An Exploration of Mashups and Their Potential Educational Uses

A Web mashup is an application that combines data and functionality from more than one source. By bringing disparate data together in ways that enable users to do new things or accomplish common tasks with newfound efficiency, mashups are rapidly increasing in number and may offer exciting new possibilities for classroom instruction. However, in comparison to more established Web 2.0 applications such as wikis, blogs, and podcasts, which already enjoy a place in the educational conversation, mashups are less well-known and their educational uses are less explored. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to provide an introduction to mashups as part of Web 2.0 technology, describe several mashup examples, and explore their potential use in educational contexts. Min Liu is Professor, University of Texas at Austin, Instructional Technology Program, Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction, 1 University Station D5700, Austin, TX 78712 (E-mail: [email protected]). Lucas Horton is Doctoral Student, University of Texas at Austin, Instructional Technology Program, Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction, 1 University Station D5700, Austin, TX 78712 (E-mail: [email protected]). Justin Olmanson is Doctoral Student, University of Texas at Austin, Instructional Technology Program, Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction, 1 University Station D5700, Austin, TX 78712 (E-mail: [email protected]). Pei–yu Wang is Doctoral Student, University of Texas at Austin, Instructional Technology Program, Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction, 1 University Station D5700, Austin, TX 78712 (E-mail: [email protected]). Computers in the Schools, Vol. 25(3–4), 2008 Available online at http://www.haworthpress.com C © 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved. doi: 10.1080/07380560802368090 243 244 COMPUTERS IN THE SCHOOLS