The Best Quick Reference Guides to Web 2.0 on the Planet...Period!

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...for the Scoop.it version to all!

THE STORY!

Last year, the amazing Prof. Dr. Mohamed Amin (Deputy Director, e-Learning, Centre for Academic Development, UKM) discovered through a large survey he conducted to academics and students from mostly public universities in Malaysia that there was a lack of awareness (and training opportunities) about Web 2.0, and how Web 2.0 can be used for learning and teaching. 

So, what did Prof. Amin do? Sit down and write another white paper, or research report recommending this and that? That is typical old school mentality, which I suppose some academics would probably still do. No, instead....   

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES

Prof. Amin started using several different types of Web 2.0 tools (Scribd, SlideShare, GoAnimate, YouTube, etc) to create/publish quick reference guides in creative ways exploring the "What, Why and How" of using Web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching. Since then, he has continued his increasingly successful mission to make a change, and here is a growing list of his amazing work to provide a gentle introduction to using Web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching: 

• JiT2U - Mobile Version to Learning Web 2.0 
• Web 2.0 Content Creation Tools
• Web 2.0 Research Tools
• Web 2.0 Survey & Polling Tools
• Web 2.0 Sharing Tools
• Web 2.0 Collaboration Tools
• Web 2.0 Social Networking Tools
• Web 2.0 Tools in Education
• More...

Here is one of his GoAnimate animations exploring how to use YouTube for learning and teaching (Check out his YouTube channel, too):

RESULTS?

So far, his Web 2.0 (OER) work has reached people from more than a hundred countries, and this growing collection has now been viewed more than a 150,000 times. However, his amazing work has yet to go really viral, and if it does...WOW!

However, as I discussed with my dear friend Prof. Amin yesterday (before my OER Talk at UKM) is that it will be difficult to keep all the quick reference guides updated as he adds new Web 2.0 tools to the growing collection. The navigation and especially the interface of many Web 2.0 tools keep on changing as they evolve, and to keep that updated in quick reference guides will certainly require a lot of extra work (and headaches). 

One way, is to convert these quick reference guides into Wiki format using for example Google Sites, and then easily invite other interested educators to participate in keeping them updated. Another way is to focus more on the 'WHAT' and 'WHY' (including learning and teaching tips), and then simply link to the 'HOW', which now many Web 2.0 tools (e.g. Twitter help) are doing a pretty good job (also they will certainly update the screenshots and changes faster).

Whatever, Prof. Amin plans for the future, his amazing work deserves a BIG KUDOS!

Yes, his quick reference guides to Web 2.0 tools is certainly a learning treasure for anyone (who can read English or Malay) :)