I like the idea of the "read, write, collaborate" web; I've heard several views of "Web3.0" (generally 3-D or semantic) - but I like the move from 1 way, through 2 way to 3 way. (So, what's the prediction for the 4th way?)

You said " This in turn may hasten the death of the ailing institutional VLE." - Not sure what your views on that are, but from what I've seen of our Institutional VLE, it's going to take more than a few years to hasten its death.
I sometimes feel that it's going to hang round - like the OHP in the corner of the classroom, but unlike the OHP that lies dormant most of the time & is just rescued when you want to get students to collaborate on something & the room's not got a visualiser/ interactive white board ... but imagine if they mandated we used it ... and couldn't use Powerpoint [maybe that wouldn't be so bad, in retrospect!]

However, you know what I mean!

I read somewhere about the death (or otherwise) of Blackboard/WebCT in the light of Moodle etc., and the view of the author was that Blackboard will continue, as "large, risk averse" universities will still want it.

I'd like to see the views you have happening - and I agree that more collaboration & more ubiquitous access is likely to happen, but I worry that central depts will be too wedded (and indebted) to the Blackboards of this world ... and put up some barriers.

I hope not, though.

It scares me that e-Learning/web 3.0 is being discussed because so many teachers I work with barely have their hands on 1.0. Furthermore, and more sadly, technology departments in most US school districts are hesitant for teachers and students to use valuable tools like delicious, flickr, YouTube, twitter, and other collaborative tools.

So I can see that these great collaborative tools will exists, 3D tools also, but schools won't be able to adopt them because they'll be blocked since teachers won't trust kids with the technology.

Lastly, teachers will wonder why they'll need to use these tools when standardized tests are the norm. They can barely get kids to successfully pass these state exams, I'm not sure they'll see the value in collaboration 3.0.

I'm excited about the prospects, but need to see how schools will adapt to it, which I see as a slow (like evolution if you believe in that).

Dear Steve, thank U again for new provocative thoughts, that are not barks, of course...
You're probably right about "Digital divides of the future...likely be 'will and will not' psychological divides". About filtering filters in Twitter, it's just a question of time: according to NY Times (http://bit.ly/uThw), Akshay Java, a scientist at Microsoft, is trying to figure out a way to identify which experts are most influential on given topics by automatically analyzing the content of their tweets and who is in their Twitter network. Companies like Microsoft could use that information to figure out which twitterers they should contact to create buzz about a new product. THIS IS a SORT of FILTER, isn't it?
In the end, two aspects seem really relevant for Learning 3.0: apart from 3D technicalities (which look like appealing, but features for shopholics), psychological attitudes towards sharing and indexing/navigating matter. For example, Twitter probably adds some more semantic content but needs to be indexed, to be found and this is not available yet.
Finally, I would add also the "$/£" question: tools as Twitters and the like will be common practices as they cost little or nothing (phone companies internet bills are still high). Connection costs, then, count...

response to your post here
http://edublend.blogspot.com/2009/04/web-30-and-its-role-in-education.html

It was too big for posting here

Mike H is right to be scared as the 'Digital Divide' yawns into chasm. A good, thought-provoking post.

Once again, Twitter turbo boosts my thinking and PLN.

Thanks Steve.

I am sorry - how many times have I heard this conversation? Isn't it time we built a bit further on the "next bit of technology to turn up will change everything"

We have been able to use on-line collaborative technologies since the beginning of networks ( for UK schools that was TTNS in 1983). We have had simulations since the early 70's.

It has never been a shortage of potential technologies (even as it gets better). It has rarely been a shortage of potential pedagogic practice - there have been plenty of models around and most of the stuff made was done with original pedagogic intent.

