12063s

12063s

Student Presentation (20 minutes)

João Paz, Instituto Piaget, Almada, Portugal, jpaz@almada.ipiaget.org
 * Opening an ICT Post-Graduation Curricular Unit to web 2.0: an exploratory study**

The main purpose of the paper is to present an exploratory study about the case of an ICT Post-Graduation Curricular Unit previously taught in closed Learning Management System which was opened to Web 2.0 and social networks in one of the modules. Using interaction content analysis and online interviews of the participants, we examined the affordances of the selected Web 2.0 applications, how the participants perceived the effects of opening the module and which changes were produced in terms of communication patterns and the structure of the virtual learning community. Although some limitations like the short duration of the module and the students' profile may have some bearings on the conclusions, we found good acceptance, some differences in the communication patterns but not much of the supposed advantages described in the literature: the community maintained the group structure and not developed to the network structure, debates did not get richer by being transported form closed forums to an open social network application.

Advanced Learning Management System elearning affordances web.2 virtual community Google+