Web 2.0: Implications of Global Education - Essay Example

Web 2.0; implications of global education Brandon J Biagas of Maryland College 26 July, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela I agree with Mr. Mandela, and personally believe that the world would be a much better place if everybody received a great education. Try to introduce the quote better. You might give some background to Nelson Mandela and what he thinks of education. Education is the propagation of knowledge, and that is becoming easier and easier with the use of the internet, specifically “Web 2.0” applications: social software designed to make sharing information easier. If you’ve ever looked up an article in an online wiki, watched a YouTube video with intent to learn something, or read news from an RSS feed, you have already experienced the phenomena known as ‘Web 2.0’. Web 2.0 is not a physical thing, but an idea, or a framework of websites and associated software that allows individuals to communicate in a forum that’s getting cheaper and easier to use by the day. Web 2.0 includes social networks, Media sharing sites, RSS feeds, Wikis, and Bookmarking sites, blogs, and Podcasts. Web 2.0 is a technology that is being tailored for use in the world of education, and its potential for enhancing learning is only beginning to be realized. If Web 2.0 Applications were utilized properly in college classrooms in both the developed and developing world, education would be improved many times over by giving users access to online resources and tools that make the acquisition of information easy and engaging. The thesis needs to be shorter and concise. It should also refer to specific examples rather than talking generally. Overall, the introduction is very good with a clear explanation of what Web 2.0 is and the types of technology that the paper will be discussing. The various Web 2.0 software and technologies afford users different advantages when perusing knowledge online. This topic sentence is not related to this thesis sentence at all. Try and focus on one area and draw it back to the thesis to provide support. Instead of saying different advantages, try and list what they are. Then you can go into further detail later on in the paragraph. The dawn of Web 2.0 brought us Social networks like myspace, facebook, and linkedin. These should all be capitalized. They became wildly popular seemingly overnight, and their potential for mass communication is extraordinary. Most social networking sites allow user to create profiles, display personal data, and connect with friends or colleagues. Social networking sites allow people to build personal, professional, and educational networks. RSS (Rich Site summary) feeds boil lots of content down to a small, aggregated packet that users can tailor to their specific information needs. Wikis are a forum where any user can add to and edit content, making collaborative information, and this knowledge sharing, a simple task online (Boulos et al., 2006). Bookmarking sites like delicious.com and Furl allow users to identify websites that are relevant to a particular interest, making the search for specific kinds of information much easier (Boulos & Wheeler, 2007). Blogs are a great tool for communication and education, giving the people the ability to share knowledge, information, and ideas over the web to any number of online subscribers. Podcasts are audio or video files available for download that can cover a wide range of educational topics, and can easily be watched or listened to multiple times, allowing users time to absorb material. All of these examples of social networking were already included in the introduction. Instead, they should have been summarized and included in the thesis sentence. Then you could have opened with a topic sentence linking to the thesis and then explain each form in detail, as you have already done here. Also, try to use better transitions when changing between different social media forms. Just beginning the sentence with the form of social media does not make for a good essay. An essay is supposed to flow from one idea to another rather than containing a number of subjects that are separate from the other. Media sharing sites like YouTube also became popular, with user-generated content being posted online for all to see and comment on. Once again, this topic sentence does not relate back to the thesis sentence. Maybe this paragraph should have continued on from the previous one rather than starting a whole new paragraph. The idea is roughly the same, so it could have been included when talking about different forms of social media. Users can create or view educational video or audio files on demand. There is a larger potential for education in media sharing sites, and that potential is being realized by teachers the world over. Teacher and professors are utilizing media sharing sites in assignments that require a student to study audio or visual content online, and then write about it for class. The writing could be on an online discussion board, where they can engage other members of the class on the subject (Sherer & Shea, 2011). Students can also be tasked with finding relevant videos online, and writing their thoughts on it in a blog. They could also create a video as part of a course requirement, utilizing their computer and data collection skills, compiling visual and audio into a coherent package, this contributing to the body of online knowledge. This type of usage of Web 2.0 sites has been tried and tested, and teachers and students agree that it’s helping. When the Human Anatomy Education Channel was started on YouTube, 86% of students in a particular med school class had been to the channel, and 92% of those students reported that the channel helped them learn anatomy (Jaffar, A., 2012). In fact, there are many YouTube partners that have created channels that are dedicated to education, all listed in YouTube EDU; these channels include full videos of course lectures (over 200) being taught at reputable schools like UC Berkley, among others (Sherer & Shea, 2011). But it’s not just YouTube channels that are being created to enhance education, other websites