Learner Self-Engagement in Web 2.0 Participatory Learning Environments (Research-Based)

Learners benefit from blogs and wikis when their use is scaffolded by the instructor and/or course requirements. But if these prompts are missing or poorly designed, will learners self-activate using tools made freely available to them? Little research has been done focusing on learners' perspectives when they self-engage in collaborative learning despite instructors' 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 ongoing research study, investigating the circumstances and motivations that lead to learners' self-engagement, is timely and critical.