Frequency And Aim Of Web 2.0 Tools Usage By Secondary School Students And Their Awareness Level Of These Tools

Abstract

Web 2.0 tools, such as wikis, blogs, social networks, photograph and video sharing sites, instant messaging, and podcasts provide easy applications to users without having knowledge on computer programming or computer systems. Moreover, Web 2.0 tools provide young users virtual environments, in which they have opportunities to become socially active, interact with their peers, and share, cooperate as well as create their own projects. This study focused on students' perceptions about Web 2.0 tools, and dealt with the frequency and aim of their usage. The working group consisted of 111 secondary school students from Ankara, Adana and Erzurum provinces of Turkey. The data were collected through a survey questionnaire. In data analysis, frequency distributions, percentages, mean and standard deviation scores were calculated. According to the results, social networks, instant messaging services and video sharing sites were most frequently used tools by students. Although most of the students were aware of Web 2.0 tools, only a small number of students used wikis and podcasts. Students who were using Internet in their daily life used it mostly for entertainment purposes. However, as frequency of the students who used Internet decreased their objectives for using it changed. In conclusion, when the frequency of students' Internet usage changed, Internet usage aim changed according to needs of students. The students preferred to use search engines and Facebook more than other tools. Besides, gender was an important factor in the usage of the Internet.