Web 2.

0: The Epidemic
n today's borderless world, computer literacy is deemed as the most necessary
skill to survive. Not long ago, we were introduced with Web 1.0. t has evolved since
then, to Web 2.0 and fast heading to Web 3.0. There is undoubtedly a significant degree
of hype around Web 2.0 at the very moment, but behind the hyperbole lie some
fundamental principles and some formidable potential. We are seeing the emergence
of Web-based services that help the users to access to the information that they needed
in just a click. We are witnessing ad hoc relationships being formed by and for these
services at the point of need, which means, it is no longer costly and time-consuming as
compared to the human creation of contracts or service level agreements.
Think Facebook and MySpace.com, it is all about "user participation which
characterises the definitions of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 relies heavily on user participation
that allows two-way experience to take place. t only takes a computer with nternet
access and you're ready to be a part of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 pandemic has influenced so
many lives, providing them chances to interact with one another via a platform.
The advent of Web 2.0 in education has significantly change our relationship to
information and our own personal learning opportunities outside of formal education that
we have started to see a set of software tools emerge that altered both learning
processes and outcomes. This tool allows us to see the starting point of a radical
evolution in education that will bring such a tremendous achievement towards our
education. This web enables us to change our personal learning opportunities. The
nternet's ability has bring us a lot of paramount important information, regardless of
time, place or even cost.
A new world unfolds when learners and educators utilise Web 2.0 in which they
can start a blog, upload and share photos and videos or even build an encyclopaedia
without learning HTML codes. Web 2.0 is allied with web applications which allow users
to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media interaction or conversation
in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users are limited to the passive

viewing of content that was invented, designed and posted for them. t is the perfect
environment for educators, which is why forward thinking school systems and academic
institutions are working hard to make it a part of their practices. t has already
transformed the 21
st
century form in education, shaping how students approach
learning, teaching approach for educators, how educators interact and learn from each
other.
The employment of Web 2.0 is anything and beyond. Teachers are using blogs,
wikis and Facebook to get connected with their students virtually. This thread is not only
for the purpose of communicating with each other. The communication is accompanied
and based upon academic purposes. Teachers find it easier and faster to upload notes,
exercises and generate discussion with students online. The change in the world of
education does not apply to particular subject such as CT and Computer in Education
only but also for subjects such as Science, Mathematics and language. According to
Albert. L. Haris and Alan Rea (2009), the employment of Web 2.0 in education brings a
lot of advantages to both teachers and students. Most teachers agree that by using
Web 2.0 for teaching and learning, students become part of the lesson. When they add
to the wikis account, become the follower of blogs and create a presence on a social
network such as Facebook, the students get engage with each other and teachers as
well. Thus these allow them to contribute to the lesson in an active manner. As to how
active they are in participating formally can be questioned. Social networking activities
that are designed for education purposes can be misused. Students are inclined to
utilise them as sites for them to participate socially, not formally.
Next, Web 2.0 does not guarantee full participation from all learners. As how
traditional classrooms are, some students may have passive response towards CT or
even learning. Such students need further reinforcement to respond in normal
classroom by their teachers. t is agreeable that teaching and learning via face-to-face
interaction is much more effective for teachers in order for them to explain and using
authentic task in giving example. How are these possible in virtual classroom? Albert L.
Haris and Alan Rea (2009) also mentioned that the employment of Web 2.0 tools in
teaching and learning make the world become the classroom. Web 2.0 literally expands

