1. Aplicaciones de Informática Educativa a la Enseñanza del Inglés - Comisión 4-691 – UTN
Course Final Written Assignment
Teacher: Paula Ledesma Student: Mariana Chiarella
Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning
Chapter V
The Role of Community Formation in Learning Processes
What we need to bear in mind when referring to the term Web 2.0 is that it is nothing but a
platformtobe constructed,modified,changedandenrichedbythe usersthemselves. The focus is
on inter-humanconnectivity.Itisthe interrelationandinteractionof the usersthatmake the Web
2.0 an extraordinary tool.
Depending of the user’s interests, the web offers online communities for him to work
collaborativelywithotheruserswhoshare the same purpose.Therefore,anonlinecommunityhas
been defined as a “group of people who come together for a purpose online and who are
governed by norms and polices” (Peece, 2000). It can also be described as a virtual place where
“we (the authorrefersto “us” as “users”) chat and argue,engage inintellectualdiscourse,perform
acts of commerce,exchange knowledge,share emotionalsupport,make plans,brainstorm, gossip,
feud,fall inlove,findfriendsandlose them, play games and metagames, flirt… we do everything
people do when people get together, but we do it with words on computer screens, leaving our
bodiesbehind…ouridentitiescommingle andinteractelectronically,independent of local time or
location” (Rheingold, 1994).
Schank (1993) affirms that e-learning lowers and even removes the two biggest traditional
barriers to a workforce’s continuous learning and improvement: time and money. Nowadays,
people aroundthe globe finditvery difficult to attend courses, conferences and meetings which
discuss their interests within the restrains of their busy schedule. Money is also a reason to be
takenintoaccount whendecidingtotake upan intellectual activity.Butanother thing that should
be consideredisthe location.Virtualcommunitiesprovidethe usersaccesstoworkcollaboratively
and interactwithpeople all aroundthe worldwithout having to leave the comforts of your warm
and cozylivingroomor evenyourbedroom. With the use of these new technologies, people are
able to learnJapanese, playasport,chat and evenattend courses in Rhetoric and Composition in
a virtual reality (as mentioned by Dudeney and Hockly, How To Teach English with Technology,
Chapter 12) without so much as a click.
Since the systemallowsaneasy access and exposure to large amounts of information, many
users will find this “openness” overwhelming and will start viewing virtual communities with a
cautiousand apprehensive attitude. In order to avoid this feeling of aporia, online communities
workunderpoliciesandnormswhichare setby the community itself, giving it a specific identity.

2. Aplicaciones de Informática Educativa a la Enseñanza del Inglés - Comisión 4-691 – UTN
Course Final Written Assignment
Teacher: Paula Ledesma Student: Mariana Chiarella
Garrison and Anderson (2003) also explain that in order for effectiveness to take place “…there
mustbe limitingand stabilizing influences if e-learning is to maintain a sense of community and
purpose”.Thus,there hasto existapersonresponsible forguidingandorganizingthe experiences
dealt with within the community. This person is kwon as an e-moderator – or e-educator, e-
facilitator.The e-moderatoris “the person responding to and building on the contributions to an
online conference andshouldprompt,encourage andenable openness,whilealsoacknowledging
the personal experience as well as acting as a companion in the democratic online learning
process” (Salmon 2001).
How to teach English with Technology – Chapter 12
Nowadays, technologyplaysacentral role inthe life of professionals all around the world. The
use of wikis, blogs and Web 2.0 tools shortens the distances between writer and reader and
enables them to interact and to share information for a specific purpose. As developed in the
previous topic, virtual communities permit people from all around the globe to participate in
conferences, take courses – through VLE, CALL, m-learning – teach, learn, explore, develop a
friendshipandevenfall inlove. Withinternetand e-learning,we are nolongerboundbytime and
space to convey our messages and share it with the rest of the world, but a click of the mouse.
We, as teachers, should bear in mind that technology, like language, is dynamic and ever-
changing.

3. Aplicaciones de Informática Educativa a la Enseñanza del Inglés - Comisión 4-691 – UTN
Course Final Written Assignment
Teacher: Paula Ledesma Student: Mariana Chiarella
Works cited:
 Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning by Michael
Thomas (Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, Japan).
 Salmon,G. (2000). E-Moderating,thekey to teaching and learning online. London:Kogan
Page.
 Preece,J.(2000). Online communities:Designing usability,supporting sociability.West
Sussex:JohnWiley&Sons.
 GarrisonR., & AndersonT.(2003). E-Learning in the 21st Century:A frameworkfor
research and practice. London:RoutledgeFalmer.
 Schank,R. (1993). Learningviamultimediacomputers. Communicationsof theAssociation
forComputing Machinery,36(5),54-56.
 Rheingold,H.(1994). A slice of life inmyvirtual community.InL.M. Haraisim(Eds.), Global
networks:Computersand internationalcommunication (pp.57-80).Cambridge,MA:MIT.