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