How social software is used for learning
January 17, 2013 by admin Filed under Learning online
With computers and the internet becoming increasingly important, it is inevitable that they would be used for different things. Since the internet is a very powerful tool for carrying and conveying information, it is therefore very useful when it comes to education.
The Emergence of Social Software Applications
Social software applications are the most influential force in driving the popularity of the internet today. These are the interactive and communication tools that allow people to connect online. There are different types of social software applications that are in use today. Just to give you an idea, here are some of these types:
- IM or Instant messaging
- Text chat
- Collaborative software
- Wikis
- Blogs
- Collaborative real-time editors
- Prediction markets
- Social network services
- Social network search engines
- Social guides
- Social bookmarking
- Social libraries
- Virtual worlds
The list could go on and on. Basically any software that allows its users and people to connect, communicate and share information with one another through the internet can be considered to be social software. These can be treated as extensions of the real society where the people who are using these types of software are living. The purposes for which they have been created are varied. Some are meant for entertainment, others are for sharing information, but the one constant thing is that they bring people together.
How Social Software is Used for Learning
Because of the qualities of the computer, especially when it is connected to the internet, it is considered to be an ideal tool for education and for aiding in learning. Social software applications like Social viewing and Wikis can be instrumental in helping teachers to provide instructions. The internet is also a venue for non-traditional forms of education. With its aid, distance education has taken a whole new meaning. It is now possible for open universities to provide instructions to students that are close to those that they can get in a traditional classroom setting.
Social online storage, and other applications that are similar to it, allows the users to store information, files and data and share it with each other. Even the video games and role playing games that are based on the internet are opportunities for learning in a social environment.
The Future of Education
It is inevitable that the future of education would feature the use of social software application extensively. That’s why it is better if you would embrace it and the changes that it brings as early as now.