Web 2.0 technologies have the ability to enhance student learning in many areas. However, as a number of my previous posts have eluded to, teachers and students alike must learn to use the technologies appropriately before their full potential can be realised. Certainly this is true in terms of students abilities to seek, assess and appropriately use the information and tools on offer, however before even getting to this stage, there are also some practical difficulties to consider associated with using Web 2.0.
In the previously mentioned study by Moayeri (2010), completion of the Web 2.0 based assignments was found to be an "onerous task" for teachers and students alike. In this study, and similarly in this course, the teachers had difficulty in accessing the work presented to them in any sort of efficient manner. Similarly, students in the study and in this course have had difficulty navigating the wealth of options and information presented to them through different tools. Indeed, many students in this unit seem to be struggling just to keep up with learning about the different Web 2.0 tools on offer, let alone using them to their full potential. The existence of Megan Poor's (2011) 'Web 2.0 survival guide' is itself evidence of the difficulty some students have in getting the hang of these tools. Without appropriate guidance, it is conceivable that one could spend most of their time playing with the wealth of Web 2.0 tools on offer, before ever using the technology to learn in other areas.
This really begs the question, how much is too much? Arguably, digital literacy of children is improving, and we might therefore expect their uptake of Web 2.0 technologies to be faster. However, the fact remains that a significant portion of children are not digitally literate (MCEECDYA 2010). Furthermore, in this course we are using Web 2.0 to apply skills such as critical thinking, which we have already largely developed through our previous education and experience. Our students on the other hand, will be needing to use Web 2.0 to develop other skills and knowledge (MCEECDYA 2010).
Even if all the difficulties and barriers relating to utilisation of Web 2.0 were addressed such that capable students and teachers had easy unrestricted access to the full variety of technologies and information, the fact remains that any use of technology for learning comes at a time and convenience cost. For example, Moayeri (2011, pg 36) noted that some students complained of "being unable to work on the bus". Even when access is not an issue, loading and downloading take time. The average modern student may be fast on the functional uptake of technology, but arguably any significant time spent playing with new tools is time that could be spent using old ones.
References
1. Moayeri, M 2010. 'Classroom uses of social network sites: Traditional Practices or New Literacies', Digital Culture and Education, 2:1, 25-43.
2. MCEECDYA 2010. 'National Assessment Program -- ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10. Report. 2008, viewed 21 March 2010, http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/NAP-ICTL_2008_report.pdf
3. Poor, M 2011. 'Web 2.0 survival guide', viewed 21 March 2010, http://web2survivalguide.wordpress.com/
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