This document discusses using Web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, and podcasts to teach literature. It argues that these tools make learning more interactive, constructive, and learner-centered by allowing students to engage with literary works in new audio-visual ways. Some specific uses mentioned include having students comment on literature blogs, completing assignments through blogs, editing wiki pages about literary works, creating their own podcasts analyzing poems/plays, and using mind maps to explore creativity. The document concludes that overcoming infrastructure challenges, these modern tools can successfully be introduced to literature classes to refresh teaching methods.

1. Exploring the Uses of
Web.2.0 Tools in
Teaching of Literature
By:
Dr. Nutan Kotak
Associate Professor
Dept. of English
Uni. School of Languages
Gujarat University

2. New v/s the “Old”
 Just as canonical literature is open to newer interpretations
and contemporary evaluations, so it is possible to teach
these literatures through newer means.
 Teaching Shakespeare through its digital versions expands
its appeal and makes it all the more relevant.
 Today’s students can be enticed by the audio-visual forms
of canonical literature as they need more than just the
books to keep them on the same page as the teachers.
 Web 2.0. Tools are self-regulatory, participatory, and
collaborative in nature.

3. Web. 2.0. Tools and Their
Uses
 Web 2.0.Tools like Blogs, Wiki, Podcasts etc. can be
employed in the classrooms to make the learning
scenario all the more interesting.
 Web.2.0. Tools make the classrooms all the more
interactive and constructive.
 Active learning theory is at the base of the popularity
of the Web.2.0. Tools.
 Constructivism is the need of the day.

4. Constructivism
 Bruner (1973) states that learning is a socially productive
and influential process in which learners construct their
own new ideas and concepts based on their past and
current skills and knowledge.
 Constructivism combines the new information, garnered
through a variety of means like websites, books, blogs etc.
and using it constructively to create newer avenues of
personal and social knowledge banks.
 Easy accessibility does not mean easy abuse. It is the
responsibility of the teachers to channel the accessed
information correctly through introduction of Intellectual
Property Rights and laws of Plagiarism.

5. Interactive Classrooms
 As we are all teachers, teaching in an environment which
does not give us much scope for interactive classrooms,
there are some possibilities if we are determined.
 The earlier teacher-centered learning environment has
changed greatly to a learner-centered one.
 Web 2.0. Tools have enabled teachers to disseminate
knowledge to the remotest corners of the earth.
 When I joined one such group learning unit through RELO
last year my co-participants were from some of those
countries that we rarely get to know of.

6. Learner-Centered
Classrooms
 Web 2.0. Tools have made connectivity possible. We
are able to connect with learners from varied
segments of the society as it does not need the
traditional set-up for its use.
 Many a times it is felt that the learners who opt for
these tools to enrich their own learning are self-
motivated.
 The courses are designed to suit the heterogeneous
character of the group.

7. Blogs:
 Much has been said about the use of the Blogs, and I would like
to add its uses in giving the students a feel for the written word.
 Maybe I might be wrong but, as all computers assist the users
with spellings and grammar, the students can make good use of
the same in their presentations. Once the fear of ‘correct’ English
is left behind it would become easier for them to attempt writing.
 Literature teachers can create blogs and ask students to
comment on them.
 Assignments can be given through blogs. Students might feel
comfortable in asking questions through blogs.

8. Wikis
 Wikipedia allows one to edit the posts and thus makes
the information both user-friendly and dangerous.
 It is good that many do not know of this feature of a
Wiki page, otherwise mischief mongers can create
misleading information.
 To contain the damage there is a feature called ‘page
history’ that allows all changes to be tracked and
reversed.

9. More about Wikis
 Wikis can be opened to Internet public. Or protected
with a password.
 Wikis are designed so that any word or phrase can be
set up as a hyperlink to either an external Web site or
another wiki page. Often wikis let you create the link to
a new page first, and only then create the page that it
links to.
 These links help authenticate the information available
on Wikis.

10. Podcasts
 Podcasting means creating a virtual audio show by
using the Web to “broadcast” audio files recorded by a
computer.
 Podcasting consists of a few distinct steps: first,
recording the content; second, editing the recording,
adding music or effects and creating an .mp3 file of
the results; and last, hosting the podcast online and
ideally, making it findable by an audience.


11. Podcasting and Literature
Teaching
 Poetry and plays can be played upon through
Podcasting.
 Teachers can access websites like YouTube, hotstar
and others and get audio-videos relating to the
content of the syllabus and help familiarize with the
different tellings of the same.
 The teachers can assist students in creating their own
podcasts and then uploading the same on their own
web pages.

12. Other Web.2.0 Tools
 Edmodo- Edmodo networks enable teachers to share
content, distribute quizzes, assignments, and manage
communications with students, colleagues and
parents.
 Diigo- A social bookmarking website that allows
signed-up users to bookmark and tag Web pages.
Additionally it allows users to highlight any part f a
webpage and attach sticky notes to specific highlight
or to a whole page
 Bing- A web search engine which is marketed as
decision engine.

13. Mind Map
 Mind map is one of the tools which can be used by
literature teachers to bring out the creativity of the
students.

14. Conclusion
 In conclusion we can say that the Web 2.0. Tools can
be successfully used in teaching literature as much as
communication skills.
 Overcoming the infra-structural difficulties we can
surely and gradually introduce these contemporary
tools to our literature classes.
 We as teachers need to innovate and show the
inclination to “Refresh” our knowledge.

15. Thank You