Assessing Integration of Infrastructure 2.0 Tools in Open Learning Websites: Highlighting a Need for Purposeful Design

This paper employs a heuristic evaluation checklist based on socio-cultural theory to assess open learning opportunities in the Visible Web where further integration of Infrastructure 2.0 or WEB 2.0 tools, accompanied by purposeful design (i.e. design which clearly ties integration and use of tools to achievement of specific learning outcomes), could improve the quality of interaction and ultimately of learning. The selected examples of websites are just four of many on the Visible Web offering open learning opportunities and where purposeful design is / could be used to some degree; the paper uses the four websites to draw more attention to the importance of deploying WEB 2.0 tools supported by purposeful design. The paper highlights Infrastructure 2.0 implications of interactive, instructional technology design (IITD) and identifies issues and areas for future research in terms of how purposeful integration of Infrastructure 2.0 tools could further enhance open learning.