Leadership from ID (Instructional Design) for Web 2.0 Adoption: Appropriate use of Emerging Technologies in Online Courses

Abstract

A social movement is sweeping the globe in the form of Internet delivered and open access sharing spaces. People are connecting in new ways while personalizing their daily experiences with shared websites called Web 2.0 technologies. This chapter looks into the implications of taking these technologies beyond social interactions into the learning experiences of students. With a literature review and case study analysis, the goal of this chapter is to gain a better understanding of what is needed to appropriate quality instructional strategies to the online university course room including social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Second Life®, and wikis. Following a brief history and descriptions of the Web 2.0 sites and functions, the reader is introduced to the design expectations typical of instructional designers (IDs) with definitions and standards from the field's literature. Support is offered from the business and educational literature for incorporating leadership into design practice through vision, strategy, and theory-based decisions. Definitions, benchmarks, and examples of instructional strategies and activities for learner engagement complete the theoretical framework for the chapter. Given the added complexities of advanced technologies, this chapter suggests evaluating social learning through an ID leadership perspective for a more informed recommendation of Web 2.0 online affordances. Following a case analysis of Second Life®, a 3-D virtual world used for learning activities, implications for ID practice are discussed, along with the various benefits and barriers of adopting Web 2.0 technologies. In the conclusion, suggestions are given for future research on the potential for integration of Web 2.0 affordances into online learning designs for rich, engaging learning experiences.

Citation

Ashbaugh, M.L. (2013), "Leadership from ID (Instructional Design) for Web 2.0 Adoption: Appropriate use of Emerging Technologies in Online Courses", Wankel, C. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Increasing Student Engagement and Retention in e-learning Environments: Web 2.0 and Blended Learning Technologies (Cutting-Edge Technologies in Higher Education, Vol. 6 Part G), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 17-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2013)000006G004