Got Web 2.0? a Review of Web 2.0 Tools for the Information Systems Curriculum
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Volume 8, Number 28 http://isedj.org/8/28/ June 15, 2010 In this issue: Got Web 2.0? A Review of Web 2.0 Tools for the Information Systems Curriculum Patricia Sendall Wendy Ceccucci Merrimack College Quinnipiac University North Andover, MA 01845 USA Hamden, CT 06518 USA Alan R. Peslak Penn State University Dunmore, PA 18512 USA Abstract: This paper discusses the importance of incorporating Web 2.0 technologies across the Information Systems (IS) curriculum. The Web 2.0 paradigm is not new; although the term itself was coined in 2004 by Dale Dougherty of O’Reilly Media, Inc., (Anderson, 2007) the concept of a collaborative workspace was the original vision of Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. The Economist Intelligence Unit (2007) reports that approximately 80% of all corporations believe that Web 2.0 has the potential to increase revenues. Others have stated that health of one’s business could be seriously damaged if these technologies are not being utilized. This manuscript first presents a review of the importance of Web 2.0 technologies. This is followed by a comprehensive overview of the multitude of technologies that make up Web 2.0. The goal is to provide a detailed reference to understanding these tools so that they can be readily understood by students and easily incorporated into current information systems curricula. Keywords: Web 2.0, blog, wiki, podcast, social networking, information systems pedagogy, collab- orative learning Recommended Citation: Sendall, Ceccucci, and Peslak (2010). Got Web 2.0? A Review of Web 2.0 Tools for the Information Systems Curriculum. Information Systems Education Journal, 8 (28). http://isedj.org/8/28/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2008: §3135. ISSN: 1542-7382.) This issue is on the Internet at http://isedj.org/8/28/ ISEDJ 8 (28) Information Systems Education Journal 2 The Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Education Special Interest Group (EDSIG) of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP, Chicago, Illinois). • ISSN: 1545-679X. • First issue: 8 Sep 2003. • Title: Information Systems Education Journal. Variants: IS Education Journal; ISEDJ. • Phys- ical format: online. • Publishing frequency: irregular; as each article is approved, it is published immediately and constitutes a complete separate issue of the current volume. • Single issue price: free. • Subscription address: [email protected]. • Subscription price: free. • Electronic access: http://isedj.org/ • Contact person: Don Colton ([email protected]) 2010 AITP Education Special Interest Group Board of Directors Don Colton Thomas N. Janicki Alan R. Peslak Brigham Young Univ Hawaii Univ NC Wilmington Penn State EDSIG President 2007-2008 EDSIG President 2009-2010 Vice President 2010 Scott Hunsinger Michael A. Smith Brenda McAleer George S. Nezlek Appalachian State High Point Univ U Maine Augusta Grand Valley State Membership 2010 Secretary 2010 Treasurer 2010 Director 2009-2010 Patricia Sendall Li-Jen Shannon Michael Battig Mary Lind Merrimack College Sam Houston State St Michael’s College North Carolina A&T Director 2009-2010 Director 2009-2010 Director 2010-2011 Director 2010-2011 Albert L. Harris S. E. Kruck Wendy Ceccucci Kevin Jetton Appalachian St James Madison U Quinnipiac University Texas State JISE Editor ret. JISE Editor Conferences Chair 2010 FITE Liaison 2010 Information Systems Education Journal Editors Don Colton Thomas Janicki Alan Peslak Brigham Young U Hawaii Univ NC Wilmington Penn State University Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Information Systems Education Journal 2008-2009 Editorial and Review Board Samuel Abraham, Siena Heights Michael Smith, High Point Univ Cynthia Martincic, St Vincent Coll Ronald Babin, Ryerson Univ Karthikeyan Umapathy, UNFlorida George Nezlek, Grand Valley St U Sharen Bakke, Cleveland St Stuart Varden, Pace University Monica Parzinger, St Mary’s Univ Wendy Ceccucci, Quinnipiac U Laurie Werner, Miami University Don Petkov, E Conn State Univ Janet Helwig, Dominican Univ Bruce White, Quinnipiac University Steve Reames, Angelo State Univ Scott Hunsinger, Appalachian St Belle Woodward, So Illinois Univ Jack Russell, Northwestern St U Kathleen Kelm, Edgewood Coll Charles Woratschek, Robert Morris Patricia Sendall, Merrimack Coll Frederick Kohun, Robert Morris Peter Y. Wu, Robert Morris Univ Li-Jen Shannon, Sam Houston St Terri Lenox, Westminster Kuo-pao Yang, Southeastern LA U EDSIG activities include the publication of ISEDJ and JISAR, the organization and execution of the annual ISECON and CONISAR conferences held each fall, the publication of the Journal of Information Systems Education (JISE), and the designation and honoring of an IS Educator of the Year. • The Foundation for Information Technology Education has been the key sponsor of ISECON over the years. • The Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP) provides the corporate