Unleashing web 2.0 for African learning

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Innovation in technology is occurring at a breathtaking rate. Uncomplicated, open source applications and services established on the Internet and meant to boost teaching and learning, now have been made accessible to the general population at a limited or no cost in the least.

These online social media applications referred to as Web 2.0 allow individuals to get together, create, share, and issue information, thus, giving rise to development. Moreover, internet based learning has eased the process of learning with the students now able to download school assignment and reading materials with a single mouse click (Ally 2009).

Some of the Web 2.0 tools commonly used for teaching and learning include Facebook, Blogs, Wikis, YouTube, Podcasts and Delicious. What is more, the current generation of students has been known to resist the conventional ways of teaching and learning. These students live in the advancing global society that is rich in technology and information. Nowadays, students interact with a vast array of technologies.

It is crucial that the students possess the potentialities and self-confidence in order to interact with the technologies as it is vital for success in all facets of life in this era (Bates 2011). This article looks at teaching and learning using Web 2.0 in Africa.

With the Web 2.0 technologies in place, the world has become a global village and most African countries have strived to be part of these newly developments. Further, most African universities have primarily taken up the teaching methods practiced in the western world. However, while the instructivist approaches are acceptable in the western nations, they are counter cultural to Africa (Blewett 2004).

One of the reasons is that, in Africa, the power distance between teachers and students is high meaning that students are hesitant to challenge or question their teachers. This is unlike the West where power distance is low. The use of instructivist model in African learning poses a negative impact in that this model does not adequately prepare the students for the challenges they will encounter in the African context.

In order to attain a higher degree of student perception of learning as well as engage students in the process of learning in Africa, a constructivist approach ought to be put in place. It has, however, been hard to implement this approach because of the fear of initial increase of workload on the staff.

Moreover, the organisation structures of higher learning are not mature to a state where they can adapt this kind of paradigm. The learning spaces of most universities in Africa are still dominated by lecture halls, reading areas and libraries (Bosch 2009).

Concurrently, technology models in education pertaining to Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) are at present dominated by Web 2.0. This technology seeks to empower the individual users to create and publish contents while drawing the information to themselves. A community and a network are socially constructed with much vehemence being directed to sharing.

The focus will then shift from teacher-student pattern to a collaborative model. While this is talking of technology in the environment, the system of social computing is highly related to the African construct of Ubuntu.

This is a concept of sharing where the shared contribution leads to the beneficial effect of everyone. Today, Web 2.0 is providing modern, exciting means for universities to consider changing their methods of teaching to fit their cultural as well as their individual requirements (Cronje & Clarke 1999).

Although technology is an efficient way of addressing unsuitable didactics, Africa is a continent that is still disadvantaged in terms of technology. An enormous gap exists between the developed nations and the underdeveloped countries, hence, the use of the term ‘Digital Divide’.

While this is for the most part the truth, some pertinent points are worthy of notice. To begin with, most African universities have access to Internet enabled computer facilities, and this allows them to take part in social computing platforms (Davis 2009). The use of cell phones predominates in Africa, and this ensures the retrieval of information in anyplace at whatever time.

Therefore, though Africa may be lagging in terms of computer accessibility, they are far much in the lead with respect to cellular phone availableness. In fact, the most recent statistics indicate that Africa is in the lead with mobile phone applications with (Dieterie 2009).

In order to implement the use of Web 2.0 in their educational institutions, Ghana through the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge and Sharing (GINKS) has created awareness amongst its citizens on the importance of using Web 2.0 in their education system. It has further advocated for the introduction of learning using Web 2.0 in schools and also encouraged teachers to use it in their teachings.

In an educational forum held in Accra, Mr. Deh stressed that the introduction of technology would assist teachers in understanding how the social media improves delivery for an academic content in a classrooms, thereby, encouraging student creativity and collaboration in Information and Communication Technology (Inusah, Deh, & Nweke 2011).

