The internet as god: analysing assessment in Web 2.0

Abstract

The advent of Web 2.0 is flagged as a revolution in technology having profound effects on global economic and social life. Web 2.0 harnesses the interconnectivity and interaction of the world wide web as a platform in itself. Education is not immune from this revolution, and has a lot to learn from the web 2.0 mantra 'don't fight the internet'. In the tertiary sector, while legal education in particular has arguably represented a more traditional approach to teaching and learning, many legal educators are integrating digital technologies into their teaching. This may represent a more contemporary approach to meeting our students' learning needs, however this paper argues that web 2.0 demands more of us than simply a more flexible or technologically current approach to our teaching and the tools we use to help our students learn. Instead, it requires a paradigm shift in how we conceptualise teaching and learning. This is illustrated through an analysis of the use of blogs in a first year assessment task.