K-12 Student Use Of Web 2.0 Tools: A Global Study

Vol. 7 No. 2

Year: 2011

Issue: Sep-Nov

Title: K-12 Student Use Of Web 2.0 Tools: A Global Study 

Author Name: Cheri Toledo, MaryFriend Shepard 

Synopsis: 

Over the past decade, Internet use has increased 445% worldwide. This boom has enabled widespread access to online tools and digital spaces for educational practices. The results of this study of Web 2.0 tool use in kindergarten through high school (K-12) classrooms around the world will be presented. A web-based survey was sent out through online social networks (e.g., Twitter, Nings, and blogs). From a list of 25 types of digital tools, 189 participants chose the online tools that their K-12 students used in educational settings. The data analysis identified tool-use across grade levels and trends based on teacher demographics. At all four levels students most frequently used wikis, blogs, and multimedia presentation tools. Further analysis revealed six categories that described how teachers were designing instruction for students to use online tools.