Conclusion and recommendation Essay

Based on the results of the focus group discussion and the interview, Web 2. 0 applications being utilized for educational purposes are seen to have a very good potential in being integrated into educational processes for teaching and learning. Reflective of the first objective, it has been seen that there is a positive outlook with regards to Web 2. 0 applications from students and how the communicate. In addition, it is seen that educational processes would from time to time inculcate particular. Web 2. 0 applications and replacing conventional educational tools with newer and more technologically adept Web 2.0 applications in order for educators to be more effective in communicating with students. With respect to the sixth objective of this study, educators are keen to note that Web 2. 0 applications have the potential for being used as a tool for educational purposes. Educators on one hand furthered this conclusion because of their openness to the concept of including Web 2. 0 applications in their curriculum, utilizing its capabilities in effectively transferring knowledge to their students and more importantly communicating with them. In answering objectives two and three, educators themselves indicated that they are able to already utilize Web 2. 0 applications for providing administrative information to their students and they have indicated that Web 2. 0 applications being used as educational tools already exists and is being utilized by other educators. They are able to go with the flow of innovation as students are getting more and more adept with the use of such internet tools that they are able to identify with this and use this to the teacher’s advantage. The educators have identified that Web 2. 0 applications such as Blogs, Wikis, and other social networking tools have the potential to be used as teaching tools. Being able to use such a tool would not only make their teaching efforts easier but more importantly more effective in bringing information to their students. Coming from the aim of the study particularly to identify how Web 2. 0 technologies can be applied to Higher education, it is apparent that due to the inputs coming from both the student body and educators and because of extant literature there is an apparent improvement in the use of Information Technology in higher education. With the current use of Web 2. 0 technologies such as that of Flickr, Wikis and Myspace by both students and educators in communicating and teaching learning, Web 2. 0 technologies in the future will most certainly be integrated into higher education. This is due to the cultural changes that are observed within educators and students as how they perceive Web 2. 0 technologies and their effect on higher education. This is already evident as students currently utilize such Web 2. 0 applications in communicating with their peers for educational purposes. The next phase would be to utilize such tools more effectively and efficiently by the educators themselves in communicating with their students. On the other hand, because of such an increase in utilization, it would be constructive for this area of educational research if there are additional in-depth studies pertaining to Web 2. 0 technologies and how they affect higher education. In order to further explain and expound on this body of knowledge, it is recommended that a considerable number of focus groups be added into the study. This would yield a more accurate and diverse collation of answers. This would then be used in acquiring more information and validating the results of this study. In addition to the methodology, there should be an inclusion of several interviews to be conducted on other areas particularly other educational classes and universities so as to identify the relationship of geography with Web learning. In addition to this, it would be useful to identify if there is a relationship between racial background and web learning, is there a trait that controls the preferences of various races utilize web 2. 0 applications and if there is a relationship with race. Lastly, In addition to what was mentioned above, it would prove crucial if there is further study with regards to other countries and how they are able to utilize Web 2. 0 applications in their pursuit for better education. This would be able to provide the research with a better comparison particular to the effects of countries with respect to Web 2. 0 applications and Web learning.