A Shift in Education

With the rapid grown of social computing and web 2.0 applications (blogs, podcasts, wikis, social networking, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook), many experts believe we will see a huge shift in the field of education. When you take a look at the initial impact of the Internet in education during it’s first ten years of existence, online learning served as a venue for the more traditional instructor led experience through assigned reading and assignments, where students received information as in a more passive manner. With the development of Web 2.0, the Internet has shifted from a one-way medium to a two-way medium. Students are no longer passive learners, but actively participate as they construct their knowledge in a collaborative educational environment. This is made possible through discussion forums, social networking, wikis, and online collaborative environments. With this culture of participation, students are able to create and share their work. Peers are able to respond other student’s ideas and work. Many students feel more empowered in this type of learning environment because they feel a strong sense of ownership in a more participative learning environment. With that said, there is a huge trend in higher education with students participating in on-line learning. More are more institutions are offering courses through online education. Furthermore, online degrees will be a huge trend on the future, where students can attain undergraduate and graduate degrees through online education.