Web 2.0 Tools in Classroom ; Enhancing Student Engagement through Technology Enabled Active Learning

Abstract

The essentiality of teaching is to make student learning possible. This can be achieved by ensuring student engagement during lessons. Due to the paradigm shift in learning towards student-centred learning, pedagogical strategies need to be adopted to create a learning environment where students can be active learners. Hence, 21st century teachers are expected to be capable of enhancing active learning. As current learners accept technology; adapts to it, uses it to complete tasks in new and creative ways, pedagogical strategies such as active learning needs to be implemented in a technology enabled learning environment. This paper looks into the two cycles of action research, conducted to improve student engagement by creating learning activities using Web 2.0 tools to promote active learning among students, which in turn would enhance their engagement within the class. The purpose of the first cycle was to design learning activities using web 2.0 tools and evaluate these activities on the levels of active learning. Evaluators agree that each activity promotes active learning with a combination of low complexity, medium complexity and high complexity levels. The purpose of the second cycle was to measure the levels of student engagement when the learning activities were implemented within the classroom. Results suggest that they were highly engaged with performance of the highest level.