To use or not to use web 2.0 in higher education?

Abstract

Web 2.0 has been, during the last years, one of the most fashionable words for a whole range of evolutions regarding the Internet. Although it was identified by the current analysts as the key technology for the next decade, the actors from the educational field do not really know what Web 2.0 means. Since the author started to explore and use Web 2.0 technologies in her own development/improvement, she has been intrigued by their potential and, especially, by the possibility of integrating them in education and in particular in the teaching activity. The purpose of this paper is both to promote scholarly inquiry about the need of a new type a pedagogy (Web 2.0 based) and the development / adoption of best practice in teaching and learning with web 2.0 in higher education (HE). The article main objectives are:. • to introduce theoretical aspects of using Web 2.0 technologies in higher education. • to present models of integrating Web 2.0 technologies in teaching, learning and assessment. • to identify the potential benefits of these technologies as well as to highlight some of the problematic issues / barriers encountered, surrounding the pedagogical use of Web 2.0 in higher education. • to propose an agenda for future research, and to develop pedagogy 2.0 scenarios for HE sector. © 2009.