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Assignment Description and Instructions (Total: 50 points)

Reflection is perceived by educators as meaningful and vital to the growth and development of learners. The integration of technology in reflection inspires students to engage in meaningful, in-depth reflection and provides students with options to creatively display final work. Despite these benefits, users have conflicting thoughts on the effectiveness of web 2.0 tools in promoting reflective-reflexive practices in the online environment and as a result question are raised, such as; can web 2.0 tools be used to inspire and promote reflective practices in the online environment? How? What are the benefits and challenges of using web 2.0 tools to support reflective activities? Which web 2.0 tools are most supportive of reflective practices in the online environment?

Guidelines

Initial response should address the following:

Response to any one of the questions highlighted above; research, reflect and collaboratively share views on it.

Create and work in groups of three (3) to brainstorm and share ideas to complete this assignment.

Each member of the group is expected to independently write and share their post after collaborative brainstorming sessions.

Final piece should be shared using different media formats (video and audio should not be more than 7 minutes long, if Infographs are used; the script must be shared with peers).

Each learner should have a total of four (4) posts each.

Responding to questions, ensure your post have the following:

Introduction, main points, conclusion.

Posts should be supported by scholarly articles and provide clarity to viewers.

The word limit for original post should be within 500 – 750 words.

Responding to peers:

Comment on at least two posts made by members of other groups (Do not comment on your group members’ post).

Posts should be in support for or against the initial information shared.

Each comment should be supported by relevant scholarly articles.

Final posting should raise awareness on the effectiveness of using digital tools to support reflective-reflexive practices in the online environment.

Posts should not contain more than 350 words each.

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Group session for Discussion Activity

Individual pieces will include the following;

Working explanation for Web 2.0 tools

Benefits and challenges of Web 2.0 tools on reflective activities

Highlight the ways Web 2.0 tools can promote and support students’ learning.

Additional information

Do not exceed the word limit.

The first post is more informational and to the point.

Everyone will comment on a separate group posts. Then support the points of each other.

Everyone will post their individual piece on the same day.

Alisha will post using video, Carmen will post using images and Tracey will post using Infograph.

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Initial Post

Turky (2015) described Web 2.0 as second generation of the web, in order words, a collection of technologies that can be used to promote and supports active learning and reflection. Reflection can be described as learning through experiences and the tools that can be used to support reflection are blogs, journals, wikis, EPortfolios, audio podcasting, video podcasting, social networks, multimedia tools and more. The use of Web 2.0 tools to promote reflection will keep learners actively engaged in their learning and reflecting. Learners can participate in deep reflection and reflective activities by collaborating and interacting with peers and educators. Reflection using web 2.0 tools are beneficial to learning as learners develop different skills and with the right supportive environment can become long-term successful reflective practitioners both personally and professionally. Web 2.0 tools are faced with challenges that can be modified to successfully support reflection. As reflective practitioner or aspiring reflective practitioner, learners should explore the features of the different Web 2.0 tools to identify the tools that is most effective and easier to manipulate to ensure that work presented are inspiring and meaningful and this is possible with research, reflection and understanding of learning areas.

Web 2.0 tools are updated versions of digital applications developed to enhance learners learning. Although the tools are beneficial to learning, educators unfamiliar with the tools will experience challenges incorporating the tools into their planning and may exclude technology altogether. However, with the evolution of learning and generation of learners, technology tools should be included in lesson planning and delivery. Students should be exposed to the correct usage of Web 2.0 tools and this is possible if these tools are part of the education system. Students are regularly using digital tools to interact, share and receive information, thus these tools should be used to capture and maintain students’ interest in learning. There are many benefits associated with using Web 2.0 tools to promote reflection. Students can engage in more online collaboration, more content sharing and interaction (Turky, 2015. p.2). Web 2.0 tools provide learners with opportunities to be more creative, navigate platforms successfully and unlimited access to more learning applications. Web 2.0 tools are more personalized and meet the learning needs and styles of learners. Importantly, Web 2.0 tools can be used to promote and support reflective thinking. Web 2.0 tools provide users with different strategies they can used to organize their thinking, display their work and research new information for further understanding and clarity (Turky 2015, p.3). Web 2.0 tools encourage users to engage in reflective practices that are vital in the learning process as it evaluate learning processes, allowing them to be in charge of their own learning (p.3).  Web 2.0 tools are beneficial to reflective activities, allow students to display work, document the process and final phase of work. Although the benefits are numerous, there are challenges associated with using Web 2.0 tools to promote reflection, such as time constraints placed on students to complete activities, slow and outdated computers as well as loading of web pages (cheung, 2015). These challenges, though minor in words, can hinder the success of using Web 2.0 tools to complete reflective activities.

Reflective activities are essential to the learning growth and development of students and contribute to students’ future accomplishments, personally and professionally. Coupling these activities with digital technology develop and enhance students’ computing, reflecting and critical thinking skills. Digital technology, specifically Web 2.0 tools provide learners with access to resources that can be used to enhance the creation and presentation of their reflections, connect students so that collaborating and peer-to-peer sharing can occur thereby aiding in students’ understanding and knowledge acquisition. Web 2.0 tools, explained by Cheung (2010), are beneficial to reflection as they encourage the development of reflective activities in an environment that is easily navigated, accessible and support editing and sharing of work for objective feedback from peers and tutors prior to final submission of work. Web 2.0 tools empower students unmotivated to successfully partake in reflective activities as learners can share their work using different media formats. Cheung posits that Web 2.0 tools in reflection personalized learning making it possible for students to actively build on their reflecting skills, knowledge and interest as the tools are familiar and accessible. Web 2.0 encourages the active participation in reflective activities and inspires deep reflection by supporting communication between learners, allowing them to question and share on conflicting facts and build knowledge and understanding of concepts.

References

Cheung, C. (2010). Web 2.0: challenges and opportunities for media education and beyonf, e-Learning and Digital Media 7(4) 328-337. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/elea.2010.7.4.328 Retrieved from, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2304/elea.2010.7.4.328

Turky, M., A. (2019). Promoting Reflective Thinking Skills by Using Web 2.0 Application, Department of Teaching Methods and Curriculum, Faculty of Education, 1-9. Doi: https://10.2139/ssrn.2758239 Retrieved from, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291339536_Promoting_Reflective_Thinking_Skills_by_Using_Web_20_Application/link/5d45de6992851cd0469fa34c/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19

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Discussion Activity   The Benefits and Challenges of Web 2 0 tools in Reflective Practices.