The rapid development of the internet has completely transformed the way we share information and knowledge. We went from the static Web 1.0 sites to the highly interactive Web 2.0 platforms, and now we are stepping into the new era of Web 3.0. Let’s explore which opportunities and challenges each stage of this digital evolution has presented for learners and educators.
The Development of the Web and Its Impact on Education
While reading Nupur Choudhury’s (2014) article World Wide Web and Its Journey from Web 1.0 to Web 4.0, I could totally trace the parallels with Jackie Gerstein’s (2014) idea that the development of the web can be a metaphor of the evolution of education. According to Choudhury (2014), Web 1.0 did not provide enough opportunity for users to interact with each other and with websites. The passive nature of Web 1.0 reminds me of the education model that existed before the constructivist approaches gained popularity. Instructors used to be the “carriers” and “deliverers” of knowledge, and students were mostly passively absorbing and memorizing information. As Raul and Stacey mentioned in their fascinating presentation, Web 1.0 would rather support the cognitive theory – learning is internal and is a result of people processing received information. Moreover, before the invention and spread of devices that could record and/or play audio and video materials, learners had access exclusively to written or printed sources of information outside of classroom, such as books, journals, lecture notes, etc. Similarly, Choudhury (2014) considers “read only content” to be one of the characteristics of Web 1.0.
Web 2.0 offered more interaction opportunities to the users – as Choudhury (2014) mentioned, it allowed “assembling and managing large global crowds with common interests.” Web 2.0 starts to remind me more of constructivism as it facilitates “collective knowledge production” (Choudhury, 2014). Web 2.0 enabled users to publish blog and social media posts, podcasts, wiki articles, etc. Thanks to Web 2.0, we, graduate students, are now exchanging our thoughts and insights in our WordPress blogs. As we also learned from Raul and Stacey’s presentation, Web 2.0 made online participation and content sharing more achievable, which supports such learning theories as social constructivism and connectivism.
The next stage of the evolution of the internet, Web 3.0 (or Semantic Web), makes it possible for users to find, exchange, and organize information more easily. It enables machines to comprehend and respond to complicated human requests, which presupposes that the relevant sources of information should be semantically structured (Choudhury, 2014). There is no doubt that the futuristic innovations of Web 3.0 have – and will continue to have – a tremendous influence on education. For instance, we can already witness various opinions on the role of AI in education, which range from excitement (and a growing number of AI tools specifically tailored for teachers and learners) to fear that students’ academic integrity and writing skills development can be significantly undermined.
Marina Theodotou (2023) is overall optimistic about the impact of Web 3.0, as she believes that with it “learners have greater autonomy, resources are easily accessible, and technology drives innovation in teaching and learning.” According to Theodotou (2023), Web 3.0 creates a user-controlled environment which understands and adapts to users’ needs and where content is verified based on particular criteria and data. The author also states that Web 3.0 is capable of personalizing learning experiences by analyzing your learning style, preferences, and previous activity and therefore customizing your learning journey for you. Virtual and Augmented Realities are able to provide learners with immersive experiences. Who wouldn’t want to attend a history class set in an actual ancient world viewed through the lenses of highly innovative VR glasses! Another advantage of Web 3.0 is that it makes information and multimedia more accessible for users, activating a more holistic comprehension of a topic (Theodotou, 2023). However, some may argue that more accessible information does not always mean more effective learning, as online sources are not always completely credible. That makes the role of critical thinking even more vital for modern learners, especially while working on creative or research assignments.
Shift to Web 3.0 – a Privilege or a Disadvantage?
Neil Postman (1988) claims that newly created technologies are always advantageous to some people and harmful to others. The same idea, in my opinion, applies to Web 3.0 (and all of the other Web versions) – some educators and learners will find the changes in the digital world useful, while some might not.
As a teacher who constantly uses the internet to prepare and deliver lessons, I can definitely see a lot of ways in which educators can benefit from Web 2.0 and 3.0. I love having a perpetual access to enormous ever-updating database of materials that teachers constantly share with each other. I even utilized some social media posts and videos as educational resources to make my class more modern and engaging. Another asset of Web 2.0 I have tried out is blogging – I used to run a small YouTube channel and an Instagram account related to learning English. It was an amazing teaching experience that connected me with numerous ESL teachers and learners, and I still keep in touch with some of them. Ashley Collar and Edgar Klusener (2018) believe that one tweet can start a whole social movement – so who knows, maybe my little blogs also helped at least one or two users improve their English!
As for the shift to Web 3.0, I am also doing my best to explore its new possibilities in my teaching practice. For example, I am trying to incorporate AI in my lesson planning process. I have been using Twee AI to generate questions to texts and YouTube videos. I have also asked ChatGPT to create several listening transcripts for my students, which I then recorded. Alternatively, even recording is not a necessity anymore, as such AI tool as Roshi can voice a pre-prepared text for you! In October, I attended a conference organized by Alberta Teachers of English as a Second Language (ATESL), and it included several presentations that discussed the benefits of teachers using the AI technology. AI can save teachers a lot of time and energy and provide the them with some fresh ideas.
As for learners, they will definitely benefit from multiple features of Web 3.0, such as personalization of the online environment or summarizing large pieces of information. Furthermore, tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT will be able to check students’ grammar and punctuation and even provide clarification of their mistakes. It will considerably increase learners’ capacity to be the “owners” of their learning and to practise outside of class when the teacher is not there to support or explain.
