TRENDS AND ISSUES ON SOCIAL WEB AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES

A growing body of literature has been investigating the adoption of emerging technology applications in education. In particular, researchers have shown an increased interest in social web or Web 2.0., considered as one of the most relevant form of current technological developments. Social web creates new meta-knowledge as it enables students to gather, store, synthesize, and share information among each others. However, questions have been raised about the real potential of advanced technology in higher education institutions. While the need for further contributions that will help understand the importance and impact of social web and other emerging technologies in education is growing, far too little attention has been paid to the analysis of empirical studies on these issues. This paper aims at analyzing empirical evidences on new technologies adoption in this specific area in order to shed new light on its repercussions among both students and teachers. It also seeks to provide academics with a number of valuable insights into current research trends and results and help them discover possible directions for future empirical contributions