Web 2.0 and e-learning

It is suggested that an area which can make education and lifelong learning more effective and efficient is e-learning. Unfortunately, there has been a tendency for many e-learning models just to imitate previous educational paradigms (Guntram, 2007). However, the growth of the open source movement and social networking, and use of new web-based tools and services among a new generation of students has questioned the previous models of e-learning. To highlight new developments in e-learning based on Web 2.0 and social networking the phrase "e-learning 2.0" was coined by Downes (2005) who believes that this new world of e-learning reflects very much the ideas of "a community of practice" suggested by Wenger (1998). In this model, students form networks according to their interests, they collaborate and learn together, they develop and share content using various tools and resources, and re-use and organise content according to their preferences and needs (Virkus, 2008).

Some Web 2.0 "tools" that are thought to be of interest for an e-learning 2.0 are:

• Social software for easy publishing and sharing of ideas, content and links. In particular blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, and content sharing web sites such as Flickr. Increasingly also collaborative authoring and other interactions in real time (examples include Writeboard, Writely, SynchroEdit).
• Collaborative filtering: discovery of the "most interesting" resources through filtering techniques, but also ongoing conversations, recommendations and cross-linking of resources in social networks.
• Open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) of web service applications (e.g. Google Maps API, Flickr API) for creative re-use (i.e. "mashups") of services and content.
• Many services based on RSS feeds as well as the personal libraries of end users with information about, and a link to, available thematically relevant content (which can also be podcats or videocasts).
• The content on Web 2.0 web sites which is often licensed as open content (e.g. Creative Commons) (Guntram, 2007, p. 24; Virkus, 2008).