In so far, the use of the social media tools have largely been used for socialising purposes in Ghana and are yet to be employed in the classrooms for learning. Majority of the teachers still use the traditional methods of teaching where the students write and read their class work so as to pass their test papers.

However, some students have taken up the application of Web 2.0 tools so that they can learn more from the Internet and, by that means, taking responsibility in getting new information. In this way, the level of understanding is heightened, and this can act as a jumping-off point to change in the teaching and learning within Ghana (Eijkman 2009).

On the other hand, South Africa is not much far behind in terms of School 2.0 use. The use of e-learning technologies to boost the learning in higher education institutions is flourishing. However, the student activities of using the Internet are limited by the low transmission rates of data and uneven student access to computers (Gadanidis, Hoogland, & Hughes 2008).

The University of Cape Town, for instance, has been actively participating with other institutions to develop an open source software known as Sakai. This tool has been employed by many students, teachers and visitants who log in every day. Therefore, South Africa is almost in the same level as some universities in the developed world.

However, the universities of South Africa are not substantially endowed with resources as those in the developed nations. The data transmission rates are low, although, fibre networks are being introduced. Internet costs are also high and most students experience computer shortages (Eugenia 2010).

Other institutions as the University of Pretoria took up institutional strategies during an early stage. Usually, they use e-learning for supporting and supplementing face-to-face teaching, delivering learning materials and enhancing communication amongst the students as well as between teachers and students.

As for the University of South Africa, it employs e-learning in the distribution of resources and facilitating interaction. Almost every student has an online account with the university. Just as other learning institutions, it too faces some problems as insufficient resources and weak ICT skills amongst the personnel (Eugenia 2010).

As is the case with other countries in Africa, Tanzania is not an exception. Tanzanian universities experience some challenges in implementing e-learning platforms in spite of the opportunities presented by the open-source technologies and the favorable environs made available by its authorities (Kasumuni 2011).

The main challenges faced by the universities of Tanzania include lack of a general approach to implement the Information and Communication Technology. It has been difficult to integrate ICT to whatever operations of an organisation and this needs to be a clearly defined process from the start.

However, this is unlike many other universities in Africa which have fully adopted the new learning and teaching technologies even though they lack clear programmes to lead them through. Another challenge is that not all institution stakeholders are familiar with this new technologies and their importance in learning and teaching.

Therefore, their government needs to organise awareness programmes and emphasise on the importance of adopting Web 2.0 technologies in their institutions. Although, their learning environment is mostly characterised by mobile technology which is utilised for learning purposes (Lwoga 2012).

Some other notable yet overlooked problem that affects the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in Tanzanian institutions is insufficient technical support. This involves matters such as installation and maintenance, operation, and network management. This is a vital component in implementing and integrating Web 2.0 technologies in their education system.

More often than not, technical support is unavailable and this means that teachers and students have to have some introductory trouble-shooting skills so as to master technical problems when making use of web technologies. Administrative support is also of import in realising success in the teaching and learning using Web 2.0 technologies.

Broadly speaking, Tanzanian universities are still lagging in the use of Web 2.0 tools in learning and teaching. This is something that they actually need to work on so as to attain the same level as the other universities in Africa (Ndesanjo 2011).

In general, the African learning institutions are faced by many information and communication technology challenges such as low bandwidth that hinders them from sufficiently putting Web 2.0 technologies into practice. Nevertheless, these higher learning institutions are working hard to make the use of these services and applications a reality, more especially for educational purposes.

Even so, there already exists some experimentation with Web 2.0 tools and applications. Wikis are the mostly practiced followed by Blogging. Wikis are being used in e-learning including web design and testing (Lee & McLoughlin 2010).

They are also being used to support teamwork skill developments, building of consensus and information, as well as idea sharing. In addition, Wikis are applied in project management for creation of status reports and deliverables. Basically, wikis support most of the learning approaches such as collaborative and constructivist learning approaches (MacGregor 2008).