I suspect it has a lot to do with the business models of education. This becomes more apparent when you apply Cultural Historic Activity Theory (CHAT) to the analysis eg Owen M, 2003 Implementation of VLEs and institutional issues, in Barajas M (2003), Virtual Learning Enviroments in Higher Education: A European View ed. Barcelona : Publicacions Universitat de Barcelona 2003

How do individual users and communities of users innovate thinking, practices, and future learning? I found an interesting report (dated 2008) from English NESTA at http://tr.im/iMWN.
Might be of some interest?
Another question: is "e-Learning 3.0" business-driven, as Martin Owen seems to suggest? Maybe, but users will have their (last?) ruling word.

You've labelled something that's been knawing at me for a while now; something that I haven't been able to compartmetalise or "put my finger on" - but vague thoughts and instinctive feelings have been there for a while.

I have been using moodle since its inception, but it has been feeling a bit creaky for a while - the closest I could get to describing my thoughts to a colleague the other day was to say that it is starting to "feel a bit Windows 3.1", which didn't clearly say what I as feeling, but made a vague sort of stab at it. I also find myself increasingly thinking of that line from that Tom Hanks film about "life being like a box of chocolates", and how education, becoming more and more autonimous and individual-driven is / should be just like a box of chocolates, with learners picking the bits they like and leaving the coconut fudge for someone else. (Though I quite like coconut fudge on occasion.)

I love the central conceit of the mashup and have been trying to spread the word for a while now - but worry about colleagues and students who find it confusing, vague and possibly all too - I don't know - transient?

I like your post and I would agree with you in technical terms. But I am not quite sure about the impact you describe. Yes there will be a few (10/100?) million people who take up the technology and thrive on learning. But I am afraid that the majority still considers learning to be a drag, that you do in school, and you stop learning when you get out of school.
Unless we are able also to upgrade the mindset of people to a version where learning is fun, learning is living, the potential of e-learning 3.0 will be not be used by the majority.

I have a problem with framing a discussion on educational change solely on the 'new' technologies that might be involved. It seems technologically deterministic see http://tinyurl.com/czbpsn when there is all sorts of other stuff going on the context - economic upheaval, environmental issues, the health of workers and learners, and the voracious capitalism of those moving into education. I agree with Martin Owen here (CHAT is a nice antidote to Tech Det), and it's the business models that need attention.

As I said in my recent post on Edupunk "I do think we need hard-nosed critique of commercialism around all areas of educational technology not just monopolistic providers of Virtual Learning Environments like Blackboard. What Tom Woodward called Client Enslavement is also called Supplier lock-in, and that sacrifice of power can happen wherever monopolies prevail - with proprietary VLEs, with ‘free’ Web 2.0 services that are bought out in the game of Googlopoly, and even possibly with Open Source software."http://tinyurl.com/d8gze4

Hi Steve - very nice post. I'm sceptical of most (if not all) web 3 rhetoric at the moment, but I reckon your 4 elements are bang on target. Well ... the first three, at least: I think '3D visualisation and interaction' still has some hurdles to overcome. I'd suggest POV as an alternative (or as a point of convergence...?)

Hey Steve - I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on 'e-learning 3.0' and think your 4 elements were a clear and concise start to the discussions on 3.0.

However, I think as previously mentioned by Mike_H some teachers have barely got to grips with 1.0 - however, I am ever the optimist that those that have will be able to embrace 3.0 in the future!

Nice work :0)

Hmmm just because we can doesn't we we should.

I'm all for accessibility but I think there's a point when our zealous pursuit of edutech actually hinders teachers/student progress.

An interesting article, but do we need the 'e-' prefix on learning? What benefit does it offer? Are we providing electronic learning, or learning using electronic means?

It turns out that I have wrong in my belief that elearning tools are no good as a learning management system, as I have been thinking since I heard of the concept. I was thinking that all these e-learning tools taught the learners were how not to interact with others and simply confine themselves to their learning tasks, since the electronic mode in which e-learning solutions come work were seemingly designed to be learned by individuals in the privacy of their own homes or work stations, since this learning management system is particularly geared to provide individuals with a learning tool that can be adjusted to their preferences and pace.

Great ideas and interesting discussion that follow. Unlike a few commentators, I don't worry about 'those who are left behind' and are still dealing with Web 1.0.

