Tell me why! – facilitating adoption and usage of web 2.0 tools in academia
Posted by coniecto on 12. August 2009
Author: Gabriela Avram, University of Limerick
Abstract: The position paper describes aspects of the author’s own experience with Web 2.0 tools in research and academia, and raises a number of questions for discussion.
The fact that Web2.0/social media tools can be employed to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, to collaborate and expose themselves to criticism is, in our view, extremely important for a paradigm shift in education.
But tools by themselves cannot do that – and that is way educators have to act as technology facilitators, encouraging and stimulating adoption.
From our experience, enforcing the use of Web 2.0 tools in the teaching process is not the way to go about. The assignments have to be interesting enough, and requiring an adequate level of interaction for students to motivate them use the Web 2.0 tools.
The effect of their introduction can be encouraging self development, accountability, independence and self-determination, but the use of the tools does not automatically lead to it.
Academia 2.0 Gabriela Avram Tell me why
