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Chapter 1
Web 2.0 Technologies
in E-Learning
Utku Köse
Afyon Kocatepe Unviersity, Turkey
InTRODUcTIOn
Ways of using the World Wide Web personally
and professionally are rapidly changing with the
advanced web technologies in recent years. These
technologies transform the classical Web into an
interactive, dynamic platform and form a new
trend in web developing and web designing. Thus,
computer users find themselves in a new genera-
tion of the Web. The term “Web 2.0” is used to
define this new form of the digital world. Today,
the popularity of Web 2.0 and the development
of new web applications continue to improve at
a rapid rate.
There are many sophisticated Web 2.0 ap-
plications that provide collaborative working or
social networking platforms for computer users.
Web 2.0 technologies also can be used to create
personal and interactive technologies or applica-
tions. Blogs, wikis, file sharing sites and podcast-
ABsTRAcT
Web 2.0 is the second face of World Wide Web with its revolutionary features and technologies. Web 2.0
takes users to a dynamic environment, where they can build or control more personal, social and lexible
web contents. These functions attract educators’ attention and enable them to use Web 2.0 technologies
in E-Learning activities. As a result of using Web 2.0 technologies, a new generation learning form:
E-Learning 2.0 comes to life. This chapter will discuss the roles of Web 2.0 in E-Learning, analyze
free and open source E-Learning 2.0 applications, and discuss the future of the Web. The features of
Web 2.0 and its popular technologies will be explained irst. Later, the roles of Web 2.0 technologies
in E-Learning activities and E-Learning 2.0 will be discussed. Following that, free and open source
E-Learning 2.0 applications will be analyzed. At last, new generations within the future, Web 3.0 and
Web 4.0 will be discussed.
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-917-0.ch001