Exploratory learning using social software

2010

Since the new generation of Internet technology, called Web 2.0, has been introduced, a change of how users are dealing with the World Wide Web has been get into going. If access to the web is available, today nearly anyone can actively participate and communicate online. Of course this recent evolution of the web influences also the field of education. Former e-learning was mainly characterized by the use of content offered within learning management systems. Nowadays so called "Social Software" enables new possibilities and didactical approaches. In this paper we give a short overview of how Social Software can support cooperative learning and how new technologies can enhance higher education in a meaningful new way. After a short introduction to the basics of cooperative learning different social software applications are classified and described. Practical examples are presented to show the general usage. In the end we conclude that these technologies have great impact on teaching and learning, as it will help to enhance education at universities.

Journal of Integrated Arts Education, 2025

This article presents the main objectives of an analytical study on the complementary integration of arts education and new technologies to strengthen activities aimed at developing the skills and creative demands of inclusive students. Despite efforts to foster open dialogue and the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and ideas among students and their diverse communities, significant gaps persist in educational integration and in formal processes for developing new media arts initiatives in the development of digital literacy. To this end, the alternative interdisciplinary methodology strengthens the teaching model to facilitate the development of skills and attitudes through problem-solving in artistic creativity for students, supported by digital resources in the teaching and learning processes of the complementary subject. Of course, methodological restructuring is carried out through the connection with cooperative learning for the most vulnerable students and excluded schools to ensure equitable access and technological training. Proposal for innovative teaching for media arts and social inclusion in a globalized society characterized by constant innovation and diversification in educational technology. Some key points to improve the teaching-learning process, depending on the concept of the didactic proposal through pedagogical development within the inclusive school. Finally, by integrating new media art into the virtual classroom, arts education is redefined, allowing students not only to acquire technological skills but also to explore and express their creativity in meaningful ways, contributing to the construction of a more just and equitable society.

2007

This paper reports early findings of an ongoing study to determine the use and impact of social educational software at undergraduate level. It summarizes the theoretical background to the educational use of social software and suggests directions for future research. The primary aim of the study was to capture and describe the extent and patterns of use of educational software and Web 2.0 technologies among first year undergraduate technology students taking the Web Development module. Results indicate [1] great variations in the ways in which students engage with both social and content-centred educational software environments; and [2] similarities in the ways of using social software within and outside the educational context.

Collaborative Methods and Human Interaction, 2010

The main agents of change in the present era can be posited as globalization and the diffusion and uptake of technologies that have given rise to a knowledge-based, networked society. The latest evolution of the Internet, Web 2.0, is resulting in significant transformations in terms of how we live, work, and communicate. In the higher education arena, the drive towards self-organizing communities and collaboration through social networking applications has triggered widespread debate on the purpose of education, with a growing emphasis on the need not only to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and information, but also to cultivate in students the skills and digital literacies necessary to engage with social and technological change. In this chapter, the authors discuss the affordances of Web 2.0 and social software tools, and provide examples of current conceptualizations and metaphors of learning that leverage these affordances to support learner choice, autonomy, and agency in the creation of ideas and knowledge artifacts. An innovative learning paradigm is proposed that the authors call Pedagogy 2.0, based on the key elements of personalization, participation, and productivity. Finally, the authors argue for a more holistic and evidence-based approach to research and evaluation of Web 2.0-based learning programs and initiatives that supports the development and sharing of best practices across academic disciplines, institutions, and countries.