What does the changing environment of higher education in a Web 2.0 world mean to you?

What does the changing environment of higher education in a Web 2.0 world mean to you?

The changing environment of higher education in a Web 2.0 world means that I have to become proficient in using Web 2.0 technologies and build my confidence in this area so that I can support my students to do the same. What I found very interesting from the readings, is that I have been wrong in assuming that the majority of students coming into higher education are very proficient in using Web 2.0 technologies. And, as many students are not proficient in using these technologies, such is the case with staff members. There is a diversity of experiences with technology, and assumptions should not be made.
There is a direct link between the use of Web 2.0 technologies and the employability skills that I use in my teaching of practicum, for example, teamwork, communication, collaboration, technological proficiency. There is an opportunity to practice these skills as part of the teaching/learning component in class. One may assume that this new technology will provide opportunities for a collaborative approach – however do students have the skills and the tools to work collectively? How do I make the process of working collaboratively explicit in class, and further use Web 2.0 technologies to further integrate their learning.
I am a very visual learner; I also learn by doing. I was interested to read that even very young learners, who are not proficient in Web 2.0 technologies, when allowed the opportunity to explore an area of interest, quickly become quite sophisticated at their use of the technology. This means that if I as the educator can find common areas of interest for my students, within their practicum experience, using Web 2.0 technologies could prove very meaningful.