ECAR/Burton Study Analyzes Trends in Social Software

thanks to Kim Bayer for this pointer:

Trends in Social Software

Mike Gotta with Peter O’Kelly, 44 pages

Adoption of blogs, wikis, tagging, bookmarking services, folksonomies, social networking software, and media-oriented services (e.g., podcasting) has been extraordinary over the past few years. Information technology strategists must assess this “social software” to understand its applicability within higher education. Burton Group, an ECAR partner, believes that the intersection of multiple trends across consumer and enterprise markets will have long-term implications (e.g., informal learning and community building). This study presents issues, trends, analysis, recommendations, and details.

ECAR is the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research -

The mission of the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research is to foster better decision making by conducting and disseminating research and analysis about the role and implications of information technology in higher education. ECAR systematically addresses many of the challenges brought more sharply into focus by information technologies.

Comments

[Prentiss Riddle]

Oh, sweet irony: this paper on technology in education is only available after going through a manual registration process at EDUCAUSE. Their site says they'll get back to me after "one business day".

I will never understand how non-profit educational research organizations get away with hiding their product behind a paid subscription service. If their funders believe in the utility of their work, they should be begging people to read it.