have surface with the specific goal of hosting educational videos online. Academic Earth and MIT Open Courseware are websites dedicated to hosting free educational content with growing libraries (Sherer & Shea, 2011). This paragraph contains much better transitions from sentence to sentence. Also, the explanations of the quotes are well detailed with some good buildup before mentioning the quotes. New technologies aren’t without their drawbacks, and Web 2.0 does have a few. Although this topic sentence does not relate to the thesis sentence, it could be, perhaps, thought of as a rebuttal paragraph, which is okay for this purpose. For instance, Blogging and Bookmarking sites allow users to compile data from multiple sources and display it for others to read, and this brings up questions of Technical and information literacy. Being able to navigate a web space that is increasingly being edited and updated requires current technical skills (Asselin & Moayeri, 2011). Often, the final product of Web 2.0 collaboration ends up being the aggregated thoughts and opinions of many, and that raises many issues as well. “Teachers of critical literacy encourage their students to deconstruct the text by understanding the foundation and conflicts that lie beneath the surface content and the relationship that the text holds with the other text(s). They Encourage readers to examine issues of class, gender, race, culture and hegemony in the aim to advance democracy” (Asselin & Moayeri, 2011). This quote is very long and takes away from the point that you were referring to previously. Try to shorten it by paraphrasing some parts that are not vitally important. Also, try and provide some buildup to quote before including it in the paper. This kind of critical thinking toward scholarly works is hardly new, however, its application towards aggregated streams that change and flow as many people simultaneously edit it needs to be addressed. Once again, this paragraph is a big improvement of the first body paragraph, but perhaps some of the ideas could have been compressed to fit in more information. You migh also include some of your own thoughts about the issue rather than using long quotes and/or transition sentences. Another monkey wrench in the Web 2.0 gears is Culture, and its impact on education. This topic sentence is not linked to the thesis sentence, and in fact, introduces a whole new idea that has not been mentioned before. The idea is sound though, so you might mention about the impact of culture on education further up in the introduction. Web 2.0 is largely a western concept, with tools and interfaces developed by westerners for westerners. But other people don’t necessarily think, or more importantly, learn like westerners. Unfortunately, the unilateral development of Web 2.0 software may be keeping large demographics from utilizing the internet as a learning tool. Geert Hofstede thought up the “Cultural Dimensions Theory”, which essentially categorizes people into groups using a power distance index and individualistic/collectivist model. You might need to reference this because it refers to a theory, which I am sure that you did not come up with yourself. High power distant cultures expect and respect a difference in socio-economic rank, while low power distant cultures see one another as peers, and think democratically. Individualistic societies tend to value the achievements of individuals, while collectivists behave more like a homogeneous unit (Hofstede, 1980). Another way to look at it is oral tradition cultures vs. written tradition cultures. Written tradition cultures tend to be more individualistic, and are more receptive to social software, while oral tradition cultures are more collectivist, favoring close interpersonal relationships. Collectivist students in “unstructured learning environments” find themselves at a loss (Olaniran, 2009). “…Power distant cultures, such as most African and Asian cultures, subscribe to learning approaches that differ from the social constructivist ideology of giving control to learners. On the contrary, learners in these cultures expect teachers to set the tone, and determine the direction for how students learn “(Olaniran, 2009). This statement indicates a stark contrast with the student-led learning concept being promoted by Web 2.0. Whether one agrees or disagrees with these arbitrary definitions placed on entire societies, there is no doubt that different cultures value different things, and communicate differently. Therefore people learn differently. The implications of this are large, because our methods of using Interactive software to enhance learning may not be adopted into curriculum with the enthusiasm observed in the West. I don’t believe all of the benefits of Web 2.0 aren’t lost in this case. “Instructors and teachers… would have to take the lead in facilitating necessary changes, or appropriate shifts in modalities within collectivistic and power distant cultures” (Olaniran, 2009). The technology isn’t completely useless in these cultural contexts, they just need to be rethought and the interfaces tailored to fulfill a different pedagogical perspective. This is probably the best paragraph so far because it uses a theory, using several quotes to back it up, and then offers some personal opinion. Perhaps, you could have included this paragraph earlier because it provides a foundation for Web 2.0. Web 2.0’s potential is vast. This topic sentence is very similar to that of the first body paragraph, so maybe it could have been included there instead. It seems strange to only mention towards the end of the paper that Web 2.0’s potential is vast. This is one of the key advantages to it, so the idea should have been one of those firstly mentioned in the paper. To be able to watch an entire MIT course on the internet, as well as have full access to the notes and exams, is an incredible learning opportunity. And all you need is a computer and an internet connection. Well, you have to be able to afford a computer and an internet connection, and your country’s infrastructure needs to be able to support the technology. Buildings, electricity, computers, technically savvy teachers and