However, sometimes it seems like technology is moving too fast. I am 24 years old, but I still occasionally feel “old” when I deal with some of the modern devices or innovations. For many people, the evolution from Web 1.0 to 3.0 happened during their lifetime, and it is just too overwhelming to learn how to navigate new changes at such pace. Consequently, teachers and learners with the lack of technical skills may often feel left behind and disadvantaged.
Another complication that the new web may cause is related to affordability of the newly introduced programs and devices. We have discussed the pros of VR and AR technologies and their educational implementation, but it is important to admit that it is currently financially impossible to popularize their use in public education due to the cost of the devices used for these technologies. As a result, new learning and teaching opportunities may not be equally accessible to everyone.
To sum up, the internet has already become an inseparable part of our lives, and it is being adjusted and modernized faster than we can imagine. As educators, we should try to keep up with all of the changes the web is going through while bearing in mind its potential positive and harmful effects on learning. However intimidating the new stage of web can be, we should try to view it from Jackie Gerstein’s (2014) perspective – as a wonderful database of tools, resources, and information.
Thanks for your engaging post, Kateryna! I can relate to what you said here: “However, sometimes it seems like technology is moving too fast. I am 24 years old, but I still occasionally feel “old” when I deal with some of the modern devices or innovations.” I feel like I am reasonably technologically literate (more so than many), but I have a hard time grasping how Web 3.0 works. I have a hard time understanding block chain technology. Regardless of HOW it works, it seems to work. One worry I have about Web 3.0 is the over personalization of our internet experience. If we are only shown things that are relevant to us, how will we learn different perspectives? I think it’s important to see and learn many things even if they don’t pertain directly to us.
I also agree with your point about AR and VR. I think that these technologies haven’t become completely mainstream yet because of their cost. In regards to education, I don’t know how incorporating this technology into real life classrooms will be feasible when our schools can’t even afford to supply classrooms with enough of the most basic devices possible.
Hi dear,
I am happy to read your blog, in which you mentioned that using some of the old devices has made you bored. It happens to me as well. I agree with you, “As a result, new learning and teaching opportunities may not be equally accessible to everyone”. Some sections of society remain abandoned from the accessibility of the devices that are somehow required for the learning process. As an educator, I also want to provide my students with all the basic devices for their development and growth to inculcate the knowledge required for them.
This is a great blog post, Kateryna! True, you mentioned that technology is moving too fast! In my opinion, the Web 2.0 is perfectly fine — social connections. However, Web 3.0 is overwhelming, I suppose? In addition, Web 3.0 seems that it is “scary.” Of course, technology is great! I love the internet, I cannot imagine life without the internet. It keeps us informed and entertained at the same time. But for Web 3.0, not all may be able to adapt to it right away, whether it is students or teachers. It is still continuously evolving, and we can never totally predict what the future holds in the internet and how it will influence education in the near future.
Well done, Kateryna ! You’ve provided a thorough and insightful analysis of the evolution from Web 1.0 to Web 3.0 and how each phase has impacted education. I love how you connected these stages to educational theories, like how Web 1.0 aligns with traditional, passive learning, while Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 foster interactive and personalized learning experiences. Your experience using AI in your lesson planning is inspiring too.As you pointed out the cons with advanced technologies like VR are the rapid pace of change and affordability issues .You’ve balanced the potential of Web 3.0 with a realistic perspective on its accessibility.Good Work!
Hi Kateryna Klepikova
Your reflection on digital evolution from Web 1.0 to Web 3.0 is well organized. I liked how you presented each web phase in a pedagogical way by linking the ideas of Choudhury (2014) with a variety of pedagogical theories. This shows Web 1.0 to be similar to a variety of cognitive pedagogical theories, while Web 2.0 enabled a constructivist approach through a variety of cognitivist platforms.It is great to see that you have a positive attitude towards Web 3.0 technologies, particularly AI, and have described experimenting with these tools as a way to streamline your personalized learning.
You have shared your personal experiences with Web 2.0 platforms that shows how these tools have greatly enriched your practice. Your reflection is very balanced, recognizing both the possibilities and challenges presented by each of the different kinds of web thinking. Your statement about adopting Jackie Gerstein’s (2014) approach of seeing the web as a wonderful database is very encouraging as it calls for educators to embrace change in a thoughtful manner.
Kateryna,
A very well written blog post. I a really appreciated how you linked the evolution of the web to learning theory. I am absolutely see how the align. Your optimism that more good will come out of Web 3.0 is refreshing. As mentioned before all technology comes with positive and negative consequences. The quote you used by Neil Postman (1988) “claims that newly created technologies are always advantageous to some people and harmful to others”. It truly brings to light the importance of students needing to learn how to properly use the evolving technologies of their day. If we refuse to teach students how to use technology in a moral and ethical manner, then the result is society will reap what they sow. Fantastic blog!
Gerry T
This is a detailed post. I loved how you linked the ideas from Web 1.0 to 3.0. I agree with you that the transition from Web 2.0 to 3.0 appears to be too fast or sudden, even for somebody like me. I am still trying to navigate some Web 2.0 platforms, and here we have 3.0 before us, which is causing another level of distraction among the youth and even in education. I also loved your discussion around the challenges of Web 3.0 which includes issues related to cost and privacy concerns. Thanks for also sharing how you have been using the various WEB 3.0 tools, especially ChatGPT. I am also trying to explore some AI tools for creating videos and PowerPoint presentations. I am still learning and looking forward to list of various tools that people are using when it comes to Web 3.0.