Application and Assessment of Web 3.0 in Education

Applying

Education seems to be one of the largest organizations for training in the world, yet most schools are at least 5-15 years behind the rest of the digital world whether it is lack of technology due to funding, resources, or knowledge. The majority of students today own or use some form of digital technology whether it be a cell phone, laptop, tablet, desktop, etc. This being said, if education is making an attempt to raise up the next generation of leaders, how can this be done if these leaders are not trained in such a way that make them an asset to the work force?

The Web is constantly changing and being added to on a regular basis. Students no longer have to research “what do people in china eat?” and find a resource page. They can use social media to speak to other students their age in China, they can research recipes they can make themselves, or they can take a digital tour of the streets of Shanghai and observe the food being served. There is no longer need for basic researching in question and answer format. It is being question, application, new question, new application etc. Yet students and teachers have fears about this.

When you look into the world of Social Media, most students are able to use them efficiently but do no have an awareness of digital citizenship. They believe that their information is secure simply because it is on their account. However, students are aware that others have issues with accounts being hacked, pictures and comments being used in the wrong context, and even teachers or parents tracking them. So it is no wonder that they are apprehensive about using this type of Web 2.0 software in an academic setting? Fear of personal meeting academic has students full of nerves.

However, if taught proper digital citizenship and the benefits of allowing their knowledge of social media to be used, students would learn that their underlying research needs can be met through a concept they are familiar with. Looking at the principle of Metadata, information is gathered through many sources via connection of similar resources. These resources come from all over the world from people from varying perspectives. By allowing students to understand that the collaboration of knowledge that can be generated with Web 3.0 concepts is similar to the way that social media operates. Ultimately for students and teachers, it comes down to a lack of awareness.

Assessing

Web 3.0 is not as well known as Web 2.0 because it is still in it's early stages of understanding. In addition, since there is such a strong connection to Web 2.0, the entity of it is not totally it's own in a practical sense. As the internet continues to develop, so will the concept of Web 3.0. Web 3.0 in education is limited for the time being due to lack of resources, training, and knowledge. One would also conclude that Web 2.0 software is encountering the same problem.