students are necessary for internet access. “[The] lack of infrastructure in telecommunications continues to define the online learning experience of different groups of learners in developing countries” (Gulati, 2008). Lack of Infrastructure and availability to the poor are recurring themes in the literature that looks critically at technology access in the developing world; the place where education would arguably make the biggest impact. The use of only one quote is just about right for this paragraph. There is a lot of buildup to the quote that provides a background for those who are less familiar with the topic. Also, the paragraph ends with a statement that further expands on the quote used. The problem boils down to money and politics. This is not a topic sentence; it is a statement of opinion. This unfortunately takes away from all the good work done above because it is not linked to the thesis and does not provide support to the rest of the paper. In terms of socio-economic systems, the widening gap between the rich and the poor with regards to living standards, also applies to educational opportunities (Gulati, 2008). So as yearly income goes down, the ability to access the internet goes with it. The other issue is politics: “For Countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and countries in sub-Saharan Africa, political instability makes it even more difficult to have policies that address the education gaps between the rich and poor” (Gulati,2008). When Governments don’t have the resources or the desire to make education a priority, trying to make improvements in the system is an uphill battle. These obstacles aren’t easily overcome, but with time, technology will become cheaper and more accessible. If the political situation can improve, perhaps preparation can meet opportunity, and education reform can take off in these areas. This paragraph seemed a little out of place, although it did make some good points. Maybe you could have used it as part of the conclusion because it very nicely wraps up the ideas previously mentioned, and offers a solution, something which should be part of the conclusion. All in all, Web 2.0 has the potential to give everybody with an internet connection equal access to the worlds growing body of knowledge, but there are considerations that need to be made. The first part of this sentence is very good because it is similar to the thesis statement, but the second part introduces an idea that has not previously been mentioned. The conclusion should be used to summarize and reinforce points already made in the paper; not introduce new ideas. People need to stay ahead of the technology with respect to copyright and plagiarism laws. Problems with money need to be sorted out, but money has always been a confounding factor in giving people the latest and greatest. As technology gets cheaper, computers and computer infrastructure will become more accessible to the developing world, allowing greater access to the internet. Political issues are also problematic, but as people (using the internet) communicate their desires more and more freely and openly, the political tensions in many countries are likely to be eased. Culture is also an issue, and experts need to be brought in to rethink the current framework, and figure out how to apply the technologies in a different cultural context. No doubt these are tough issues, but nothing worthwhile comes easy. These bumps in the road are on the path to educating a larger and larger number of people, and we should work to make education a reality for those who need it, which is everybody. Overall, this was a very informative paper with plenty of good points made. The structure was not always solid and veered away from the subject at times, but on the whole all the paragraphs were connected. The one thing that you could work on is obviously your topic sentences for your body paragraphs; try and shorten some paragraphs so that you can join some up and reduce the overall length of the paper. The thesis also needs to refer to something specific rather than a general topic. References Abedin, B. (2011, November). Web 2.0 and online learning and teaching: A preliminary benchmarking study. Asian Social Science, 7(11), 5-12. doi: 10.5539/ass.v7n11p5 Asselin, M. & Moayeri, M. (2011). The participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Australian Journal of Language & Literacy., 34 (2) 45-45. www.alea.edu.au/resources/AJLL Bloom, K., & Johnston, K. (2010). Digging into YouTube videos: Using media literacy and participatory culture to promote cross-cultural understanding. Journal Of Media Literacy Education, 2(2), 113-123. Retrieved Jul 9, 2012, from http://jmle.org/index.php/JMLE/article/viewFile/86/66 Boulos M. N. K., Maramba I., and Wheeler, S (2006). Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education. BMC Medical Education, 6(41). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-6-41 Boulos M. N. K., and Wheeler S (2007). The emerging Web 2.0 social software: an enabling suite of sociable technologies in health and health care education. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 24, 2-23 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2007.00701.x Coutinho, C. & Mota, P. (2011). Web 2.0 Technologies in music education in Portugal: Using podcasts for learning. Computers in the Schools 28 (1), 56-74. doi: 10.1080/07380569.2011.552043 Gulati, S. (2008). Technology-enhanced learning in developing nations: A review. International review of research in open and distance learning 9(1), 1-16. Retrieved Jul 16, 2012, from: http://www.eric.ed.gov Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures consequences. Beverly Hills, CA Sage publications. Jaffar, A. (2012, May-June). YouTube: An emerging tool in anatomy education. Anatomical Sciences Education, 5 (3), 158-174. doi: 10.1002/ase.1268 Olaniran, B. (2009, December). Culture, learning styles, and Web 2.0. Interactive Learning Environments 17 (4), 261-271. doi: 10.1080/10494820903195124 Sherer, P. & Shea, T. (2011). Using online video to support student learning and engagement. College Teaching. 59 (2), 56-59. doi: 10.1080/87567555.2010.511313 Read More