Abstract

This paper aims to assess whether critical discussions about the shift in society and culture brought about by the emerging new online technologies need to be at the core when defining successful elearning strategies for engaging learners. It will propose that applications and processes provided by emergent technologies and the subsequent associated activities and behaviours they promote in their users can provide a rich environment upon which to build teaching strategies that encompass online applications to support and develop effective knowledge acquisition and enhance learning. In particular, it will focus on contemporary online forms whose concepts have heralded the arrival of Web 2.0 (Web strategically positioned as a platform whose core competencies include service, participation, user as contributor, rich user experiences). It also assesses whether these technological tools that support social networking and collaboration provide an appropriate context for engaging cognitive processes.