"We used it the way we wanted to": Research on Learner Self-Engagement in Web 2.0 Participatory Environments

Learners benefit from blogs and wikis when use is scaffolded by instructors and/or course requirements. But if these prompts are missing or poorly designed, will learners find ways to achieve benefits from these tools? Little research has been done focusing on learners' perspectives and if/how they self-engage in collaborative learning despite instructors’ involvement. This ongoing research study investigates the circumstances and motivations that lead to learners' self-engagement. Given the struggles of motivating instructors to provide well-thought-out social learning opportunities and the pressing need to engage students with each other to foster educational success, this study is timely and critically necessary.