Using Web 2.0 to decolonise transcultural learning zones in higher education | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Henk Eijkman

Year of publication: 2009

Keywords: Higher education, Web 2.0, Transcultural learning, Epistemology, Knowledge systems

Methodology/Sample: _/_

Reference: Eijkman, H. (2009). Using Web 2.0 to decolonise transcultural learning zones in higher education. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 26(3), (pp. 240-255) https://doi.org/10.1108/10650740910967401

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain, in the context of the massification and internationalisation of higher education, how Web 2.0 and its socially oriented knowledge system (episteme) has the potential to counter the current neo‐colonial disprivileging of non‐mainstream knowledge systems and discourses.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper, drawing on postcolonial, epistemological, and Web 2.0 learning literatures, first deconstructs the continued dominance of the traditional academic discourse in transcultural settings. It then illustrates how Web 2.0’s non‐foundational approach to the nature of knowledge gives it the capacity to construct postcolonial transcultural learning zones that are inherently open to other knowledge systems and discourses.

Findings: The paper concludes that the socially oriented knowledge system or episteme of Web 2.0 enables educators to create postcolonial, meaning more epistemically inclusive, transcultural learning zones in which no one knowledge system or discourse is automatically privileged.
Practical implications: The paper highlights the role Web 2.0 can play in negating the colonializing impact of dominant educational practices that disprivilege non mainstream knowledge systems and discourses that have entered university learning environments through massification and internationalisation.

Originality/value: The paper addresses a significant gap in the literature by highlighting the pivotal but much neglected role of epistemology in Web 2.0 as well as in the internationalisation and massification of higher education. More specifically, it indicates how the respectful acceptance of different knowledge systems and discourses can create postcolonial architectures of learning and promote a more egalitarian form of cosmopolitanism.

> Summary

The paper explores how Web 2.0 can counter neo-colonialism in higher education by promoting inclusive knowledge systems .
It critiques traditional academic discourses and advocates for transcultural learning zones .
Web 2.0’s socially oriented knowledge system fosters egalitarian dialogue among diverse cultural groups .
The research highlights the importance of epistemology in creating postcolonial educational frameworks .
It emphasizes the need for higher education to support marginalized socio-cultural groups .

> Problem statement

The paper addresses the neo-colonial disprivileging of non-mainstream knowledge systems in higher education due to massification and internationalisation .
It critiques the dominance of traditional academic discourse in transcultural settings, which marginalizes diverse knowledge systems .
The need for postcolonial approaches to create inclusive transcultural learning zones is emphasized .
The paper highlights the limited adjustments made by Western universities to accommodate cultural and linguistic differences .

> Methods used

The paper employs a postcolonial critique to analyze neo-colonial approaches in higher education .
It utilizes Web 2.0’s socially oriented knowledge system to promote inclusive learning environments .
The methodology includes deconstructing traditional academic discourse in transcultural settings .
The research highlights the importance of recognizing diverse Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSs) in educational practices .
It advocates for innovative practices that foster ongoing conversations about marginalized cultures in higher education .

> Practical implications

The paper highlights Web 2.0’s role in countering the colonial impact on non-mainstream knowledge systems in education .
It suggests creating postcolonial, inclusive transcultural learning zones through Web 2.0 practices .
The findings indicate that educators can promote egalitarian cosmopolitanism by respecting diverse knowledge systems .
The research emphasizes the need for innovative practices to address marginalized cultures in higher education .