Developments in all fields, and perhaps more so in education than in many other areas, take time and most developments require that a group of people, enthused by possibilities and comfortable with the idea and process of change crack on and have a go. These people make the most noise and I think that they tend to do this to generate momentum as much as anything else. Then there are the quiet majority, who see good ideas emerging or being proven and begin to engage, in a more modest way and then there are those that don't get it and don't want to see, the grumbling tail. They'll adopt when they have no other choice but will be behind the main pack and have long ago given up any hope of competing.

It's not a race, but the metaphor works fine and it's the way of things.... I think!

Dear Steve
I love the way you state it: to “read/ write/collaborate”. However, I think that this idea applied to Web 2.0 not 3.0. Yes, web 1.0 was the “write” phase but web 2.0 is not only about the “read/write” elements. It does include collaboration on many levels. You have said it yourself by the end of your post “collaboratively!” I think we need to think of a verb that catches the essence of the ideas you are suggesting; not “visualise” or even “personalise” as the one in hand is already is. What about “read/write/ collaborate – 3D personalised mobility” or “autonomy”! That’s long, any suggestions?
I agree with "Mike H" that I was shocked to read about Web 3.0 being discussed. I'm teaching a "Technology in Language Learning/Teaching" module in AASTMT – ILS in Egypt, Alexandria in which I am trying to introduce teachers to the Web 2.0 tools and how can they use them in teaching language. Some of them find it over whelming! and I agree with "Mike H", that many are still struggling with web 1.0, they do not even know how to make a proper search to get a resource!
I’m also concerned about our students’ capability to become autonomous. I have been working on preparing and updating our AASTM Moodle for 2 years now, and the students, let alone the teachers, are facing problems using the tool! Are our students truly ready to be autonomous learners? Are our teachers willing to give in to technology?

Dear Steve

Thank you for your thought provoking comments.

I'm interested in researching the future of social technolgies in higher education and would welcome advice on some readings.

I am teaching in Malaysia now and teach English and Communication Skills. Of late, I've been interested in the impact digital technolgies have on teaching and learning.

I's appreciate your advice.

Hi Steve - Your blog has spurred my thinking and prompted me to share my meandering thoughts...

I think in the education circles I work in, many have spent the last ten years considering, predicting, and talking - discussing changes that may/do need to occur in education. The Did You Know videos etc. There has been a lot of hype, of horizon gazing, of hot air, of facts and figures which are always needed in a changing dimmension. However I think that was 'yesterday'. This now needs to be tempered with the steps required to make change, the explicit actions needed at the teacher's "right in front of me" place.

We need, as Ghandi so eloquently put it, to be the change we wish to see occur.

Personally I love the collaborative aspects that new technologies facilitate, the read/write/collaborate web that you blog about. I think perhaps you could add talk/discuss/listen to the read/write/collaborate. Technologies, especially m-technologies are allowing all these to be captured and shared so easily now.

I believe as teachers we've involved ourselves in a lot of speculation, in the wonderment and awe, in the buzz of digital-scapes and education, the newness of technologies. The glitz! What we need to do now is put as much energy into making the change happen for learning and learners, as has gone into inspiring people to consider and reflect, to future gaze, especially around technology. It is now time to effect the changes required, to have rich conversations, conduct active learning research and to share practices which are making a real difference and bringing the positive changes to educaiton about.

We need to develop/discuss/scrutinise our own practice and make explicit our evolving pedagogies,that which underpins our own practice and progress as teachers, in meeting these new demands.

What steps do weas classroom teachers need to undertake?

Thanks for your comments and questions Lorraine. It's important to ask what steps teachers need to take next to capitalise on the new web tools that are emerging. I'm working with several schools at present, examining the ways they use new web tools in the classroom. My studies will be showcased in several speeches I will be giving in the coming months in Namibia, New Zealand, Australia and of course in the UK. My theme will be 'transformative power of learning technologies'. I will post up my slides, and perhaps blog about this theme later this month.