the classroom to the virtual world. t acknowledges the world to become the classroom
as students and educators interact with each other; no matter the distances. t does not
limit the interaction among in-classroom students and teachers, but also other parties
around the world. They work across the boundaries. With the exchange of information
with people of diverse background, the richness of knowledge eventually expands.
"Two heads are better than one.
When students get connected on the Net, the discussion is open to everyone.
Each of them can share ideas, information and findings with each other and work
together to find solution of a specific situation. n growing healthy competitiveness, Web
2.0 provides the chance for learners to keep their tabs on the latest task. They are able
to keep track of their friends' progress and achievement. This increases their motivation
level in accomplishing any of their outstanding tasks. This type of learning behaviour is
good in order to produce students who are competitive in their studies and career in the
future. This will definitely contribute to the fast development of the country.
The wave of employment of Web 2.0 in education is not applicable to just
teaching and learning process but also students' assessment. Teachers are moving
towards with personal portfolio development such as blogs as a part of assessment.
Despite the big move, some are still concerned with the implication they convey. Thus,
Snurb's Blog (2005, 2006) discusses the use of Wikis and Blogs in education. They
pointed out one crucial point that educators and learners have to ponder upon. t is the
challenge to use these and other online teaching technologies to enhance learning
and teaching, not just because they are available. The author of the blog also
proposed the utilisation of Web 2.0 technology in teaching and learning should enhance
learning and teaching and not hinder pedagogy. t is questionable whether teachers
apply their pedagogical skills in delivering knowledge and managing students' behaviour
when teaching and learning is being carried out virtually. The fact that it is carried out
virtually impede the application of pedagogy in their lessons. Pedagogy is an essential
science of teaching to be employed by teachers to effectively impart the specialised
content and knowledge in their subject area. n virtual learning, teachers can still deliver

the content and knowledge of subject area but not as effective as the delivery during
face-to-face interaction. t also does not contribute much towards the personal growth of
students. Oral communication skills are neglected once the online learning wave comes
around. To that, how are we going to fulfil the educational philosophy of our nation
which aims to produce students who are well-balanced in all aspects including physical,
emotional, spiritual and intellectual?
Where computer literacy is concerned, Malaysia has taken numerous initiatives
to keep up with the development of technology. Our students are increasingly getting
savvier each day, keeping their tab on the latest innovation. The Net Generation
students are no longer accustomed to the traditional learning environment where 'chalk
and talk' method is involved; it is a whole different new learning environment where CT
is the medium a tool to embolden motivation and interest among students. Assoc. Prof
Fong in his column propounded a question, "Are our teachers and students geared for
this radical shift in thought processes and approaches to learning and problem solving?
This shift is happening worldwide, posing challenges to institutions of higher education.
United States has accepted the shift by incorporating Web 2.0 applications in a positive
and educational way. n 2004, Duke University gave away iPods to freshmen as an
initiative to use technology for academic purposes.
Better late than never, changes are blossoming in classroom or lecture halls in
Malaysia. The introduction of KSSR (Standard-based Curriculum for Primary School)
and soon KSSM (Standard-based Curriculum for Secondary School) placed great
emphasis on students' critical and creative thinking in line with the boost of CT around
the globe. The newly established curriculum has received positive reviews from the
society, seeing the need of change since the last curriculum. With that, the role of
teachers has expanded accordingly. On curriculum transformation, it is no longer
defined as a "fantasy project of the Ministry of Education. The idea of curriculum
transformation is promoted to enhance students' holistic potential development as well
as to shape their personalities in terms of discipline, spirituality, aesthetic and science
and technology literacy. Thus to fulfil that dream, the usage of Web 2.0 is vital,
especially among the students as they are the future of our nation. Most of the students

are familiar with the different types of browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Safari, nternet
Explorer and Google Chrome. However, do they know these little tools make up the
famous Web 2.0? More importantly, how much do they know of Web 2.0? They should
realise that CT should be used not only as a basic operational tool (such as online
connectivity) but also as communication and educational tools which promote the
development of creativity, interactivity, collaborative learning and critical thinking.
n traditional classes, people obtain information directly from their teachers. They
were supported by many forms of printed material such as books and hand-outs. Today,
educators are slowly turning in to computers to assist their teaching process. n the
article of "Stories come alive digitally, students are exposed to multimedia and creative
thinking skills as to enhance their academic performance and critical analysis. t
explained how the use of audio and video editing software such as Adobe Flash will
assist the students to have a deeper understanding of creative elements. The
development of CT tools and software does not remove our old tradition art such as
"wayang kulit, one of the storytelling forms, but it can be reproduced using the correct
tools to adapt with modern platform. n Web 2.0, the uses of educational software play a
major role in the learning process at every grade level. The software will enable
students to learn at their own pace, shows infinite patience and usually offers an
entertaining approach. t often includes games and other interactive content to make the
learning process more fun. n contrast, educational software may not able to recognise
specific problems, address individual goals and aims. t does not provide the learners
with extensive feedback. This shows that there is certain advantage and drawback of
using educational software in learning process. t will work best for the students as they
can cope with the technology and information from their teachers if teachers are
competent to blend both elements well. Developing creativity using the CT tools without
providing them the right track and guidance will be meaningless.
While Malaysia is slowly embracing K-economy (knowledge-based economy) to
sustain future growth, information and communication technology has the cutting edge
to transform the nation into a highly competitive and resilient economy. t changes how
teachers perceive technology as well as its applications in teaching and learning. These