umbrella under which EDSIG operates. c Copyright 2010 EDSIG. In the spirit of academic freedom, permission is granted to make and distribute unlimited copies of this issue in its PDF or printed form, so long as the entire document is presented, and it is not modified in any substantial way. c 2010 EDSIG http://isedj.org/8/28/ June 15, 2010 ISEDJ 8 (28) Sendall, Ceccucci, and Peslak 3 Got Web 2.0? A Review of Web 2.0 Tools for the Information Systems Curriculum Patricia Sendall [email protected] Management Information Systems Merrimack College North Andover, Massachusetts 01845 USA Wendy Ceccucci [email protected] Information Systems Management Quinnipiac University Hamden, Connecticut 06518 USA Alan Peslak [email protected] Information Sciences & Technology Penn State University Dunmore, Pennsylvania 18512 USA Abstract This paper discusses the importance of incorporating Web 2.0 technologies across the Infor- mation Systems (IS) curriculum. The Web 2.0 paradigm is not new; although the term itself was coined in 2004 by Dale Dougherty of O’Reilly Media, Inc., (Anderson, 2007) the concept of a collaborative workspace was the original vision of Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. The Economist Intelligence Unit (2007) reports that approximately 80% of all cor- porations believe that Web 2.0 has the potential to increase revenues. Others have stated that health of one’s business could be seriously damaged if these technologies are not being utilized. This manuscript first presents a review of the importance of Web 2.0 technologies. This is followed by a comprehensive overview of the multitude of technologies that make up Web 2.0. The goal is to provide a detailed reference to understanding these tools so that they can be readily understood by students and easily incorporated into current information sys- tems curricula. Keywords : Web 2.0, blog, wiki, podcast, social networking, information systems pedagogy, collaborative learning 1. INTRODUCTION field and in the classroom, academic tech- nologists are expected to not only keep up Incorporating new technologies into one’s with, but to stay ahead of, those changes” curriculum can feel at times daunting. “Un- (Sendall, Poteat & Noonan, 2008). Recently, like most disciplines across the academy, some of those changes have included Web technology disciplines are in a constant state 2.0 technologies. Knowing that Web 2.0 of change. In order to stay current in their technologies are here to stay, it is incum- c 2010 EDSIG http://isedj.org/8/28/ June 15, 2010 ISEDJ 8 (28) Sendall, Ceccucci, and Peslak 4 bent upon us as educators to prepare our There has been a lot of hype around the no- students for the workplace by incorporating tion of Web 2.0 in recent years, but in reality these technologies into our curriculum. So, the technologies haven’t been around for all where do we begin? Where in our curriculum that long (it just seems that way). The term do we incorporate these technologies? Which was officially coined in 2004 by Dale Dough- specific Web 2.0 technologies do we choose? erty, a vice-president of O’Reilly Media dur- How can we possibly add one more thing ing an internal team discussion while plan- and still cover what we need to cover in our ning for a future Web conference (Anderson, classes? The purpose of this paper is to pro- 2007). In 2007, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the vide a Web 2.0 primer for faculty who are inventor of the Web, stated that Web 2.0 interested in incorporating some of these was a “piece of jargon” that no one even technologies into their teaching but who, for knows the meaning of (Anderson, 2007). a variety of reasons, haven’t had an oppor- His vision for the original Web, or Web 1.0, tunity yet to do so. This paper provides Web was that of a collaborative workspace, a 2.0 terms, tools and resources with which to read-write Web, where everyone would be get started. able to share their work and others would be able to edit it in a “single, global information 2. WHAT IS WEB 2.0? space.” With Web 2.0, his vision has come to fruition (Sendall, Ceccucci & Peslak, 2008). Web 2.0 is a term which describes “new” collaborative Internet applications. The pri- Web 2.0 should not be confused with Inter- mary difference from the original World Wide net2. According to a Pew Internet study Web, or Web 1.0, and Web 2.0 is greater (Madden & Fox, 2006), Web 2.0 is not a new user participation in developing and manag- and improved Internet network and it does ing content, which changes the nature and not have a separate backbone. Web 2.0 is a value of the information. According to term which describes new collaborative In- McLean, Richards, & Wardman (2007), key ternet applications. The primary difference elements of Web 2.0 include: between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is that the latter fosters collaboration and greater par- • Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to ra- ticipation in content (McLean, Richards & pidly disseminate awareness of new in- Wardman, 2007).