Web 2.0, pedagogical support for reflexive and emotional social interaction among Swedish students

Collaborative social interaction when using Web 2.0 in terms of VoiceThread is investigated in a case study of a Swedish university course in social psychology. The case study method was chosen because of the desire not to manipulate the students' behaviour, and data was collected in parallel with course implementation. Two particular circumstances made the case study method appropriate: the impossibility to control student activities, and the study of contemporary and ongoing events. The results show that use of Web 2.0: a) supports students' reflections concerning their own and others' thoughts and emotions, b) supports individual students and integrates them into a work group, and c) develops students' identification and awareness in relation to self, a task and others. The findings implicate that Web 2.0 technology can be used as a valuable supplement in a campus course where other teaching takes place in time and space. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.