Informal learning in formal learning: Web 2 to the rescue

The learning characteristics of students in an Australian Bachelor of Popular Music program and their multifaceted engagement with music making have led to the development of a complex assessment process that takes account of collaborative work and submissions in which a student may have a number of types of involvement. This process includes self-assessment, peer-assessment and assessment by teachers and although there are learning benefits associated with this practice, it has become increasingly unsustainable, as enrolments in the program have grown. Rather than simplify the process, an on-line database has been developed that minimizes the administrative duties associated with the assessment process as well as providing the students with an interface that operates in the same way as the social networking sites that form such a significant part of most students’ lives in the 21st century. This example of Web 2.0 interactivity enables students to engage with the assessment process in a way that is comfortable for digital natives and has provided an assessment innovation with the potential to be not only sustainable but also scalable.