Web 2.0 Extends Learning Environment

Some of the most powerful elements of the Web 2.0 transformation of static web pages to interactive pages are the ease of the creation of content and the ease of distribution. Tools like wikis, blogs and video postings expand the reach of knowledge and information well beyond the 4 walls of the classroom into the offices of employees and customers.

A simple idea can be multiplied and expanded upon with little additional effort.

Over at Kapp Notes, I created an entry titled Kapp Notes: Tear Down The Walls: Web 2.0 Extends Class  about my experience with Web 2.0 tools to expand the reach of the classroom beyond the confines of the university's Learning Management System.

What Web 2.0 did for the class was to take content that would normally only be viewed by myself and fellow classmates of the students and expand the reach to literally thousands of people. In fact, comments on the blog influenced one of the course assignments. The class was shaped by the community of the blogosphere.

What a powerful concept for corporate information dissemination. I work with large organizations who do not always have a handle on information distribution...who knows what. Tools like wikis, blogs and YouTube make information distribution almost effortless.

Make yourself a promise that this fall, you will look into these Web 2.0 tools and expand your own knowledge of information distribution and community building.

Consider setting up a free wiki at:http://www.wikispaces.com/ or http://pbwiki.com/.

Consider setting up a blog at https://www.blogger.com/start or http://www.typepad.com/.

Consider creating a video and posting at http://www.youtube.com/ or if you are more academically inclined post something at http://teachertube.com/. 

Karl Kapp is the Assistant Director of Bloomsburg University’s Institute for Interactive Technologies and a professor of instructional technology. See his own blog, Kapp Notes for information on the convergence of learning and technology. He is the author of the book Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning.