So, as per the comments I have decided to narrow down my blog to the applications of Web 2.0 to education with a special emphasis on online tutoring and higher math-ed. Before I go deep into the intricate details about that, I thought it would be better to give a brief overview of what Web 2.0 is all about. I will be focusing on the basics and some few applications of Web 2.o during this week. Starting from next week, I will be exploring the more specialized applications to education, so hang on tight :-)
Coming back to the whole purpose of this week : what exactly is Web 2.0 and how did it start?
As per the O'Reilly website (www.oreillynet.com) : "The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International." The fall out of the dot-com bubble resulted in a new perspective towards the web and it's applications - make the web be more service oriented as well make it more user friendly, intuitive and more of a social phenomenon. In other terms make the web more like a desktop application - faster, easier on the eyes and more user friendly. As per the referenced article, some of the initial examples of the first brainstorming session were as follows : Double Click vs. Google Ad sense, OFoto vs. Flickr, Britannica Online vs. Wikipedia.
Let's analyse a few comparisons here and see how this all ties into the whole web 2.0 paradigm. Google Ad Sense works with the consumers in mind - in the end it's those consumers who buy the products. You might have seen an example of this when you serach for anything on google.com. The ads (on the right hand corner with a light blue background) are related to the phrase/word you just searched for. Say you search for "Honda Civic Air Filter" (my filter is getting old and I need to change it :-) ), the ads you notice on the side will be related to the search phrase like links to Honda civic parts store, air filter stores or even some repair garages. As opposed to that DoubleClick just used static ads - they didn't change with what the user was looking for. This shift made the search and ads a bit more intuitive. Making use of customer's searches to display results which might generate more interest in services you are selling or advertising. Google Ad Sense has generated billions of dollars in income since its inception which is a true Web 2.0 success story.
Similar success story is the concept behind Wikipedia - harnessing collective intelligence which is more understandable than concrete explanations in books. All of us have used wikipedia or at least heard about it some point or the other. It is an online community where users can create, edit and search for everything from definitions, concepts or even processes and algorithms. The content is managed by users and is free for anyone to update. But then there is always the question of authenticity - who monitors all the content. There is some monitoring by site administrators but the huge user base also helps keep the content accurate and up to date. The explanations are more easy to understand since they are written by fellow web users. The amount of information shared in this way is huge and is much easier to understand than Britannica Online.
As per the few examples, the question about the basis of Web 2.0 is becoming more clear. It's not just a set of rules, rather a set of universally accepted guidelines which make the web a more social and user friendly place. Companies have had great success as well as huge failures trying to adopt to these guidelines. In the next few postings, I will try to give more detailed examples of this new paradigm shift and gear them towards online education and its applications.
Link to the O'Riley article : http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
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3 comments:
Amey-
Your posting was very interesting. I had never heard of the concept of Web 2.0, but it seems we have similar interests. I too am exploring social networking software, and particularly wikis and blogs. I found the O’reilly article on What is Web 2.0 incredibly interesting. I understand the point they are making about the turning point and the creation of different types of applications that survive the dot-com bubbles. I especially found the section on Google vs. Netscape to be a good example of the concept of Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0. One thing that really stood out to me is that web 1.0 software programs like content management systems and personal websites are being replaced with more user friendly formats that are easy to create and edit like blogs and wikis. I think this has great implications for education, because it means internet software is becoming easier for students and teachers to create and learn how to use. It is becoming a more user centered Internet and that is incredibly beneficial for educators who want to use the Internet in their classroom. I am looking forward to seeing how you apply this information to your discussion of technology and education and I looking forward to reading your blog over the next several weeks. Thank you for the new terminology and the link.
Megan Di Giovanni
Amey,
Thanks for summarizing this information for us. I looked at both the O’Reilly link and the wikipedia link and you have a great way of clarifying what would otherwise be difficult for me to understand. With the examples you used I can clearly see the difference in how the web “was” and what it is “becoming.” BTW – I will hang on tight – I hope I can keep up – you seem to have a broad understanding of web 2.0. I can’t wait to see what specialized applications to education you come up with.
Vickie D.
Amey,
Maybe it's because I've had the web at my fingertips since high school, but I definitely remember web 1.0, as it were, and see massive improvements from then to now. I don't go 12 hours without visiting Wikipedia. It's an AMAZING place for quick info where accuracy (and citation) is not vital. Maybe one day the students will understand me when I try to explain why I love Wikipedia for my own uses, but ban it as a source on papers.
Web 2.0 is becoming more user-friendly for everyone, which is great for working with n00bs, I mean students :-). Their level of experience does not get in the way of their success in using the materials, and it makes it amazingly accessible.
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