Collaborative learning entails students working together in various groups to foster the learning of their fellow colleagues. Wikis posses some features that promote collaboration in a learning environment. They can be used in facilitating the process of collaborative learning as well as education and research.

In constructivism, knowledge is built rather than imparted on students through having them participate in meaningful learning processes. This process of learning is both constructive and reflective as it allows a student to incorporate new ideas by using their earlier knowledge to get new ideas thus enabling reflective learning. Wikis play a vital role in the reflective learning as well as improving the experience of students.

Wikis also provide an opportunity for constructive learning especially in an educational environ because of their few technological roadblocks and their flexible practicality. As a matter of fact, Wikis support constructivism more than any other learning paradigm (Maki 2010).

Blogging, on the other hand, has a wide range of potential uses in higher education learning. Its growing popularity might be of import to students especially on accomplishing some of their learning activities in an effective manner. The way in which a Blog is structured might facilitate the ability of a student to show critical thinking and advanced applications of language and design components.

This will enable a student acquire critical, creative, communication, and collaboration skills that will help them in their scholarly contexts (Merchant 2009). Blogs are being used for supporting group discussions, extending the classroom boundaries, and encouraging students to look for information.

Teachers have also used Blogs to substitute the normal class web pages hence simplifying their work as students can now find assignment notices, exercises and suggested readings in the internet. In terms of knowledge management, Blogging plays a pivotal role as it articulates ideas, experiences and views through writing which leads to the creation of new information.

Blogs can also support inputs based upon literature readings and reactions of students and also providing space for collaboration among students who may play a role of a reviewer for materials related to their course (Thinyane 2010).

Instructors have also taken a keen interest in podcasting. Podcasts have found its use in the lecture halls for recording lectures. This audio and video recordings can then be delivered to the users in an automatic manner. Mainly, podcasting is used to disseminate taped information, primarily lectures and discourses. They are also used for delivering messages in a rapid and consistent manner particularly the video Podcasts.

Video Podcasting is a compounding of several video recordings which are then made accessible for download. Every video file publisher creates a distinct Really Simple Syndication (RSS) file. The principle aim of the RSS is to depict the video and present the most recent video content obtainable. Video Podcasting may also be applied in teaching especially in subjects that involve psychomotor skills (Virkus 2008).

Really Simple Syndication is another Web 2.0 technology tool practiced by students and teachers for leaning purposes in some African higher education learning. Really Simple Syndication can be used by students or teachers in getting latest informations from Wikis, Blogs and other research sites that are of relevance to their courses (Gadanidis, Hoogland, & Hughes 2008).

Moreover, RSS feeds allow lecturers to find whatever update of the new contents added to the Blogs of students without having to visit their websites. Also, a student can subscribe to the feeds of their colleagues or educators. Furthermore, teachers in conjunction with their students can establish Really Simple Syndication feeds for schoolwork topics and fields of research concerns (Blewett 2004).

Another common yet not widely used Web 2.0 tool in Africa’s higher learning is Mashups. Mashups have potential applications in the field of education just as other Web 2.0 tools. For example, it has been suggested that it can enhance the process of making maps and charts in cartography.

What is more, there also exist indications that Mashups might have the possibilities of usage in education just like Google Earth. For instance, they can offer teachers a means of assessing and reinforcing visual literacy of their students (Bosch 2009). It can also assist them develop contexts of spacial and socio-cultural variances across the world.

Tagging as social bookmarking are other Web 2.0 tools that are useful in the process of learning. Tagging is commonly used for sharing information and also in collaboration. Some usual applications that use tagging are photo sharing, web pages, and Internet applications.

Collaborative tagging is useful in enhancing communication and connecting users through the social networks such as Delicious and Facebook. Similarly, social bookmarking allows a user to create a list of bookmarks that are kept on a remote central server (Eijkman 2009).

Essentially, Web 2.0 is suited to educational processes of learning in the modern digital society. In the recent past, some researchers have tried to focus more on how the modern web trends can be incorporated into the process of learning. They have also tried to figure out how Web 2.0 tools and services can be applied in creating new learning experiences across the community.

