Future of the Internet: Web 3.0 and
3D Web
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Description
As the Internet continues to grow and evolve, educational leaders need to be ready to influence the merger and growth of two separate areas: the semantic web and online virtual communities. Web 3.0, or the semantic web, aims to capitalize on the social tagging phenomenon of Web 2.0 by using billions of user-created tags to refine search engine optimization and increase general Internet organization. Educational leaders can promote the emergence of social tagging by actively participating in social tagging websites, as well as proofing tags for accuracy. Read More..
Presenter
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As the Internet continues to grow, two distinct trends are emerging: socialization and disorganization. Web 3.0, or the semantic web, aims to capitalize on the social tagging phenomenon of Web 2.0 by using billions of user-created tags to refine search engine optimization and increase general Internet organization. Educational leaders can promote the emergence of social tagging by actively participating in social tagging websites, as well as proofing tags for accuracy.
XML related web languages (XHML, XSL, SVG, etc) will greatly enhance the realization of Web 3.0, but the adoption of these technologies has been slow. Educational leaders can push for the adoption of these languages by promoting learning management systems, such as Moodle, that plan to implement XML related languages in the near future.
XML itself is a programming language composed of tags. The creation of educational XML schema is ongoing, and leaders need to continually push for the creation and use of educationally-related schema. SVG is a programming language that allows for graphic creation (static and dynamic) using XML tags. SVG will allow graphics and animations on the web to be tagged and organized as easily as text.
As virtual social networking tools continue to increase in popularity, the need for an organized tagging system is also needed. Programs like Second Life allow for intense immersive experiences with far reaching educational potential. The only problem is that searching through the wasteland of virtual “abandoned warehouses” and non-educational distractions can be quite time consuming. Educational leaders need to push for a better organized social tagging system, preferably one written in XML. Taking a Web2.0 approach to this system would allow the vast reaches of any virtual world to be tagged more quickly. Applying a Web3.0 search system to this tagging effort (after it emerges), would allow educators and students to find the exact educational experience that they are looking for – without all of the wasted time.
As virtual worlds such as Second Life continue to grow, online educators will need to look in to learning management systems that bring the gap between online learning and virtual social interaction. XML and the semantic web will build the foundation for this interaction, but educators need to be ready to think about what this will look like in the future. With holographic monitors, three-dimensional scanners, and three-dimensional printers all around the corner, the online educational community needs to be ready to embrace the 3-D Web. The Sloodle project is one such endeavor that is already combining Moodle with Second Life. The designers of this project are looking at how to represent proven online learning tools in a three dimensional virtual world. Educational leaders need to pay close attention to developments on this front.
