V YGOTSKY AND W EB 2.0

W HO WAS V YGOTSKY ? Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist. He was interested in studying how we learn and develop our cognitive skills.

S OCIO - CULTURAL THEORY We learn to engage in higher order thinking (e.g. problem solving) through interactions we have with other people (social). Learning takes place within cultural settings and the process cannot be understood without taking culture into consideration (cultural).

Z ONE OF P ROXIMAL D EVELOPMENT What the learner can do independently What the learner is not ready to do ZPD: what the learner can do with the help of others

S CAFFOLDING Within the socio-cultural framework, a learner needs to scaffold (or support) when engaging in an activity/mental operation within the ZPD. An effective scaffold is aimed at making the learner independent.

C OLLABORATIVE L EARNING E NVIRONMENTS Group of peers who try to understand each other. Learning occurs interaction with others. Teacher facilitates the learning process and provides scaffolds whenever necessary.

Vygotsky in the Digital Age…

Q UESTION What are some of the technological tools that can assist in building collaborative learning environments? Please respond through chat

Q UESTION Have you used any of them as a student/teacher? Please respond on chat If yes, what was the experience like? Please use your microphone Let’s take turns!

W EB 2.0 Tim O’ Reilly coined the term; here is how he defines it…

D EFINITIONS Stephens (2006): “a place where everyone can add or edit information and where digital tools allow users to create.” Miller (2006): “is participative and presents the value of user generated content. It is about sharing and communication.”

E XAMPLES OF W EB 2.0 TOOLS Blogs (Blogger) Wikis (Wikipedia) Social networking sites (Facebook) Video/Audio sharing sites (YouTube) Folksonomies (social book marking)

Q UESTION What are the common characteristics of these tools? Please respond on chat

C HARACTERISTICS OF W EB 2.0 TOOL S User generated content The wisdom of crowds Sharing information Network effect Openness

W HY SHOULD W EB 2.0 TOOLS BE USED ? Learners of the current generations are already motivated and prepared to use them as a medium of communication. The user centered nature tools helps them understand the significance of transfer of knowledge. Has the potential to increase student engagement through participation. Future jobs may require competence in the use of Web 2.0.

Q UESTIONS What factors should be considered by a teacher when choosing a tool? What is the educator’s role in technology enhanced collaborative learning environments? Are there factors which could pose challenges to the use of web 2.0 tools in education? (I will create break out rooms, hang on! You will have five minutes to discuss)

C HALLENGES AND TENSIONS Using technology may take precedence over learning objectives. The objective of the prevailing educational system (acquisition) may be in conflict with Web 2.0 practices (participation). The education system has a individualistic and objectivistic view of knowledge, whereas, Web 2.0 practices adopt a dynamic participatory view of knowledge. Web 2.0 tools used to accomplish individualistic goals of learning

C HALLENGES IN PRACTICE … Role of collaboration in learning Criteria for evaluation Purpose of the material created by learners Teacher involvement

T HANKS ! Please respond to the course evaluation poll

I NFORMATION SOURCES Aharony, N. (2009). Web 2.0 use by librarians. Library and Information Science Research, 31 (1), Bhatt, K. [Kamla Bhatt]. (2007, May 21). Tim O'Reilly on What is Web 2.0?. [Video file]. Retrieved from Dohn, N. B. (2009). Web 2.0: Inherent tensions and evident challenges for education. International Journal of Computer-supported Collaborative Learning, 4 (3), Miller, P. (2006). Introducing the library 2.0 gang [Recorded telephone conference, Talking with Talis series]. Retrieved April 20, 2007, html html Stephens, M. (2006). Chapter 1: Exploring web 2.0 and libraries. Library Technology Reports, 42 (4), Woolfolk, A. (2013). Cognitive development. In Educational Psychology (pp ). Prentice Hall.