Learning and The Web

The Internet has always been an outstanding resource for learning, but Web 1.0—although interactive in nature—often lacked the tools and critical mass necessary to provide the sharing and discourse of a vital learning environment. Web 2.0, with its accoutrements such as blogs, photo sharing, video sharing and social networking, has added another rich layer to the Internet and vastly increased the potential for an engaging educational experience. The options presented by Google alone paint a rich tapestry of the possibilities to explore, find and share information.

If you are looking for practical knowledge, sites such as Lifehacker, eHow and HowStuffWorks are invaluable. Another site that has an incredible amount of potential is VideoJug. It is a YouTube for learning. People love to share their know-how and that is what VideoJug is all about.

Steve O’Hear has an interesting two-part series at the Read/Write Web blog on how Web 2.0 tools are impacting the institutional educational environment (Part 1 and Part 2). A quote from Part 1 elaborates:

“Like the web itself, the early promise of e-learning - that of empowerment - has not been fully realized. The experience of e-learning for many has been no more than a hand-out published online, coupled with a simple multiple-choice quiz. Hardly inspiring, let alone empowering. But by using these new web services, e-learning has the potential to become far more personal, social and flexible.”

Steve explores blogging, teacher’s TV, podcasting, media sharing and social networks for educational purposes.

While there are no doubt many innovative uses of Web 2.0 tools for education, we have probably just begun to scratch the surface of what can be done in the expansive new Internet framework. Most e-learning sites still utilize what is rapidly becoming archaic Web architecture, and as such, they stand to be disintermediated quickly by a phalanx of new possibilities. Those who are in the online education business take note.