Using Web 2.0 to teach Web 2.0: A case study in aligning teaching, learning and assessment with professional practice

Web 2.0 technologies have transformed the way people in information industries engage with their clients, collaborate on projects, promote their services and gather community knowledge. In this paper, we describe the impact of industry adoption of Web 2.0 technologies on an information management course. The students in this course are either already working in or plan to be entering information professions such as librarianship, archiving, records management, information architecture, and information and knowledge management. The lecturer and tutors for this course are changing the way learning is assessed and constructively aligning it with industry expectations for library and information graduates. Specifically in this paper we focus on the impact of the Web 2.0 affordances on student learning, the assessment process, and constructive alignment of intended learning outcomes with industry expectations in an information management blogging assignment. These findings are from the final stage of an Australian project where case studies of subjects that used Web 2.0 tools to assess student work were documented. Analysis of the students' blogs reveals exploration of the new tools used in a professional manner, greater collaboration and improved communication within the subject.