Abstract:

The increasing use of Web 2.0 has altered the way in which education is delivered within and beyond classroom walls. In fact, instead of being confined to classroom-based learning, most students nowadays resort to social media platforms. Many studies have actually proven that students are greatly immersed in these technologies and use them not only to interact but also to learn. Nevertheless, despite the wide use of these online communities amongst students, the great majority of teachers are reluctant in embracing Web 2.0 technologies as educational tools. The objective of this article is, therefore, to identify the causes of this digital divide between students, who are tech-savvy and teachers, who stick to their traditional role as the sole providers of knowledge. To this end, we carried out a survey amongst students and teachers so as to explore their perceptions towards using Web 2.0 technologies as educational tools and to identify the stumbling blocks that lie behind this digital divide. Results of the study revealed that there are divergent views concerning the use of these online platforms for educational purposes. The findings also indicated that there are personal, professional as well as technical factors that hinder faculty members from integrating these web-based tools in education settings.

Keywords:

Education, Web 2.0, students, teachers, digital divide.