Web 2.0 Evolution

There are dramatic changes in the Internet over the last few years as a result of Social Networking and Web 2.0 technologies. Social networking is the backbone of Web 2 tools. Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the WWW. The appropriate use of the right Web 2.0 tool can ensure better access, strengthen interactions, increase learning, and improve satisfaction, all in a generally cost-effective manner! Web applications, hosted services, social networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, are some typologies of Web 2.0 tools. They allow users to interact and collaborate with other users and change contents rather than passive viewing. They also provide Search, Links, Authoring, Tags, Extensions, and Signals. YouTube, Podcasting, Blogs, Wikis, Facebook, Twitter, RSS, MySpace, Google Video, Skype, iTunes and Flickr are some Web 2.0 tools currently popular among the students. They are used for learning towards a ubiquitous, user-centric, user-content generated and user-guided experience. Collaborative content creation, personalization of information, communication, entertainment, information sharing, and peer assessment are some of the innovative educational usages of Web 2.0 technologies among college students. They enhance learning drastically. The present study discusses the educational usage of Web 2.0 tools by student teachers and teacher educators in Chennai.