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Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

Educational Applications of Social Software and Collaborative Technologies

Educational Applications of Social Software and Collaborative Technologies
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Author(s): P. Candace Deans (University of Richmond, USA)
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 2
Source title: Managing Worldwide Operations and Communications with Information Technology
Source Editor(s): Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Information Resources Management Association, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-929-8.ch431
ISBN13: 9781599049298
EISBN13: 9781466665378

Abstract

Social software and collaborative technology applications are becoming prevalent across all dimensions of society including business, education, government and individuals. The shift to Web 2.0 applications and trends toward open source have provided the impetus for an explosion of new applications. Instant messaging, blogs, podcasts and wikis represent the most common forms of social software that promise to have widespread influence in the future. The community aspects of these technologies is a common defining characteristic of emerging social software applications. Social software is built on the concept of collaboration and community involvement. Businesses are beginning to see the benefits of blogs and podcasts as a means to reach a diverse customer base and keep a pulse on the “buzz” in the marketplace. These technologies are becoming an essential component of public relations in many companies. Social software is also being used as a communication tool to reach employees and business partners. Educational institutions are also jumping on board to provide additional options for students that meet specific curriculum needs. The potential for these technologies is huge and current trends indicate that competition for products and business applications will be global in scale.

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