What is learning today? Presented to Western Sydney Institute George Siemens
Mar 27, 2015
What is learning today?
Presented to Western Sydney Institute
George Siemens
Agenda
1:30 – 2:30 – Theory and Overview
2:30 – 3:30 – Examples: Web 2.0 & Connectivism
3:30 – 4:30 – Discussion: Directions and implications
Some Changes
• Decentralizing• Democratizing• Distributed• Changed dynamics of what it means
to know• Acceleration (of everything)
Information Growth• Some contradictory figures
– Berkeley Study: global information doubled between 1999-2003
– ASTD: Knowledge doubles every 18 months– Other sources state between several months to
seven years
• We feel it in our work (regardless of exact figures)
http://www.sims.berkeley.edu:8000/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/execsum.htm
Learning is…
• Multifaceted• Contextual
– Corporate training vs. a child learning to write
– Environment (stable vs. adaptive)
• Social• Varied method
– Classroom, elearning, blended
What’s happening?
Interplay: people, society, technology:– Mobility, interoperability, convergence,
divergence, integration, richness of content, collaboration, open source, decentralized
http://www.det.act.gov.au/publicat/pdf/emergingtechnologies.pdf
End-user in control
• Networked individualism (Wellman)• Participative• Co-content and meaning creators• Aggregated perspective
(Downes/Surowiecki)• Data recombination• Personalize
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
Web 2.0 Meme Map
Does this align how we currently use
learning/technology?• No• Content and courses still viewed as
starting point of learning• We are focusing on content tools:
LMS (as they exist today), CMS, LCMS• We should be focusing on
connection-forming tools• All content started as a connection…
Connectivism• Learning and knowledge require diversity of
opinions to present the whole…and to permit selection of best approach.
• Learning is a network formation process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
• Knowledge rests in networks.• Knowledge may reside in non-human
appliances[i], and learning is enabled/ facilitated by technology.
•
Connectivism
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.
• Learning and knowing are constant, on going processes (not end states or products).
• Ability to see connections and recognize patterns and make sense between fields, ideas, and concepts is the core skill for individuals today.
Connectivism
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
• Decision-making is learning. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.
www.elearnspace.orgwww.connectivism.cawww.knowingknowledge.comltc.umanitoba.ca/wordpress