The usage of web 2.0 technologies in open and distance learning as an interaction tool: Determination of the properties of a corporate social networking site

Distance education concept emerged with the idea of home schooling about 100 years ago. Within the scope of lifelong learning, the distance education enabling learners to learn independent of time and place with the support of many media and environment has used different tools and methods in accordance with time and development of technology. In open and distance education applications starting learning with ?letter?, web Technologies are used actively. Web Technologies enabling learning synchronously and asynchronously, allows learners to interact with institution, teachers, content, other learners and interface.Given importance of an element of interactivity in education, Web 2.0 environments allowing interacting in many different ways, began to be used for educational purposes as formal or informal.The purpose of the study is to identify the required features of a social networking to be designed to provide an interactional environment. These features will be considered whereas Moore?s Transactional Distance Theory. First, in order to determine the existing situation ,the frequency of usage and purposes of the educational environments and materials of e-learning existing for Anadolu University,-which provides millions of learners with open and distance education in our country-, have been identified.Later,the environments and purpose of use with frequencies of learners? external usage of web 2.0 have been identified. In this way, interaction in the environments provided by the institution and non- institutionalized interactions compared and evaluated for the newly created environments.The study has been figured by quantitative research method. In order to attain the objectives, survey designed to get the ideas of learners in open and distance education in Anadolu University. Surveys applied to learners both using e-learning environments and participating face to face education.Sample consisted of 2464 voluntary participants.The required features of social networking sites having web 2.0 environments for Anadolu University?s open and distance education learners, determined by examining implications in Turkey and the World, scanning literature and evaluating results of survey analysis .At the end of the study ,a recommendatory presentation about the features to be considered when designing the environment has been made.