new batch of teachers should be able to produce "a higher quality competitive workforce
for the wellbeing and advancement of our economic and social development. This goes
in line with the aspiration of K-economy in the light to becoming a developed nation by
2020. Western counterparts have long implemented various initiatives to move away
from Education 1.0. They provide services and coursework using Web 2.0 applications
such as Learning Course Management System (LMS). Online learning has been
implemented since few years ago due to the demands from K-Economy (Knowledge-
based-Economy) world. Prof. Dr. Abdul Aziz Saharee, chief executive officer with
Universiti Putra Malaysia Education and Training, in the article of "Online Degrees Gain
Popularity, explained that online learning will provide the learners with countless sites
for their further research and a guide on how to go about learning your subject.
However the question to whether how effective online learning is in fulfilling the
students' needs arise. Although the learners can enjoy real-time online discussion with
their tutors via video conferencing, Yahoo Messenger and Skype, it may not be as
effective as face-to-face interaction in the classroom. Problems relating to unstable
network or even the computer system can add unnecessary disturbances to the
discussion session. This can cause communication breakdown between two parties
who are interacting online. Another aspect that must be taken into account is the level of
security and safety. The reason is that people often hide their real identity to lure others
into revealing too much personal information. Any blogs or wikis account stands a high
risk to be hacked by your own virtual "best friend. Though it allows us to gain limitless
knowledge and information with just a few clicks, materials and sources on the Web Site
needs to be checked on its validity and reliability. For example, information provided in
Wikipedia can be authored and edited by others easily.
One of the advantages of participating in online learning is its flexibility and
freedom to learners especially for working adults. They can pursue their study from their
work place or home, anywhere they wish, as long as they are provided with nternet
connection. While learning is on-going and lifelong process, online learning provides the
opportunity to be a part of the learning process regardless of the age. Most of the
varsities around the world including Malaysia had started "Distance Learning

Programmes through the virtual platform. E-learners are given the autonomy to decide
on the subjects and duration of courses respectively. With that, they can manage their
time to study despite having jammed-pack schedule and subsequently, earn their scroll
the moment they complete the courses.
n comparison with campus-based programmes, learners can save time learning
online, rather than making themselves present in lecture rooms. Their assignment or
research paper can be submitted online with guidance and consignment of their tutors.
The increasing number of university who offered online learning programmes reflects
the need to learn without any more restriction. Even in medical schools where
knowledge and skills should be done all hands-on but now there is a blend between the
utilisation of e-learning with the traditional practice being employed by the doctors,
surgeons and specialist to their legacies. n Australia, for example, there are a lot of
contemporary health professionals who uses Web 2.0 tools to participate in continuing
professional development (CPD) activities, for email communication and to search for
clinical information. Besides, medical blogs are created to serve as the platform for
discussion between lecturers and trainee doctors, doctors and patients and among the
doctors themselves about clinical cases, images and special clinical interest topics.
As agents of change, teachers "are responsible for establishing the classroom
environment and preparing the learning opportunities that facilitate students' use of
technology to learn, communicate and develop knowledge. There is a need of
realisation of transformed cohort of teachers. They are now responsible to "plan and
design rich-learning environment. Assoc. Prof Fong explained that teachers should
support student-centred learning among students of diverse needs, including the use of
collaboration and communication tools. Teachers' roles are not just to deliver their
lesson, but to facilitate and encourage students' participation in classroom. The invasion
of CT has empowered the diversion from teacher-centred pedagogy to student-centred.
Student-centred pedagogy focuses on students' engagement in classroom while
teachers act as to facilitate and guide. CT in classroom can encourage interest among
students apart from developing intrinsic motivation to learn. Therefore, it is essential that
teachers can diversify their lessons to adopt these tools in classroom. However, the

