Social Software and the Emergence of Control

Social software, such as blogs, wikis, tagging systems and collaborative filters, treats the group as a first-class object within the system. Drawing from theories of transactional distance and control, this paper proposes a model of e-learning that extends traditional concepts of learner-teacher-content interactions to include these emergent properties of the group. It suggests that this feature of social software can facilitate an approach to e-learning that is qualitatively different from and capable of significantly augmenting traditional methods. It goes on to explore some of the dangers and issues that need to be addressed in order for this new model to fulfill its promise.