Blog Posting #1 - Web 2.0

Using Web 2.0 Without Knowing It

The first time I heard of Web 2.0 was in 2004 when it just came up from the horizon. I only know it was a buzz word and it was going to change the world of internet and our life. I thought it was some kind of computer language, like C, C++, HTML, Java... I didn't have time to dig in so... I thought it was non of my business. Those computer guys would take care of it.

For the past few years, I sold and bought things from eBay. I left feedback on shopping websites. I got my gmail account. I was "forced" to join facebook because my "lazy" friend didn't want to attached his pictures one by one via email. I took some online courses and they all used Moodle. I read my friends' blogs and I became a fan of some blogs. I watched YouTube almost everyday....

Do you get the picture? I am using Web 2.0 like breathing in and out without even knowing it! All the dots started to connect together last month when our team did the project: Learning Google Docs. Google Docs is a perfect example of a Web 2.0 program. My son's debate team is using Google Docs to exchange research results and collaborate with each other. I am a huge fan of Google Docs now. I can see the power of Web 2.0 every where and it is going to root into our every day life even more in the future.

I found 2 pictures to explain the difference between the first generation web site (Web 1.0) and the second generation (Web 2.0).

(From: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Difference-between-Web-20-and-Web-10)

(From: http://www.labnol.org/internet/favorites/the-difference-between-web-10-and-web-20/665/)

For additional reading, please check:

• Moodle: Taming the Wild Wild Web2.0 http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI08124.pdf
• What is Web 2.0 http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html
• What is Web 2.0 Anyway? http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/archives/page9344.cfm

Target the Problem

The company I am working with has e-learning courses. They are text-books on screen. When I scroll down, I loose my spot. I am sorry to say: “these kinds of online courses are boring.”

I discussed this with my department director and later talked with our president. After presenting the idea of doing my thesis based on my company’s need, he gave me the green light but also told me that they already knew the problem existed and didn’t have the budget to fix it. My challenge will be: how to make the online course interesting but use almost no money doing it.

I am thinking :

1. Should I start small scale like online Certified Trainer review class? Or

2. Dare to jump into the ocean by creating a real interact online course so my company can sell to Colleges as a "just add instructor" package?

My thesis project due date is in May 2010.