Background: The Web and Education

The web influences people’s way of thinking, doing and being, and people influence the development of the web.  The evolution of the web from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and now Web 3.0 can be sued as a metaphor of how education should also be evolving, as a movement from Education 1.0 toward that of Education 3.0.  The Web, Internet, Social Media, and the evolving, emerging technologies have created a perfect storm or convergence of resources tools, open and free information access.”

– Jackie Gerstein

It is important to keep in mind when discussing Web 3.0 that there are no versions of the web; version numbers provide the illusion of delineation which helps us conceptualize where technology has been and where it is going (Yarmosh, 2021).  I tend to think of the web as a continuous series of developments ebbing and flowing with the needs and desires of its creators and users.  This process has changed the web into something that its original founder, Tim Berners-Lee, could hardly have envisioned, much less predicted.  The Web has changed the nature of wisdom, de-emphasizing the necessity of memorization and enhancing the collection of data, the analysis of complex problems, and the prioritization of tasks (Prensky, 2009).  This has led some experts to posit that school (in its current form) isn’t necessary.  In the era of an ubiquitous, AI-powered web where does this leave education?

Winning & Losing

As an educator I feel an inextricable need to keep pace with current developments.  If I am not utilizing all the facets of Web 3.0 in my classroom is my teaching style deprecated code?  Is my teaching only 2.0?  Everywhere I look I see new approaches that both excite and scare me.  If I am not changing with the times won’t I be left behind?

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As it turns out this view is shared by many educators.  As Mark David Webster (2017) observed discourses around educational technology tend to assume that change is inevitable, desirable, and beneficial to teachers and students.  He noted that commentators frequently give credit to technology itself for improving education rather than the instructors who implement it in creative and meaningful ways.  This provides an illusion of “an autonomous force operating outside of social control” a sort of neutral and unstoppable march of progress.  However this is not true.  Technology is not neutral, as experts have noted it is rooted in politics and pushes agendas.  As Lynsey Hanley argued advancements in web technology privilege those who have resources, higher education, and who are enthusiastic about learning.  In this week’s presentation Lourdes described this ideal student as one who seeks out wisdom.  I believe that Web 3.0 empowers learning for those who need help the least in society.  It ensures that those with means stay ahead (and in most cases widen the gap).  Is an Amazon Alexa a priority in the developing world?  Is AI powered search technology relevant in countries that restrict, monitor, and polices its Internet?  It is possible that distributed, peer to peer, and block chain powered technologies may de-emphasize the power of major corporations and democratize the web, but this remains to be seen.  Educators from developed countries who subscribe to “technological optimism” stand to gain the most in this situation.  But, early adopters beware: those who dive into educational tools feet first sometimes have the rug pulled out from under them, when free is no longer free, and unlimited becomes limited.

The Changing Role of the Teacher

Web 3.0 based technologies raise serious questions about the efficacy and value of what teachers do in the classroom.  Knowing has become inextricably linked with our access to devices.  Recall and memory are are often presented as necessities in increasingly unlikely scenarios (the so-called “desert island scenario” in which mathematics must be performed with a stick in the sand).  As Lourdes pointed out in her group presentation this places the teacher in role of a facilitator or guide, rather than a dispenser of knowledge.  She also noted that these new tools give us access to tools that increase our students ability to collaborate, communicate and access data.  Group discussion and chat during the presentation frequently heralded the need for increased emphasis on digital citizenship training (for both teachers and students) to deal with the changing information landscape.  Who will pay for the devices, infrastructure, training, and create equitable access was unanswered.

So does this mean the death of “traditional” school (a loaded question – what is tradition varies from person to person, but in this case I am referring to the current school system in my home province)?  Probably not; experts have noted that school remains relevant not for its ability to stay current, but its role in socialization and qualification (the latter being emphasized at the high school and post-secondary level).  Employers continually cite a combination of credentials (degrees, certificates) and soft skills such as communication, team work, and problem solving in their ideal candidates.  These soft skills are learnt amongst groups of people, and many begin this journey in brick and mortar schools.

To conclude I would like to ask you the following questions:

What skills have “Web 3.0” made irrelevant in modern education?

What new skills will our students need to flourish in a Web 3.0 enabled world?