Abstracts
Web2.0 Will it Make the Difference
Tuesday 5 May 2009, 1330 – 1400
Presenter: Stephen Sheely
The University of Western Australia, WA
Presenter Biography
Not available at time of printing
Abstract
While there is much hype in technology circles about Web 2.0 the principles embodied by Web2.0 seem somewhat less revolutionary from an educational perspective. For many years now peer to peer sharing of knowledge (group work – McKeachie et al 1986, Topping 1996, Abercrombie 1980) peer evaluation (Boud et al 1999, Leach et al 2001) and a client side focus (student centred approaches Gibbs 1985) have been mainstays of pedagogical theory as applied to tertiary teaching and learning. That web technologies should now be manifesting similar principles is not particularly surprising. What is exciting about Web 2.0 technologies is they may bring with them opportunities for these sound pedagogical beliefs to permeate further into mainstream educational practice in universities.
The issue is that the theoretical power of educational principles such as peer learning and student centred activity has long been acknowledged but attempts to translate these theoretical constructs into practice are still widely perceived as “innovative”, “novel” or “experimental”. While practices informed by and based on these pedagogical theories are more widespread than they used to be they could still not be regarded as commonplace and many attempts to bring these ideas into the mainstream have foundered when they have come up against entrenched technologies or practices and the beliefs embedded in them. The question is - given the excitement around Web 2.0 technologies and the values they apparently share with a number of pedagogic theories can they provide the platform which will finally enable the leap from sound theory to widespread practice.
In this paper I will explore the historical and cultural reasons for the persistence of existing teaching practice and the impact this has had on perpetuating certain beliefs and ideologies. Examine the apparent failure of Web 1.0 technologies to make a lasting impact on existing practice or to create a space where current practice could be rethought or transformed.
Examine the apparent synergies between Web 2.0 principles and espoused pedagogy and explore possible ways to exploit these synergies to enable changes in teaching and learning practice which would diminish the gap between espoused theories and theory in practice.
Highlight some area where there are tensions between Web 2.0 principles and appropriate tertiary practice and attempt to balance these tensions by looking at ways to reimagine the role of the expert in tertiary teaching.