expansion of the World Wide Web (WWW) creates a different challenge for teachers.
Teachers need to be competent to be able to filter out unreliable Web sites and ensure
information garnered from the Net is relevant as well as valid. The knowledge of
screening for relevant information needs to be imparted to students, so that their
awareness towards plagiarism can be strengthened. Ethics and moral values are
equally important in the digital world and its applications.
Teachers should design their very own modus operandi in order to inculcate Web
2.0 tools in teaching and learning process. t is evident that different students vary in
their learning styles, needs, and so forth as explained by the concept of multiple
intelligences. Some students may need technical skill sets while others may need
metacognition and critical awareness skills to become more innovative and creative
users. Learner' activities can be divided into four main groups. Firstly is 'Researchers'.
The students use the Web 2.0 for reading purposes to gain some useful information for
their research. However, the problem that rises is that they are lacking in analytical
awareness where they only manage to get surface information without trying to think
deeper and they have little evidence of critical enquiry. Second, 'Collaborators'. t simply
means that the students use the tools for file sharing, gaming and communicating. From
such activities, they also learn how to collaborate among their friends or peers. Next is
'Producers'. The students mostly post some videos or anything related to multimedia.
Last but not least is 'Publishers'. t is undoubtedly that most students prefer to share
their experiences through social networking sites. Only a small number of youth were
engaging in more sophisticated activities such as producing and publishing self-created
content for wider consumption.
There are a lot of crucial issues being discussed in the article, "Do Web 2.0 tools
really open the door to learning? This article mainly tells us about a research which
was done on some students, age ranging from 11 to 16 years old in UK secondary
schools. The result was perplexing. The researchers came up with a key finding where
they believe that many young people are using Web 2.0 tools and technologies outside
of but not in school. Based on this key finding, we can conclude that most of the schools
are still lacking in incorporating the use of technology in the teaching and learning

process. Therefore, what educational institutions can do is to reframe the school-based

technology from individual production and 'closed' audiences and tries to embrace
collaborative aspects of Web 2.0 technologies. This will support deeper levels of
engagement through feedback, peer review and the development of a sense of
audience and shared purpose.
Where Web 2.0 contributes to the development of modern world, it plays to the
strengths of educators that create a sense of curiosity via collaboration and
participation. t encourages and facilitates the natural desire to share what they know
and to learn from their colleagues. Web 2.0 also enables many educators decided to
use the nternet to connect, collaborate, create and share input in their bulletin boards.
With educational networking, educators will be able to participate in the events that will
make a difference for them, their students and their institutions. Simultaneously,
continuous learning can be encouraged and accomplished. They will be able to achieve
the demands for specific approaches that suits the specific needs and learning styles
among their students. Educational networks may create positive peer support and
provide better encouragement. They keep teacher practices up-to-date; increase their
teaching time and therefore resulting in the best job satisfaction. t is important that the
educators themselves experience the Web 2.0 world in order to understand the cultural
impact that it is having. These most important technological tools reshape our
expectations and making revolution on what is possible, and this is especially true of
Web 2.0.
Where does Malaysia stand at this? n comparison, we are slightly backdated
from our Asian counterparts such as Singapore and Australia. There are many
obstacles that hindered the proper development of training for teachers. Teachers are
urged to attend the many courses provided by the Ministry of Education but surely it
does not guarantee on the success of these programmes. The training programme
should be revised accordingly, as to support teachers' professional and also personal
development. Teachers have been trained intensively, whether or not they are ready to
accept the new shift. They have to undergone a series of training courses just to equip
themselves with basic CT skill.

n regard with the growth of CT, it is crucial that the materialisation of new
learning environment in classroom takes place in the nation. While it is steadily being
adapted into educational environment as one of the major application in learning,
educational philosophy of the nation should be regarded. Web 2.0 has changed the
perspective of how education plays such an important role in today's society where
more emphasis is being put in imparting knowledge with technology.
#EFE#ENCES
Fong, S. F. (2010, May 18). Beyond computer literacy. The Star Online. Retrieved from
http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?sec=education&file=/2010/5/30/education/
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Thompson, J. F. s Education 1.0 Ready for Web 2.0 Students? nnovate, 3(4).
Retrieved October 26, 2011, from
http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol3_issue4/s_Education_1.0_Ready_for_Web_2.0_St
udents_.pdf