More and more students are opting to take online courses to achieve their higher education goals. Online education is one of the fastest growing segments in higher education, growing much faster than traditional college enrollment. Many studies have indicated that students who participate in online learning courses perform better than those in the traditional learning environment. With the rapid growth in online learning, online instructors and institutions are trying to find new and innovative ways to reach their students. Online learning has evolved from a content-consumption experience that just delivers learning to a more collaborative environment where students work with instructors and peers to solve real-world problems. The use of Web 2.0 technologies benefits the online learning environment by providing tools students can use for communication and collaboration while participating in a social environment atypical to original online courses. The problem with the rapid growth of Web 2.0 technologies in the online learning environment is in determining what works and what does not, what allows for student growth and understanding, and what deters students away from this type of learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the advantages and disadvantages of using Web 2.0 technologies in the online learning environment in order to develop best practices that can assist online instructors design and implement courses using Web 2.0 technologies that will benefit their students. Online instructors from various universities participated in a basic qualitative study through the use of phone interviews to determine what instructors considered as the advantages, disadvantages, and best practices related to using Web 2.0 technologies in the online learning environment. Key results indicated that while instructors did use various Web 2.0 technologies in their online classes, they were severely restricted by their institutions' requirement that learning take place within the learning management system. The interviews resulted in the creation of best practices related to using Web 2.0 technologies in the online learning environment. Future studies should focus on how the rapid growth of open education resources will affect the use of Web 2.0 technologies and closed proprietary learning management systems. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]