Chapter 1: Learning In Collaborative Spaces: Encouraging a Culture of Sharing

There is a sense that the World Wide Web is evolving, and as it does so, it is entering into a new phase of development (Hill, 2008). Most would agree that the Web is in the process of being transformed from a finite and logo-centric space toward an almost infinite space defined by imagery and multitextuality. There are also clear indications that the Web is becoming increasingly interactive and participatory—hence its “social web” tag.

There has been much rhetoric about the pervasiveness of the Internet as a surrogate for friendship, conversation, and entertainment. In essence, this may hold some truth, because a large proportion of real-world experiences and contexts can be replicated or at least mediated through online tools and services. Ultimately, it is this open and participatory nature of the present Web that is influencing pedagogy and challenging traditional roles. This “social” Web enables the repurposing of existing content, overlayering and mashing up of content, user generation of content, and social networking, all of which are expanding at an unprecedented rate.