Stepping over the edge: the implications of new technologies for education

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Abstract

This chapter considers the impact of web 2.0 technologies on education and in particular how these new technologies are changing learning and teaching practices. It will consider their fundamental characteristics and look at the implications for learners, teachers and institutions. It argues that the impact on practice can be both positive and negative and that as a consequence educational institutions need to develop new policies and strategies. It concludes with two approaches to making sense of and harness these new technologies. The first is an example of applying web 2.0 approaches to facilitating greater dialogue and sharing of learning and teaching ideas, through a social networking site for design. The second argues for greater use of metaphors and other forms of meaning making as a mechanism for understanding web 2.0 technologies in an educational context.