Introduction to the Special Issue on Learning and the Social Web

Abstract

While we have been successful at broadcasting learning material on the Web, we are still falling short of capturing online social interactions. Online learning and teaching are not as engaging as they could be. While the emergence of the Web 2.0—or the Social Web—has proven socialization on the Web can go much beyond the early posting boards that are still in use within most learning management systems, we still know little about what sustains social interaction on the Web. Online educators lack the know-how and the tools to realize the full potential of the Web as learning platform. This special issue contributes to these questions from several directions. Some papers present systems to help instructors create and finding learning ressources collaboratively. Others address innovative pedagogical principles related to games and personal learning environments.