Web 2.0 applications feature the ability to share information in a participatory way. They allow creators and users to connect anywhere and anytime in an asynchronous manner which allows users to view information, leave feedback and interact with each other. Web 2.0 users are offered connectivity and mobility as well as a platform to interact and collaborate with each other in a virtual community.
From an educational perspective this can be amazing. It is a student centered environment which offers more than the information retrieval of a web site and is certainly more exciting that a lecture based traditional classroom. As teachers we can engage students in ways that are more meaningful to them as they can participate at a global level. The potential for increased participation and feedback is greatly increased.
This type of learning is evolving however and this shift in learning provides us with greater opportunities as well as challenges. This is where the increasing common concept of “affordances” comes into play. The affordance of a Web 2.0 application is basically its usefulness. Though a Web 2.0 tool may offer a great deal of functionality that does not guarantee that learning will take place. As stated in the article “the specific design and functionality of a particular tool does not define its pedagogical usefulness”.
In this article the authors, Burden and Atkinson, discussed the affordances of the Web 2.0 application Voice Thread. They discuss the key features of Voice Thread and listed the affordances of each feature. This isolated the activities or practices that each function of Voice Thread enabled the user to perform. One example was the ability to post comments related to the artifact or information. These comments can be left in the form of a written response, an audio or a video comment. The affordance was that learners and instructors can provide feedback about the media, for example a video that is attached to specific aspects or points in the presentation. In addition the instructor can provide feedback on the work prior to the formal assessment, allowing the creator to modify or perfect the artifact. Though Voice Thread offers a lot of features, the pedagogical affordances will only be seem when used for specific learning situations.
It is clear that Web 2.0 applications like Voice Thread offer us great flexibility and the ability to collaborate and connect with students in a way that encourages the development of new literacies. Like any other new and evolving educational tool, we have to plan our work, be creative and design meaningful and authentic learning experiences.
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