5 Interesting Web 2.0 Tools for Education

 Web 1.0 and Web 2.0

At first, there was Web 1.0. Of course they didn't call it that way back then, but as the web evolved, a need to name it differently than before emerged. With Web 1.0, the users were passive. It was like the traditional media: no interactivity, just a one way flow of information. You were passively getting information, and mainly with text.


Then came the Web 2.0:

Web 2.0 is the easy to use, collaborative, interactive, creative and visual web. With Web 2.0 you comment on, share, produce and remix content. It's more visual than Web 1.0. You have images, videos, audio and a more attractive design. It is also more social, unlike the one sided nature of the Web 1.0.


Web 2.0 in Education

The interactive nature of Web 2.0. makes it a perfect opportunity for those involved in education. There are plenty of Web 2.0 tools that can be used for educational purposes. I am going to try to list some of those Web 2.0 tools below:

Screenr

Screenr is an online screencast application. It allows you to record videos of what you are doing on the screen with a voice-over. It can be used by instructors who are in the technology field to record "how-to manuals" for educational purposes.

Testmoz

Testmoz is an easy to use test generator. Instructors can prepare tests in a matter of minutes using testmoz and students can solve those tests online.

Sync.in

Sync.in is a web based word processor for people to collaborate in real-time.
When multiple people edit the same document simultaneously, any changes are instantly reflected on everyone's screen. The result is a new and productive way to collaborate with text documents, useful for meeting notes, brainstorming, project planning, training, and more.

 

 Edublogs

Edublogs lets you easily create & manage student & teacher blogs, quickly customize designs and include videos, photos & podcasts - it's safe, easy and secure. It has extensive content filters and tools in place to keep blogs student friendly. You can create a class and keep total control over student posts and comments. You can monitor and moderate all content. There are forums, wikis, ePortfolios, threaded discussions and more.

Bubbl.us

Bubbl.us is an online mind-mapping tool allowing people to brainstorm collaboratively or on their own.


There are many Web 2.0 tools that can be used for educational purposes but I tried to cover the ones you probably didn't know. There are tools like Prezi, Animoto etc. but most people already know about them, so I thought it would be better to write about the rest.