web 2.0 international experiences

SHOWCASE: Using Web 2.0 Applications to Engage Students in International Experiences


In an attempt to increase students’ information and communication technology (ICT) skills, as well as promote collaboration across cultures, a collaborative wiki development project was implemented. As part of an introductory technology course, students (n=244) worked collaboratively with their classmates as well as with individuals from various countries to create a shared wikibook that explored Web 2.0 technologies. We report on the efficacy of using this approach to engage students in international collaborations, including the impact on students’ motivation and confidence, as well as changes in their perceptions of cultural and technological competency.
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PROJECT SUMMARYA Web 2.0 project was created to promote information and communication technologies (ICT) literacy as well as student collaboration within a globalized era. Students worked collaboratively with peers within the course as well as with individuals from various countries to explore Web 2.0 technologies. Web 2.0 is described as “a more socially connected Web in which people can contribute as much as they can consume”(Anderson, 2007, p. 4). Rowbotham (2008) noted that universities have begun using Web 2.0 applications to reach out to and engage today’s students. More specifically, Parker and Chao (2007) noted that wikis are particularly well suited for collaborative learning, as they encourage reflective thinking in a social environment. This project aimed to determine the efficacy of using a shared wiki to engage students in international collaborations, specifically related to new and emerging Web 2.0 technologies. We aimed to determine the impact of this approach on student motivation and confidence, as well as changes in their cultural and technological competencies.BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCEPATHWAYS TO GLOBAL EDUCATIONWe live in a world characterized by globalization, emerging new technologies, and a knowledge-based economy. Together, these characteristics impact every aspect of our society including education, communication channels, legal systems, and socio-cultural trends (Christensen, 1997, Finholt & Olson, 1997; Olson & Olson, 2000; Teasley & Wolinsky, 2001). Without a doubt, the success of our future graduates depends on their abilities to be both culturally and technologically competent as they work and interact with diverse, geographically dispersed people, using a variety of technology tools. As early as 1969, educators have suggested that pre-service teachers should engage in cross-cultural experiences to enrich and expand their understandings of “a culture different from the one in which they were born and raised” (Taylor, p. ix). More recently, Causey, Thomas, and Armento (2000) recommended “extensive field experiences in diverse settings” to enhance greater cultural awareness (p. 43). Similarly, a number of professional organizations (e.g., Association of State Colleges and Universities, 2008; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2008) have stressed the importance of producing globally competent teachers (Maleski & Phillion, 2009).PATHWAYS TO INFORMATION LITERACYAs noted earlier, to be productive citizens in a global, knowledge-driven society, students must be both culturally and information literate (Herman, 2000). Individuals who are information literate know how to analyze data from a variety of formats, and then synthesize it into something manageable and useful. They also are capable of using technology to create and communicate new ideas – skills employers are demanding of the 21st century workforce (Eisenberg, Lowe, & Spitzer, 2004).Current research indicates that students are entering higher education lacking basic ICT skills and, because these skills are not being taught or reinforced in the classroom, they are also entering the workforce with a deficit of critical ICT abilities (Breivik, 1998, 2005). The Educational Testing Service (ETS, 2008) noted: “Today’s students are part of a technology-savvy generation, but they are often still at a loss when it comes to using their critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a digital environment; a skill set identified as Information and Communication Technology Literacy” (online). CONTEXT OF STUDYThis project was conducted at a large public Midwestern university consisting of approximately 30,000 undergraduate students with 1,000 declared as education majors. EDCI 270 (Introduction to Educational Technology and Computing) is a large required lecture course that helps pre-service teachers from six colleges learn to 1) use technology to develop instructional materials and 2) integrate technology tools within their future classrooms. For this project, students in the class (244 students; 67% female, primarily freshmen and sophomores) were divided into small teams (32 teams). Each team used an emerging Web 2.0 technology (social software) to collaboratively create a repository (interactive wiki book) of Web 2.0 technologies. Each team developed a wiki chapter about a specific Web 2.0 application that included information about the application itself, how it is used, and how it could be integrated within K-16 formal and informal educational environments (see http://wiki.itap.purdue.edu/display/INSITE/INSITE+Main). A major section of the EDCI 270 course is devoted to distance education, including the use of video conferencing and online discussions, to meet the needs of individuals who are outside of the normal classroom setting. These individuals are brought “into” the course via video conferencing and/or asynchronous electronic discussions. International Partners (IPs) were incorporated as team members who worked collaboratively with approximately half the teams to design and develop instructional materials and demonstrations for the various Web 2.0 applications. In this way, EDCI 270 students learned about the Web 2.0 applications, practiced using them, and perhaps even more importantly, learned to work collectively with other individuals in and outside the class, including those from universities around the world. Individuals then evaluated the experience and reflected upon what they gained through the collaboration. Local educators and stake holders were invited to an end-of-semester showcase to highlight the projects and the end products created by the teams.INITIAL FINDINGSBased on students’ final course reflections, there was a positive indication that they had achieved specific ICT literacy goals. 51% of students commented that they met the NETS/ISTE standard to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. 39% of students believed that they could now facilitate and inspire students learning and creativity. Our initial findings showed that this method was quite enlightening for the students in meeting these goals:“This updated technology can be so easily incorporated into the classroom, which I was highly unaware of before I began the project.” - Teacher Tube team memberIn addition to the interactivity of peers within the course, many students had the opportunity to work with students from either Korea or Turkey. Many students in the pilot study found this to be motivating. 37% of students who did not have international partners and 59% of students who did have international partners believed they have a greater realization of an international perspective. They found that the differences in educational experiences were not as different as they had originally thought:“It helped out a lot and it kind of opened our eyes to make us see that people half way across the world are in the same boat that we are, doing, doing the same things.”- Google Docs team member, worked with Turkish students THANK YOUThis project would not be nearly as successful if it weren’t for our partners within the university; Director and Staff of the Instructional Media and Emerging Technologies unit of Information Technologies at Purdue Nor our international partners;Glen Coulthard, Professor, Faculty of Business, Okanagan Collegem British Columbia, CanadaM. Yasar Ozden, Professor and Department Head, Computer Education and Instructional Technologies, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, TurkeySung Hee Park, Instructor, Ewah Woman’s University, Seoul, KoreaFundingLess than $100,000ReferencesAnderson, P. (2007). What is Web 2.0? 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