Title: The design of TaCS: applying social tagging to enhance learning

Authors: Elise Lavoué

Addresses: Université de Lyon, CNRS, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, MAGELLAN, LIRIS, UMR5205, 6 cours Albert Thomas BP 8242, 69355 Lyon Cedex 08, France

Abstract: We describe a web-based educational platform relying on the use of tags as learning resources in a social context. Tags are user-generated keywords used to organise and improve access to online information resources. Social tagging refers to the practice of labelling or categorising resources in a shared online environment. Our platform, named tag-based collaborative system (TaCS), is a first attempt at implementing a recent theoretical framework specific to social tagging that defines learning and knowledge building as a co-evolution of cognitive and social systems. Within this framework, design choices have been made to support individual, social and collaborative learning processes. To illustrate the usability of TaCS, we describe an example of its integration in a real course during five weeks. Observed uses and opinions expressed by students tend to validate the implementation of the theoretical framework, and the value of TaCS as an educational platform.

Keywords: tag-based collaborative systems; TaCS; social tagging; social learning; web-based systems; educational technology design; collaborative learning; learning resources; user-generated keywords; knowledge building.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLT.2012.049197

International Journal of Learning Technology, 2012 Vol.7 No.3, pp.314 - 330

Published online: 06 Sep 2014 *

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