1

Open Learning Broadly Construed.

I feel like I am bringing coals to Newcastle

An Approach to Sustainability

Leverage and build onthe kind of learningthat always happens

(even without our trying)(even without our trying).

2

Cartesian View of Learning

Knowledge as substance

And pedagogy as knowledge transfer

Leading us to think of learning like this...Leading us to think of learning like this...

“The delivery model:I teach - you learn”

“Cultivate the neat rows of disciplinary knowledge”

3

we participatetherefore we are

The Social View of Learning

understanding is socially constructed

Suggesting we view learning more like this

“We learn in and through our interactions with others and the world”

4

Nothing Beats Collaborative Study Groups –especially around homework & exam preparation.The social construction of understanding is real.

And this works virtually as well -IMing or Second Life

The social life of learning on campus

5

And in virtual worlds on/off campus

Second Life

And in social networks across communities/friends

Blogs – Facebook – MySpace – LinkedIn, …

Now study groups or just plain bull sessions can naturally extend to peer groups galore

6

Can we turn everyone into being both a learner & a teacher?

Nothing clarifies ideas better than explaining them to others.

we participateth f

Learning as supported through participatory architectures

therefore we are

understanding is socially constructed

7

a powerful social learning environment

The architecture studio--the atelier form of learning

where work in progressis made public.

learning asenculturationinto a practice.

ExplicitLearning about

Beyond textbook learning:

learning-about ====> learning-to-be

TacitLearning to be

dimensions of knowledge(Michael Polanyi)

8

ExplicitLearning about

Reversing the Flow

TacitLearning to be

Key: unleashing productive inquiry

MIT’s studio for 8.02 electricity and magnetism --technology enabled active learning (teal)

following RPI’s & NCSU’s studio physics courses.

moving seamlessly between lecture, experiment & discussionand addressing the drop out rate

9

And, of course, the sage on the stage

model won’t work here!m d n

Nor, marking on a curve!

10

Faulkes Telescope Project

d l Physical Location -- Maui

Students get remote access – run real experimentspool and analyze their results with a master.

New kind of learning/scholarship platform:the specialized scholar’s portal(allows for mini-papers as well)

New ways for students to engage in researchN f f i i i t tiNew forms of peer review – a view into a practice

Brown Univ.

11

‘Modern’ kids from the global worldgrowing up with mobile phones and internet

Do We Understand Them?

What creates meaning for them?

Or even for Us? The Ancients

theory hacker converses with theory tinkerer

12

Tinkering as a learning platformand its death and rebirth

as remix, mashups, etc

New Forms of Tinkering for the Born Digital Generation

Open SourceYou TubeS d L fSecond LifeGame moddingCivilization I – IVLego kits meet computingAmateur AnimeYour Truman ShowYour Truman Show----

13

Life in the Digital Age –A culture of participation:

Tinkering, Building, Remixing & Sharing

Creating meaning by what I produceand others build on – a remix, opensource culture.

• writing code to be readThe Open Source Movements:

Open Source as a Participatory Learning Platform

g• engagement thru useful additions• social capital matters

A form of distributed situated learning(cognitive ‘apprenticeship’)

lt t t t l enculturating to a virtual community of practice

open code, open system, open community discussion

14

Remix & Mashup creative tinkering & the play of imagination

But it is also ‘creative reading’ like in But it is also creative reading like in fandom – fans filling in the back story in highly imaginative ways.

Ah creating meaning by integratingAh, creating meaning by integratingtheir imagination with that of the‘author’ in remix.

sometimes seen on YouTube

15

A new kind of participatory A new kind of participatory media/medium

for students/teachers/parents/producers/consumers

The Brewing Perfect Storm of Opportunity

Transformative Initiatives

OER …OER …Tying it alltogether:

l

Open Participatory Learning Open Participatory Learning Ecosystem Ecosystem --

with feedback/loops galorewith feedback/loops galore

Open Participatory Learning Open Participatory Learning Ecosystem Ecosystem --

with feedback/loops galorewith feedback/loops galore

eScienceeScience

eHumanitieseHumanities

Web 2 0 & beyondWeb 2 0 & beyond

gcontent/tools/activities

with feedback/loops galorewith feedback/loops galorewith feedback/loops galorewith feedback/loops galoreWeb 2.0 & beyondWeb 2.0 & beyond

Creating a new kind of ecosystems for intertwining

knowledge creation, learning & mentoring

16

Fundamental Trend

Scarcity Abundance===>

ManufacturingEconomy

ConsumerSociety

CreatorEconomy:Culture of

Co-creation &

=> =>

&Participation

Doesn’t this lead to niche communities,the Long Tail and suggest thatlearning-on-demand is now possible/ideal?

Tapping the Abundant Digital Resourcesfor formal/Informal & collateral learning

Games and game design – Civilization III,…Simulations – Climate models,…Remote instrumentations telescopes sem Remote instrumentations – telescopes, sem, ..Scholarly websites -Open source movementsOpen courseware – OpenLearn, OCW, Connections, …Digital story telling – iMovie,…Creating & remixing music – Garage Band Creating & remixing music Garage Band, …Writing – blogs galore…Access – Goggle Scholar…Yahoo! Groups around communities of interest/practice

17

The long tail distribution of the networked age(circumventing scarce ‘shelf space’)

niche markets, niche genres, niche interest groups.

Now documentaries can reach the market on demand.

The Long Tail in Learningleveraging and supporting each segment differently

Supporting the rise of an ecology of learning/doing nicheslearning/doing niches

Ah, I am passionate about this niche topic.I want to learn/do more!

18

The Bigger Picture

in three slides

Active Blending –beyond just taping resources

Researching, re-searching & learning meldinto a new kind of distributed

learning/knowledge ecosystem with mentors:peer based, masters & intelligent tutors

19

Stocks FlowsA Radical Change of Point of View

( l h) (demand pull)

Explicit

Building inventoryof skills to be deployed later.

Participating inproductive inquiry

(supply push) (demand pull)

Authority based Situational basedTacitExplicit

for a stable world basedon an old factory model

for a rapidly changingworld

Learning 2.0 - learning on demand

Tacit

When recreation becomes an act of

re-creation/remix & productive inquiry

Culture of Learninga culture that thrives on

participatory life long learningparticipatory life long learningand perhaps

the ultimate sustainability model .

20

Thank YouThank You

Toru IiyoshiDan Atkins

Hewlett Foundation:(cathy/mike)(cathy/mike)Richard AdlerConnie Yowell