Abstract:

New Media allow many applications in Education. Really, we can do many with Web 2.0. We can contribute to write a wiki. All wiki’s pages are composed by users. This is already a great opportunity to collaborate and share contents and knowledge. Furthermore, we can explain an argument or probe a question. We could discuss any theme with forum community, too. But now, with Social Media, there’s an increase of a collaborative Education. With New Media and, specially, with the interaction, we can contact any more users. Simultaneously. Together. We could realize new communities, based on dialogue.

Social Networks allow to collaborate and converse with more people. If chat systems are usually indicated for a two-way communication (it often replaces the phone and it’s based on oral communicative structure), with Social Network platform, we can involve more people. Be careful! Even in Social Network we could talk a two-way communication, but could share our conversation easily. Our communication is often on board. And all people can read our posts and interact with us. On Facebook wall, I can start a conversation, post a comment, publish a video, an audio and any material (by my pc, by Web… ), but I can talk, too. Because, If I comment and interact with another user (my friend), I’m talking, I’m participating to a conversation, to a dialectical dynamic. Naturally, that needs our presence: both must be online. Thus, immediacy is real. And the immediacy is one of most important elements of dialogue and oral communication.

Starting by Plato’s Dialogue Theory and John Searle’s Speech Acts, I tested the possibility of collaborative learning on social network, with a social network platform, Alberoventi (www.alberoventi.com - in collaboration with Education Science Faculty, University of Turin, Italy). That is an open source environment which is possible editing and creating collaborative and sharing knowledge. I tested it at some Regional Secondary Schools (average age: 16-19) and at two University Faculties (Economy and Education Science). According the context, objectives of any experiments are changed: in some, it was important help students to argue and deepen didactical themes; in another, students were involved in experimental project of communication (simulating business cases). In this case, students developed the communication’s strategy, deepening linguistic and pragmatic concepts and elements (typical of the Web). After, they realized a shared document with their choices and thoughts. Starting by this elaboration, students made a ppt presentation and hypertext document to show their idea to other students.
Students are involved with the same Facebook’s dynamics (they can be friend, talking with other, posting… ); they can discuss online and at the same time about a theme with them teacher. They can realize a project collaboratively. And, they can realize video and web productions starting by discussion performed on Alberoventi. With this platform, I’d demonstrate that the user’s performance on Web allows to create an innovative and shared knowledge. My relation would explain the experimental activity of this project.

Keywords:

Social Media, Social Network, Dialogue, Interaction.