apart from the usual technical difficulties- because these systems mimic most
of the concepts used by traditional education: order, arrangement, standardized evaluation, etc.
At the same time, the popularity of Web 2.0 [3] has brought a slew of new interaction styles, boosting
participation (collaboration), customization (flexibility) and immediacy (real-time). Such a radical shift has
determined the development roadmap for other available platforms, forcing their adaptation to the new
communication demands. Unfortunately, traditional e-learning platforms are too lined up with the conventional
education structure. They haven’t been able to follow flexible 2.0 applications' fast pace. Some teachers,
fascinated with this new conception of the web, have decided to rebel against the imposed LMS and embrace the
Edupunk movement [4]. Edupunks criticize the stifling rigidity of the archaic and closed LMS systems,
reclaiming more open, agile and flexible platforms, focused on the learner instead of the content, by using a DIY
("Do It Yourself") approach. Despite the critics [5], Edupunks are not alone in the crusade against LMS.
Recently, Bush and Mott stressed this point [6] with a "Post-LMS Manifesto".
Are we witnessing a shift from formal to non-formal education? From education institutions to education
experiences? In the late 90's Gatto complained about many absurd and anti-life situations related to traditional
education systems [7]. Nowadays, many authors reclaim a ubiquitous education [8] [9], on-request and non-
formal [10], an "expanded education" [11]. As Stephen Downes stated [12], "learning is not based on objects
2. and contents that are stored, as though in a library. Rather, the idea is that learning is like a utility -like water
or electricity- that flows in a network or a grip, that we tap into when we want". Is this just another top-down
versus bottom-up endless debate? The Cathedral versus the Bazaar [13]? Or an intergenerational conflict caused
by different views of the world and the learning process [14]? It remains to be seen whether the Web 2.0
Connectivism will oust the Constructivism, theoretical principles of popular LMS like Moodle [15].
3. EDUCATION 2.0: A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
After two years promoting them, we could conclude that using Web 2.0 applications at classroom has been a
very positive experience. The main advantages of this change are the following:
3.1 Less lectures, more collaborative work
Unidirectional communication and the lack of spontaneous interaction are common situations when teaching
large classes (above 50-60 students). This trend can be broken easily with social software: prompting students to
comment their opinions in blogs, following each other in microblogging networks or using them to interact with
teachers. Education 2.0 is more than just adding technology to education. Teachers have to become DJs [16],
combining miscellaneous sources and keeping their students on the dance floor. Content can be self-made,
remixed -using someone else's material- [17], or even created by the students themselves.
3.2 No textbook
Instead of working with just a sole information source, several diverse resources are used: blogs for group work,
microblogs for communication, RSS feeds, multimedia clips linked from a wide range of platforms (e.g.
Youtube, Flickr, SlideShare) and a wiki to gather them all in a common place and support collaborative work
(see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1, Wiki use during Spring Semester 2008 and Spring Semester 2009.
Personal blogs or tumblelogs are used as virtual portfolios to store all subject-related resources created by
teachers, students or any other online content service provider. Students can organize these Personal Learning
Environments (PLE) freely, without being evaluated.
3.3 Beyond physical boundaries
Education extends beyond the spatial and temporal boundaries of the classroom. Interaction is not limited to
teachers and students, is virtually global. This new scenario brings back the old question quoted by McLuhan
and Leonard [18]: "Why should I go back to school and interrupt my education?". Forty years later, we can solve
this problem.
Moreover, two interesting consequences arise:
a) The teacher is not the only yardstick anymore: aside from their evaluation within the classroom, students
also receive feedback from other users interacting with the contents.
3. b) The teacher is not the only available data source anymore: collective intelligence of social networks [19]
replaces the expert's role. Not only students are the subjects of their own learning, but also the sources of
learning, functioning as the perceptual input for the wider network [12].
3.4 Non-formal communication, non-formal learning
Not every student is able to discuss a topic in public, but they are usually experts on texting and sending
thoughts by mobile phones. Microblogging platforms such as Twitter [20] are based on a similar idea. Therefore,
not much training is needed to use them and increase spontaneous interaction. Microposts can be shown during
the class [21], in a less formal way of real-time participation. If lack of privacy is a problem, less public services
like Yammer [22] or EdModo [23] can be used instead.
As we can see, it is not casual that many teachers are gradually introducing Web 2.0 tools in their learning
processes [24], due to their multiple advantages.
4. PROBLEMS
Web 2.0 features can also be considered problems in certain contexts. Where some see flexibility, others see lack
of control; where some see cooperation, collaboration and syndication of several sources, others see confusion.
