The document summarizes key findings from a study on how 9-11 year olds use Web 2.0 tools to support informal learning outside of school. The study found that the children connected to a variety of information sources and tools, exercised control over how they used these resources, and indirectly communicated with others through online reviews, comments, and responses. Higher order thinking skills like problem solving, decision making, reasoning, and evaluation were observed as children navigated different tools and sources to find information, understand games, and evaluate the usefulness of online responses.

1. Informal learning with Web 2.0 – the experience of 9-11 year olds Rebecca Ferguson Denise Whitelock Dorothy Faulkner Kieron Sheehy Funded by the OU’s Children and Young People Research Network

3. Web 2.0

4. Shifts in practice Knobel, M., & Lankshear, C. (Eds.). (2007). A New Literacies Sampler . Oxford: Peter Lang. Traditional practice ‘ New’ literacy Publishing Participation Centralised Expertise Distributed Expertise Individual Intelligence Collective Intelligence Individuated Authorship Collaboration Scarcity Dispersion Normalisation Experimentation Stability & Fixity Innovation & Evolution Generic Purity Creative Rule-breaking Information Broadcast Relationships

7. Sample

8. Method

11. Problem solving I wanted to find out from Amazon how much the new book by Stephanie Meyer cost […] depending on what it was, if it was like a book I ’ d probably just look on Amazon because usually it ’ s cheaper there than like shops but if it was like a video game, then I ’ d go onto like Amazon, Game and Play.com. If it was a CD, then I ’ d probably do Amazon, HMV… Connected to many information sources Control of tools / information sources Indirect communication via reviews

13. Memory Well, I show her a recording what the prices were cos every few days I check for prices. Connected to his extended memories Control of his extended memory, allowing accurate recall and use Direct communication of information retrieved in the past

23. Information seeking Sometimes when we get like free ICT sort of time in the ICT suite we all go on different sites and some people were on, were listening to music asked what that website was and I said we7.com and there’s lots of other really good websites like miniclip. Miniclip and Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin Connected to a range of tools and information Control Outside curriculum time – opportunity to control tools and talk Direct communication About tools

24. Formal learning I also find it kind of irritating that the teachers don ’ t really teach you a wide range of internet things at school – they teach you Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, how to look up stuff on the internet and then they just, that ’ s all they teach you and everyone has to guess for themselves. it ’ s all banned on the computers at school because like there ’ s not much point at school because we ’ re there to learn and not to chat with your friends kind of thing .

25. Formal learning

26. Formal learning

27. Informal learning

28. Learning within affinity spaces

29. Connection, control, communication Rebecca Ferguson Denise Whitelock Dorothy Faulkner Kieron Sheehy