Web 2.0 in higher education: blurring social networks and learning networks

This paper reports on a study that investigated how two cohorts of students (in medicine and education) adopted a social networking platform to assist their university studies. The study examines the sites of dissonance between predicted and actual usage of the tool. Although the integration of social technologies into higher education is not new, there is mounting imperatives for developing creative, flexible, technologically literate graduates. Yet, to date, limited research has focused on how contemporary learners expect to and in actual fact, utilise these tools to support their study. This study observed that students’ perceptions of how technologies should support their learning is evolving. These perceptions can be used to help guide teachers and students to better understand and address the blurring of the boundaries between social and learning networks that are rapidly unfolding.