Moreover, it has also been realised that technology only, cannot bring out success in education. It only becomes of value in learning if the teachers and the students are able to make something practicable out of it (Cronje & Clarke 1999). In another and different manner, Web 2.0 has been known to be efficient in knowledge management which has been changing in a gradual manner, consequently adopting the new technology.

Knowledge management involves every activity that has an intention to create, transfer, store and reuse knowledge. The tools of Web 2.0 foster the acquirement of knowledge as well as its storage and transfer. They also enhance collaboration and sharing which are fundamental ideas to knowledge management.

It has been indicated that Web 2.0 together with knowledge management programs reflect a broader interest in reining the personal expertness of users. In general, most of Web 2.0 tools can be employed in supporting the activities of knowledge management (Eugenia 2010).

Generally, the importance and usefulness of Web 2.0 applications and tools to a particular society depends upon the conception that technology is significant, necessary, relevant and continuous. In conclusion, the use of Web 2.0 in Africa is still at the early stages of growth.

Many information and communication challenges are faced by African higher institutions of learning and this hinders them from effectively employing Web 2.0 technologies in the teaching and learning processes. These challenges include low bandwidth, uneven student access to computers, and staff who have insufficient information and communication technology skills.

However, these challenges should rather be viewed as opportunities and use them in advocating for the implementation of Web 2.0 in learning institutions. For the quality of education to be improved, African universities should make excessive use of groundbreaking and emerging technologies, and give careful considerations to the learning predilections of the digital generation.

Reference List

Ally, M 2009, Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training, Athabasca University Press.

Bates, T 2011, Unleashing web 2.0 for African learning. Web.

Blewett, C 2004, Africa’s Virtual Higher Education Classroom, Durban, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Bosch, T 2009, “Using Online Social Networking for Teaching and Learning”, Communicatio: South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research , pp.185-200.

Cronje, J, & Clarke, P 1999, “Teaching on the Internet”, South African Journal of Higher Education , pp.13-26.

Davis, G 2009, Tools for Teaching, John Wiley & Sons.

Dieterie, E 2009, “Multi-User Virtual Environments for Teaching and Learning”, Multimedia Technology and Networking , pp.1-9.

Eijkman, H, 2009, “Using Web 2.0 to decolonise transcultural learning zones in higher education”, Campus-Wide Information Systems , pp.240-255.

Eugenia, W, 2010, Comparative Blended Learning Practices and Environments, Idea Group Inc (IGI), Pensylvania.

Gadanidis, G, Hoogland, C, & Hughes, J 2008, “Teaching and Learning in a Web 2.0 Environment”, International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning , pp.117-133.

Inusah, I, Deh, P, & Nweke, O 2011, How Web 2.0 can be used to enhanced teaching and learning in Ghana, GINKS ICT, Accra.

Kasumuni, L 2011, Unleashing Web 2.0 for African education. Web.

Lee, M, & McLoughlin, C 2010, Web 2.0-Based E-Learning: Applying Social Informatics for Tertiary Teaching, IGI Global snippet, Pensylvania.

Lwoga, E 2012, “Making learning and Web 2.0 technologies work for higher learning institutions in Africa”, Campus-Wide Information Systems , pp. 90 – 107.

MacGregor, K 2008, “SOUTH AFRICA: Universities not far behind the curve”, University World News , p.13.

Maki, P 2010, Assessing for Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution, Stylus Publishing, USA.

Merchant, G 2009, “Web 2.0, new literacies, and the idea of learning through participation”, English teaching: practice and critique , pp. 8-20.

Ndesanjo, M 2011, Africa: Use of Web 2.0 in the Schools of the PanAf Project. Web.

Thinyane, H 2010, “Are digital natives a world-wide phenomenon? An investigation into South African first year students’ use and experience with technology”, Computers and Education , pp. 406-414.

Virkus, S 2008, “Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in LIS Education”, Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems , 262-274.

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