Abstract:

Students can succeed in a globally competitive world where interconnectivity, knowledge production and technological innovations are essential to productivity and success with 21st Century Skills. As these new skills and knowledge required, Web 2.0 tools enable a different pedagogical approach through collaborative learning and the social construction of knowledge. Web 2.0 which is expressed as the new face of the internet and the community of technologies including second-generation services is quite useful in terms of online communication, collaboration and interaction and also supports the social context. Web 2.0 is a set of internet services which encourage students to participate in various communities of knowledge building and knowledge sharing. Education can change with the use of Web 2.0 tools as these support individual learning and allow students to collaborate with each other. Web 2.0 tools are used in the education context to engage students in their learning while providing social interaction with their peers in the learning process, to develop a deep understanding of content and to allow students opportunities for reflection.

This study aims to examine the pedagogical formation students’ perceptions about Web 2.0 tools and educational practices. A case study approach forms the methodological framework of this study. This study was conducted on 42 pedagogical formation students in Instructional Technology and Material Design course in 2014–2015 spring semester. During the course the students created digital materials such as puzzles, map concepts, worksheets, presentations and posters by using Prezi, Glogster, Webspiration etc. Web 2.0 tools. Furthermore they studied on Web 2.0 tools such as Voki (digital story-telling), ToonDoo (comic strips and cartoons), Blog, Wiki, Facebook, Twitter, Google Apps and Youtube to create digital materials. In other words, they were introduced to numerous Web 2.0 tools which were required for the purpose of the course.

The data required for this study was collected by the researcher through a questionnaire and open-ended questions developed to identify students’ views on Web 2.0 tools and educational practices in their future professional life. Content analysis, frequency and percentage were used in the analysis of data.

Students’ views on Web 2.0 tools and educational practices in their future professional life were examined from various perspectives in this study:
(1) the views of students about Web 2.0 tools that they use or plan to use in their current and future professional life (teaching profession);
(2) what are the reasons that students want to use Web 2.0 tools in their professional life;
(3) the detailed information on the views of students about their use of Web 2.0 tools in the educational context;
(4) the views of students about Web 3.0 technologies and the changes and innovations that will be brought by these technologies to the field of education.

The results show that the students most used “Facebook” in their current life and they most plan to use “Webspiration” in their future professional life. The students also prefer to use Prezi, Glogster, Youtube, Facebook, Blog/Wiki, Voki and Toondoo in their professional life. When the views of students for using Web 2.0 tools in the educational context were considered, five main categories emerged: student-teacher, course process, content, education-teaching, knowledge. According to the views of students about the features of Web 2.0 tools, easy to use, useful and economic features attracted the most attention. The students stated that the advantages and disadvantages of Web 3.0 technologies and changes and innovations that will be brought by these technologies to the field of education.

Keywords:

Web 2.0, Web 3.0, education