facebook

Facebook is undergoing a massive uptake in usage, due no doubt to a recent upgrade which has improved performance and usability. . Another driver of uptake and continued use is the number of Applications available to the user. This of course is part of the revolution that is web 2.0.

In the past, mass content was created by the few and interactivity was limited. This 'unilaterality' has been addressed by web 2.0 which has resulted in a paradigmatic shift - now content is created by the masses and interactivity is central to that content. Many third-party developers are now offering interactive applications which can be added to Facebook users' profiles.

My ongoing quest is 'how can we use this technology to improve teaching and learning?'. I know of a tutor who uses the honesty application to gather anonymous feedback from students - this I believe is much more reliable than using the institutional VLE where students know that they can be tracked.

The ability to create groups and to self-enrol on such groups is invaluable to community building and interactivity. That facebook is not 'owned' by the institution or that a group can be owned by students as well as academic staff may well facilitate more student-centred learing.

Many of the applications however are disappointingly unready for 'market' and do not perform properly or consistently. The flickr and bookshelf applications are examples which spring readily to mind. Over time these problems will be solved and increasingly advanced use will emerge.

Should we abandon our VLEs and move to Web 2.0 services, or should we adopt a web 2.0 institutional approach?

Labels: e-learning, facebook, social web, web 2.0

posted by Martin King @ 4:16 PM   0 Comments