Talking Point

The emergence of Web 2.0 morphed the web from a medium of information to an interactive platform of communication and read-write collaboration wherein content can be created, annotated, repurposed and shared. A kind of a communication network which apart from its technological finesse spawned plurality of participatory thoughts and practice in a social melting pot of the present.
Open source software, APIs, creative commons licensing, blogging, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasting, webinar, social networking are now subjects of common user experience. Folksonomy is a leading form, on the social web of collaborative tagging to categorise user generated content.
The Web 2.0 services are more responsive to users. The advancements have helped introduce newer forms of management tools that are set to influence the web application world, including the e-learning space, in a significant way.

The Web 2.0 is the new generation, user driven intelligent web, endowed with richer database and smarter applications.

Its implications are vivid and truly transformational.

The web is now more than a medium in being an open platform of connective experience. It has impacted our economic, social and work lives and ushered in new ways in conducting business across the industries.

It is important therefore that the Web 2.0 opportunities are understood also by the e-educators for the new acts of tomorrow.

E-learning 2.0: The amalgamation of new technology and web trends will shape the e-learnscape in a new paradigm set up. In the new age learning management, while there will still be a role for courseware being designed and delivered, there is an increasing likelihood of learning becoming an activity of creative practice, by which the content of learning is used and further authored rather than simply read. This approach will imply that learning content is progressively further co-created and distributed in a manner which is immersive and not tactile.

Let us look at few of the top of the chart trends, for further discussion. These trends fall within three broad areas of managing learning, relationships and information in new ways.

• Mind over matter: The e-learnscape under the influence of web 2.0 will undergo fundamental environmental changes than the cursory system patches and force all concerned in taking the roads less travelled so far. For example, the asset value of a learning curriculum will also be evaluated by the elements of ideas, creativity and innovations and not just by the content alone.
• The new tribe: The communities of practice tribe are going to take the centre stage in networking culture on the back of their shared interest. The upside of the phenomenon is not only the generation of more discussions but basis the common domain of interest/learning, paving the process of building a user generated repertoire of knowledge/resources. The prevalence of topic/subject specific blogging is already forming networked interactions between individuals/communities to take forward the trend of participatory practice to meaningful renditions.
• The tech spur: The script for the new web-world management will be replete with many tech applications. As common users get used to the new sophistications, savvier presentation, rich learning content/service experience, will be the expectation.The net grooming of the educators, facilities like help lines, podcasting, downloads, availability of the interactivity tools like wikis,  blogs,  webinars etc. will all be part of the common content package to ensure rich user experience.
• The world in our backyard: In the open source formats, the act of co-creation, harvesting of new ideas and innovations will happen without any physical domain barriers. It is a radical new way of looking at things outside the conventional boundaries, by tapping into a networked pool of talents and little known Einsteins from across the world through service syndications. A change in mind set will be key in letting the users alongside the developers marshal the new features/contents in a collaborative way. The practise will safeguard against obsolescence by being periodically fresh in short cycles and in keeping the wheel of improvement in a perpetual motion.
• Learning and living: With the web applications going beyond the level of single devise computer domain, learning is going to be delivery neutral. The learning activities can also be delivered under the formats of gaming, project simulation and even on mobile, hand-held devices or in combination. Changes are already evident in the education technology applications and progressively, rather than the physical format, the context of relationship and interactions between the audience and the educators is going to be of larger concern. The truism is, with computing facility achieving more and more ubiquity, the divide between learning and living is going to eventually fade away.

Given the deep implications, it is worth checking whether we are all ready today, to take the Web 2.0 odyssey. It’s time to act now. Let us be, active apprentice of the new web culture to face better the world of tomorrow.

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