By Duncan Stonebridge

The problems of information overload are not in the technology but through misuse, and misunderstanding. Clearly education is needed. But don’t think it is just the kids. Marc Prensky (3) identifies a generational gap between his digital natives and digital immigrants. The younger generation gets it, but often their elders and betters don’t. Yet these occasionally reluctant digital immigrants are the decision makers. So by students I mean anyone, whether seventeen or seventy. Education in general is one area where Web 2.0 promises benefits (4) as well as difficulties. Someone on Twitter has already grabbed that portmanteau, tweatcher. However I thought it worth defining and expounding on the role of an educator teaching Web 2.0 in a Web 2.0 way, a teacher 2.0 if you like, with the following guidelines.

1. Don’t add to the Overload

All information should be on the need to know basis. Instructional material should consider the limits our attention and our patience and should not be an excuse to yet produce more information. If it’s extraneous and irrelevant, then delete. This includes any text put in to merely fill up white space5. Make use of material already out there. Try actually teaching.

2. Teach people how to spot the baloney (6)

Raise awareness of scams and hoaxes as well as how language is used and abused. Include critical thinking skills and the importance of following up the references. (7)

3. Filter feed

Provide your learners with a compendium of the relevant information that this already out there. This will form the scaffolding8 onto which they can construct their own knowledge and interpretations. It will also be a chance steer your student’s away from the mainstream and informational dross.

4. Deal with concepts not just applications

A good conceptual model of how information technology actually works is all too often lacking. (9) This causes the misuse and misunderstanding. Understanding the key principles is the best future proofing as superficial interfaces change more often than the underlying mechanisms.

5. Actually make use of the technology

Practice what you preach. It will relevant and appropriate to do so and demonstrate your competence. It will also make for better hands on learning experience. Put instructional material online (only if you really need it). Use social software for feedback and discussion and update and change your material as go on.

6. Maintain a single moment of truth

When using the technology, networks and client server architecture allows for the rationalisation of resources and content. Make use of database technology for content management. This will do away the redundancy problem of spurious versions of documents containing what should be the same information, a real cause of information overload. Content management will also allow for smarter searches, filtering and sorting. (10)

7. Separate presentation from content

With content management systems make use of style sheets. That way changes to the design, such as colours and fonts, can be made just once and are carried over to all content. Otherwise every document would need editing. Content needs to evolve quickly and keep current.

8. Sometimes it’s ok to be a weasel (11)

Educators are allowed to inspire and challenge established thinking. Besides, embellishments and a narrative flow sometimes help with learning; it may be easier to remember and be less boring.

Notes

1 (Stonebridge, 2011) For a definition of Wed version 2. http://www.softengines.co.uk/page.php?id=web2  

2 (Nielsen, 2003) Information Pollution

3 (Prensky, 2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

4 (Hargadon, Retrieved 2011) Educational Networking: The important role Web 2.0 will play in education

5 (Krug, 2005) Steve Krug calls this “Happy Talk”

6 From Carl Sagan’s essay “The Fine art of Baloney Detection” http://www.inf.fuberlin.de/lehre/pmo/eng/Sagan-Baloney.pdf  

7 (Bartlett & Millar, 2011) Produced a report covering “Digital Fluency” and “Digital Judgement”, describing the need for school children to be taught critical thinking in relation to using the internet.

8 (Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, 2007) Use the term “scaffolding” in relation to learning, referring to the guidance needed to be given.

9 (Norman, 2002 ed.) Discusses conceptual models, and is also an influential book on design, including IT systems, he emphases the need for design to deal with the limitations of human cognition as well as capacity for errors.

10 (Stonebridge, Teleinfomatics, 2004) For discussion on Content and Knowledge Management systems

11 See Wikipedia for a discussion on Weasel words, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weasel_words  

References

Bartlett, J., & Millar, C. (2011). Truth Lies and the Internet: a report into young peoples digital fluency. Demos.

Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, R. G. (2007). Scaffolding and Achievement in Problem-Based and Inquiry Learning:. Educational Psychologist .

Hargadon, S. (Retrieved 2011). Educational Networking: The important role Web 2.0 will play in education. Elluminate.

Krug, S. (2005). Don't make me think. New Raiders.

Nielsen, J. (2003, August 11). Information Pollution. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from Alert Box: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030811.html  

Norman, D. A. (2002 ed). The Design of everyday Things. Basic Books.

Prensky, M. (2001, October 05). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, MCB University Press, Vol. 9, No 5 .

Stonebridge, D. (2004). Teleinfomatics. Retrieved November 08, 2011, from http://www.softengines.co.uk/page.php?id=teleinformatics  

Stonebridge, D. (2011). Web 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.softengines.co.uk/page.php?id=web2