Tag Archives: YouTube

Just Doing It: Web 2.0 Tools in Learning

We live in a time where a world of information is literally available at our fingertips. While this can be quite convenient, it can also become overwhelming, especially for the uninitiated. With an infinite pool of resources, sites, and apps, it is up to us as educators to pick and choose those that can be understood by our target audience. Whether man, woman, child, or adult – we each interact and respond differently to different tools.

In the case of Flickr, we find inspiring pedagogical application by facilitating interactions that bridge cultural, geographic and language barriers. Through basic interactions, and the internet to act as a guide along the way, students are allowed to take control of their online learning experiences. While Flickr has certainly evolved since 2008, it may not prove to be as functional for a more seasoned group of learners.

I find properties like Flickr to be great for entry level and specialized applications, or to be used as enhancing artifacts. While creative works may possess life outside of the network in which they were created, through blogs and social sharing, the Flickr community appears to be somewhat restricted in its versatility. It provides structure and rules that limit the extent and the means by which one may travel with their learning, forcing the adoption of additional tools in order to facilitate expansion.

The British philosopher Alan Watts once said, “Omnipotence is not knowing how everything is done; it’s just doing it.”

This quote, though certainly not intended, encapsulates the use of Web 2.0 technologies in education. You can use WordPress to set up a blog in minutes, LinkedIn can make you look like a professional overnight, and YouTube can turn your crude cell phone video into the next web sensation. These tools represent a fundamental shift in accessibility, that is granting everybody the ability to “just do it”.

Much like the medieval Latin translation of the Christian Bible could only be understood by yesterday’s elite, who were not only literate, but fluent in Latin (an upper class language at that time); digital learners were not always afforded the same opportunities, due to expensive software or insufficient knowledge. Programs like Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Microsoft Office are slowly being replaced by free, entry-level, web-based solutions that enhance the capacity of learners to succeed in ways that specifically relate to them. These have the potential to raise quality of work, without needing to learn from scratch how the processes work.

Whether you love them or hate them, Google has been shaking things up by redefining the concept of integration and building properties that seamlessly interact with one another. Attempting to bridge the gap between individual and social dynamics, it is clear to see how utilizing their top properties could help one move toward self-directed learning.

If we look at the following chart, we see nine tool categories that Google is part of, more than any other single entity (Blogger, Google+ and Play were added). Albeit, the image was from 2010 and some of those properties have since been discontinued (Buzz and Wave), however we find that several elements have been extracted and reintroduced in newer platforms (even if only by name): Video Calls are now Hangouts, Docs are now Drive, and Buzz is now Google+.

google properties

What I find most interesting is Google’s latest foray into the social realm. Though Google+ is lauded as a failure when compared to Facebook, I do not believe that was the intended goal. However, the ability to use this as a legitimate tool in education should not be ignored, as it ties together all of their satellite properties, and brings personal identity into the equation. This has been met with mixed feelings, as people were forced to change YouTube channel names, and profile pictures are now attached to every outgoing email, however there are some advantages to utilizing Google’s connected product suite.

Such benefits include one unified login and static identity for all properties. There is a certain sense of accountability that comes from this, and it also aids in building more transparent and lasting relationships within social circles. Going back to Flickr, I cannot help but wonder if any of those kids kept up with their accounts, or if there are scores of Bubblr enhanced photos floating around in cyberspace? Not that it necessarily matters, as tools can be outgrown, however Google may have the unique ability to grow with the learner.

With new developments, and a creative community generating volumes of knowledge every hour of every day, there appears to be no limit to what can be done. For example, I know nothing about cars, so when something goes wrong with mine, I turn to Google. In this case, only certain fan settings on my vehicle would work, and after a couple searches I discovered that I needed to replace a blower motor resistor. Not only did I find the part, but also a user-generated YouTube video (for the same make, model, and year), with step-by-step instructions on how to replace the part.

During this entire process, never would I have thought that my searches would lead me to that exact solution, however it tells me that I was not the first to have this problem. Reading the comments, and understanding the challenges that others have faced, provided additional context, actually adding to the relevance of the video.

At the end of the day, I’ll admit that I don’t know what the blower motor resistor actually does, other than blow cool air on settings 1-5, but in the end – does it really matter? Ultimately, Web 2.0 tools should help us get past the things that hold us back, allowing us to take control of our learning by connecting with those who share the same passions.