THE INFLUENCE OF WEB 2.0 TOOLS ON COLLABORATIVE LEARNING FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS IN AMERICAN SAMOA

Abstract

Over the years, Web 2.0 tools have played a more dominant role in education as they provide the skills necessary for 21st century learning (McLoughlin & Alam, 2014; Sadaf, Newby, & Ertmer, 2012). While this shift with educational technology has been prevalent in most schools, small rural communities such as American Samoa have yet to have as much experience with such tools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the influence web tools have on small group collaboration for secondary education students through the use of observations, surveys and interviews. The study focused on answering five research questions: How do students interact with each other using Web 2.0 tools during collaborative learning? How do students interact with the Web 2.0 tools during collaborative learning? How do students describe their experience using Web 2.0 tools in collaborative learning? What are the student’s perceptions of using Web 2.0 tools for collaborative learning? How do students believe the use of Web 2.0 tools for collaboration influenced their learning? This study consisted of one 12th grade English Language Arts class from a public high school, totalling 15 participants. The researcher found that the participants perceived the web tools to have a positive impact on their learning as they encouraged collaboration, teamwork, and communication. It was also found that the tools supported learning and promoted personal accountability; however, technical issues can delay the learning process. This study is significant because it showcases implications for future practice of web tool integration to promote collaboration and learning for students in rural communities.