Concerns in a Web 2.0 World
May 6, 2008
It is easy to read articles like this and believe that Web 2.0 is truly the “future of education”.
I believe that the read/write Web, or what we are calling Web 2.0, will culturally, socially, intellectually, and politically have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press. I believe that we cannot even begin to imagine the changes that are going to take place as the two-way nature of the Internet begins to flower, and that even those of us who have spent time imagining this future will be astounded by what happens. I’m going to identify ten trends in this regard that I think have particular importance for education and learning, and then discuss seven steps I think educators can take to make a difference during this time.
It is a bit more challenging to understand the dangers and risks associated with moving towards a connected Web 2.0 world.
My preliminary break-down of the risks of working in a Web 2.0 world come down to:
Privacy
As more content moves towards a digital space, privacy concerns multiply. Connect this digital content to a world wide web, where entire countries are attacking our most important institutions, and the problems get even worse. Create a Web 2.0 world where individuals are posting all their secrets, thoughts, ideas, and personal content to the web, and our definition of privacy is forever changed.
The amount of information that the digital native generation is sharing with their friends online is astounding. Pictures, resumes, journals, and chats are becoming part of the public domain.
A person with malicious intent can easily pose as a “friend” and find the most intimate details of their target’s life.
The privacy concerns in a Web 2.0 world are downright scary.
Ownership of Data
In previous generations, an individual was the owner and protector of his or her data. Today, companies such as Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft are the owners of your data. Information is being hosted through SaaS models, and information is essentially open to the wild.
When you do not own your own data, those years spent building something online is now accessible with a single password. There are no longer physical barriers to someone gaining access to your entire life.
One Point of Failure
This is something that I have had personal experience with. One day, I tried accessing my Gmail address, and got a disturbing message that my account has been disabled. Not knowing what to do, I started to realize how exposed I am to Google.
My calendar, e-mail, to-do lists, notebooks, references, online docs, RSS feed list were all hosted by a single company with no backup!
The few days that I had no access to Google products was truly a test of my entire system. It is easy to be blinded by all the great products offered by a digital world. Luckily, my account was enabled within a few days. I quickly backed everything up, but this risk can truly cripple an organization.
Reliability of Information
I was speaking to a Superintendent last week, and she shared a story with me about how one of her nieces created a research paper with faulty internet research.
The message, of course, is that students need to understand how to triangulate data, check sources, and decipher reliable vs. unreliable sources. Younger kids, in particular, are at risk of not being able to understand this distinction.
Therefore, it is important to keep in mind the reliability of information when doing research in a Web-based world.
Technology Limitations
The final concern, in my mind, of a Web 2.0 world is that the browser is simply not a mature application delivery tool. Any type of analysis involving spreadsheets, databases, or document processing still requires a desktop or server environment.
The browser was not designed to host applications. While Google Docs and Zoho represent a commendable effort at replicating desktop applications, they are not designed to accomplish what we want.
Bottom line: While I am extremely excited about the possibilities of a Web 2.0 world, there are important concerns to keep in mind when integrating these tools into the classroom.