Chapter 7 Web 2.0 Learning Environments

in Distance Learning

ByAmal Alshehri

• Disruptive Innovation

• Current Use of Course Management System

Software and Web 2.0

• Constructs for Web 2.0 Learning Environments

• Personal Learning Space

• The Strengths and weaknesses of Web 2.0 Tools

• Professional Development

• Key Principles For Leaders To Know.

Outline:

An innovation that, by its implementation, disrupts the status quo.

Disruptive Innovation

Disruptive Innovation to create educational opportunities that are:

• Effective• Affordable• Accessible

The net generation and distance learning:

They are fundamentally differ from previous generations in in the way they process information, communicate, and learn.

• It is a technologies support, encourage, and provide Web space for content published by the user rather than the Web site designer or developer.

• Web 2.0 disrupts current distance learning technology such as course management system software CMS, LMS , blackboard moodle etc.

Web 2.0

Constructs For Web 2.0 Learning Environments:

• Cognitive/scripts

• Social/actors

• Networking/stages

• Integration/acting

• District Structure and Processes: Web 2.0 technology emphasizes the fundamental shift from information to communication,

• Architecture of Learning: A key characteristic of Web 2.0 is user participation.

Activity

Integrating web 2.0 tools to support distance learning has several weaknesses and strengths

Group 1 weaknesses page 140Group 2 strengths page 138

Personal Learning Space:

Sharing

Social interaction

Content with discussions

Social communication,

Virtual meetings

Quiz/informal assessments

Three major steps are critical in teacher technology training.

(1) Online teachers must become “performers,” those who can facilitate online students to manage their individual learning spaces. This means online teachers would employ Web 2.0 technologies before assigning students to do so.

(2) Districts should assist teachers with identifying a purpose for adopting Web 2.0 technologies so they know how to design their curriculum effectively and then how to assess this innovation.

(3) Districts should assist teachers with relating Web 2.0 technologies to the goals of the course and help show how they fit in and benefit students.

Professional Development

Key Principles For Leaders To Know

• Provide training to teachers so they understand correctly that online learning

technology is to deliver knowledge and skills, not just content.

• Encourage teachers and students to build differentiation/personalized learning.

• Allow and encourage teachers and students to take control of their own data to

create personal learning environments.

• Allow and empower teachers to organize their learning model via participation,

creating, editing, organizing, retrieving, and tagging contents.

• Schools should provide multiple Web 2.0 tools, but they may have duplicate

functions to allow teachers to select their own tools.

• Schools should update and identify new software to support teachers.

• Integrate various Web 2.0 tools to create and foster a healthy social learning

community for teachers to learn from each other and exchange

effective online technology strategies.