Brown, Susan. "Seeing Web 2.0 in Context: A Study of Academic Perceptions." Science Direct. N.p., Jan. 2012. Web. 21 May 2014. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.usca.edu:2048/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.04.003
Introduction The selected article Seeing Web 2.0 in Context: A Study of Academic Perceptions was a research article that intended to explore the perceptions of university professors and those who teach educators about the usefulness of Web 2.0 tools in their setting. The study was conducted at University in the United Kingdom, participation was voluntary as the researcher sent an email to 2,000 educators requesting their involvement. Educators who responded were asked to complete an online survey that explored their perceptions of Web 2.0 tools. The researcher then selected candidates who actively teach with web 2.o tools and conducted interviews with them. Of the 4,200 educators contacted, 22 were interviewed after meeting the researchers criteria. The results gathered from those 22 interviews stated that the blanket use of Web 2.0 tools is not appropriate. Additionally, the research showed that Web 2.0 is useful in promoting student-centered learningand ongoing experimentation with and discussion of Web 2.0 is the best way of reaching a deeper understanding of its potential. The researcher did not identify any limitations, however, the small sample size for this research product leaves me questioning its validity and long-term usage.
Critique
The research question in this article was implied to state that the researcher was trying to gain a perspective on web 2.0 tools being used at the university. A hypothesis was not presented or attempted to be proven. The researcher attempted to gauge perception. The researcher discussed changing her method midstream, as there were phenomena in her data. She adjusted her coding and future interviews to account for this issue. There was a section devoted to the perceptions of web 2.0 in the literature. The selected research was comprised of current articles. Many of the articles discussed the need for a paradigm shift in education to encourage increased usage of web 2.0 tools. The current view according to the researcher focused on issues that were easier for the educators and were not student centered. She further discusses how this may be caused by the fear of learning new technology. The selected literature was diverse and appropriate. The article was written by a student in the United Kingdom and presented this reviewer some difficulty with translation. While uses of behaviour was expected and understood. The researcher used some slang/jargon that was exclusive to the United Kingdom. Additionally, the researcher used the word tutor quite often, which could translate to teacher or graduate assistant. The researcher used the word academic when referring to professors or educators. I sent a paragraph to a British colleque who advised me he had struggled with the interpretation stating some poor word choices were used. For that reason, I feel this paper was not accessible to a wider audience. My research topic for much of this course has been web 2.0. Whether it is perception, or usage in K-12/higher education. I have been interested in real world applications of these tools and this article aligned with those needs. The data however failed to impress me. I feel the information gained from this article comprises a slice of the population, however that slice is so small I would not consider the data relevant. The researcher clearly states the results of the study and provides good interpretations of the data reviewed. The researcher mentions the theory being studied in the introduction, conclusion and periodically throughout the article.
Conclusion
I feel the biggest limitation to this article was the sample size. Less than one percent of the educators at the university were included .The researcher reached out to 4250 individuals, however the final results were based on findings of 22 educators. When the slice is that small, I question the validity. The data the researcher did grab was interesting and I truly enjoyed some of the anecdotal comments the researcher placed in the paper that showed the perceptions of the professors of the university. A math teacher stated that Web 2.0 tools would be fine in the classes where answers are wishy-washy but have no place in courses where there is only one right answer. Comments like that help prove part of her conclusion, stating that a deeper understanding of its potential is needed for increased usage in the university setting.