These are the main problems detected during our experience:
4.1 Lack of order
Course content is not stored in a centralized and static location anymore. Instead, the content generated by
teachers and students is scattered over the Internet, and may be compiled. Not being able to find and organize
these resources will result in a limited vision of the whole working material. Therefore, developing this digital
competency becomes mandatory [25], mastering RSS aggregation and social bookmarking platforms. In our
case, we consumed RSS feeds created with Yahoo! Pipes [26], using blog widgets as clients, for aggregating all
subject-related content.
4.2 Lack of control
Teachers lose control at two different levels:
a) Technical level: control over technical infrastructure is usually lost using Web 2.0 platforms, because most
of them rely on "cloud computing" based free services. Although is possible to deploy them "in-house", both
Google [27] and Microsoft [28] are offering free professional services to academic institutions (regarding
email, IM, VoIP, blogs, microblogs, sites, documents, etc.). The bad news is that service providers disclaim
any liability or responsibility for any loss. Recently, popular Web 2.0 services experienced temporary
failures [29], being some of them fatal to their users [30].
b) Social level: the etiquette of the Internet [31] cannot be controlled by teachers. Their authority means
nothing outside the academic institution. Spam, Internet trolls or even cyber-bullying can disrupt teachers'
efforts, without an easy solution.
4.3 Privacy and arbitrary limits
Web 2.0 platforms promote participation and new content publication, but they usually forget about privacy
issues. Mediocre or incorrect information can remain accessible on the web for years, lasting after the end of the
author's academic career, and becoming a problem during professional life. Out of context blended-learning
activities or teenagers' opinions may lead to similar problems. Besides, these platforms can add arbitrary
restrictions to their Terms of Service (TOS), blocking some uses that can be considered legitimate by teachers. A
clear example of this problem is the arbitrary age limit for some social networks [32], preventing their use in
lower grades.
4.4 Scope confusion
Analyzing students' preferred social networks (e.g. Facebook, MySpace) and using them to deploy educational
content is very tempting for many teachers, but such strategy doesn't seem to be very effective for some reasons:
4. a) Teachers are not students' best option to share spare time with. They may take it as an invasion of privacy,
so it is not recommended to try to be best friends [33].
b) Such an environment specifically designed for leisure, hyperconnected with procrastinating friends, full of
silly tests, chats, etc., is not the best place to work on educational content. Moreover, previously defined
digital identities within each social network can alter online teacher-student relation.
5. SOLUTIONS
There is no specific solution for the problems mentioned before, but different tools can be combined to achieve a
good trade-off among them. The solution we would like to propose is based in a combination of content-centered
tools, typically managed by teachers, and learner-centered tools, managed by students:
a) Course wiki: installed on a local web server, with restricted access for students (control, privacy) [34].
Teachers and students use them to:
- Support collaboratively generated content, in a structured way.
- Compile links to remote resources.
- Practice with wiki syntax (Wikipedia contributions sandbox).
b) Group blogs: created in a public service [35] and merged together in a blog planet [36]. Students use them to
create and share subject-related content.
c) Personal blogs or tumblelogs: used as virtual portfolios or PLEs. Students freely choose their favourite
service to develop them, and select the RSS feeds generated by the rest of the tools.
d) Microblogs: mostly Twitter (public, universal) and Yammer (private, under control), to encourage
spontaneous participation and real-time communication inside or outside the classroom. Generated
microposts are easily added to blogs through RSS widgets.
Since there have been no previous similar experiences in our Faculty, some confusion is understandable at the
beginning of the semester, but students should be able to understand the dynamics of the work after a few weeks.
The use of more homogeneous systems could be another solution to the problem. The structure of the content
can be hold in a LMS supporting Web 2.0 features (e.g. Moodle [15]), managed by teachers, and integrated with
a virtual portfolio platform (e.g. Mahara [37]). In such systems students can organize, discard or add resources in
a relevant way to their own learning process, interacting with a wider community and adapting the structure of
the network as their experience varies [38].
6. CONCLUSIONS
When it comes to selecting appropriate tools to improve the learning process related to a subject, it is useful to
keep in mind that one size doesn't fit all. Identifying learner's main features is crucial to design a suitable plan
regarding educational technology. In this paper we have explained our experience with heterogeneous Web 2.0
tools teaching at the university level, some of the problems faced off during this time and two feasible solutions
(RSS based and LMS-PLE integration oriented). Our best efforts have been made to ensure students' significant
and autonomous learning [39], providing contextual content, but not limiting their freedom to rearrange and
improve it with extra information gathered from the Web.
A remarkable simplification of previous scenarios -and maybe a merger of content-centered and learner-centered
tools- could be near if Google's new communication protocol [40] becomes true. It is still too soon to evaluate its
consequences [41], but it may be a way to end the discussion between LMS promoters and detractors.
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