Hi everyone,
As has been mentioned here before, I have spent the last few weeks learning about new technologies and how they pertain to learning. Many tools, such as Wiki’s, web conferencing, and learning management systems pertain to the process of learning, but some are changing the way we access content. For anyone reviewing literature, social networks and the work of aggregators may be key new tools worthy of consideration.
George Siemens’ (2008) presentation (http://www.elearnspace.org/media/worldwithoutcourses/player.html )starts this same discussion by pointing out that many stakeholders overlap in their concern about education. Societies care when education promotes citizenship as it does in the parts of the world that are to some degree democratic. Economies prosper when the needs of the marketplace are easily supplied by the expertise of the employable. Educational institutions in tandem with the educators they employ and the students who attend all prosper because the status quo appears to work.
The structure of this academic world that we all inhabit to some extent has been predefined as based on courses and pre-arranged curricular processes. These are designed for efficiency rather than fun and are built to help as many students as possible lock step their way through the processes of education absorbing the required amount of content as they go. Doctoral dissertations can be seen (at least partially) as a move away from that lock stepped approach as you venture into the murky lands of discovery and inquiry based on your own motivations. While you must ultimately meet certain standards in your work, you each will follow your own path towards that goal. This blog is meant to help you have more fun doing that – as discovery of the new and uncharted is fun!
Connectivism (Siemens, 2004) has much to offer this conversation both as a theory and as a model for education. At http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm Dr Siemens writes:
Learning theories are concerned with the actual process of learning, not with the value of what is being learned. In a networked world, the very manner of information that we acquire is worth exploring. The need to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that is applied before learning itself begins. When knowledge is subject to paucity, the process of assessing worthiness is assumed to be intrinsic to learning. When knowledge is abundant, the rapid evaluation of knowledge is important. Additional concerns arise from the rapid increase in information. In today’s environment, action is often needed without personal learning – that is, we need to act by drawing information outside of our primary knowledge. The ability to synthesize and recognize connections and patterns is a valuable skill. (page 3).
The phrases highlighted in yellow have direct implications to the process of developing and writing a review of literature, as in this endeavour you will need to show that you have evaluated the worthiness of what you have read as well as synthesized it, pointing out connections and patterns between what networked technology calls nodes of information.
Without going too deeply into his discussion of neural, social and other types of networks (2007) (http://www.slideshare.net/gsiemens/living-learning-communicating-in-an-immediate-world ) he quotes Kieran Egan (1997) when he says, “the tools we use, when learning, shape and very largely determine what and how we can learn.” I would translate this to doctoral students I mentor to mean – if you stay with the traditional modes of information transfer within academia (peer reviewed journals, etc) you likely will analyse only safe data and information. If your heart desires to build new bridges across gaps in our field then it is likely you will have to build those bridges to the networked resources available on the web. Be prepared for a wild ride in comparison, but one that should take you out of the silos of academia into a more holistic view of the world.
First let’s consider that packages of content (knowledge) have been published on the web in a variety of formats. Do you feel like listening to lectures (www.YouTube.com ) or are you in the mood for reading (search for blogs using www.blogsearch.google.com )? Do you want to see a presentation (www.slideshare.net )or have a discussion (find and join networks, make comments on blogs, search out people to follow on www.twitter.com. Whose work will you find from these sources? They may cluster at younger ages and with fewer degrees than those in peer reviewed journals, but just as likely you will find the latest from the same people you would find in the more traditional sources. Because of the speed of being able to publish as you go on the web, you may have access not only to their current thinking, but through their blogs to the people themselves.
During this type of exploration (which I call my morning web walkabouts) you will discover some networks, and aggregators of information. Like this blog, they are full of links to other sites and regularly perusing their work keeps you as current as they are on the subjects of mutual interest. Because in a networked world, the very manner of information that we acquire is worth exploring you may find yourselves wanting to: a) trackback from the sources of interest to their sources, on the web following conversations and links back in time, and b) be very careful about the tools you use to capture your sources, so that you can search through them again in the future. I use Firefox as my browser because I can easily add on other tools. I always capture my bookmarks in Del icio us because I can easily give multiple bookmarks to significant links and track them as to importance etc. I sometimes use Yoono or Stumble on to suggest other resources. You will find your own tools, and I would be delighted if you would comment on them here for this community.
You may also find rubbish, but that is no different from a long day at the library when you find nothing of interest. It is up to you to decide which are gold and which is for fools. Now we loop back to “The need to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that is applied before learning itself begins.” Just how to go about building that meta skill AND how to develop the equally important ability to synthesize and recognize connections and patterns will be the topic of future blogs.
All the best,
Alana
References:(Egan, 1997; George Siemens, 2007, 2008a, 2008b; George Siemens, December 12, 2004)
Egan, K. (1997). The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Siemens, G. (2007). Living learning and communicating in an immediate world. Paper presented at the ADETA. from http://www.slideshare.net/gsiemens/living-learning-communicating-in-an-immediate-world
Siemens, G. (2008a). Connectivism: Rethinking curriculum, knowledge and learning. Paper presented at the EDUCAUSE. from http://www.slideshare.net/gsiemens/connecitivism-curriculum-knowledge-learning
Siemens, G. (2008b). World without courses. from http://www.elearnspace.org/media/worldwithoutcourses/player.html
Siemens, G. (December 12, 2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age [Electronic Version], from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment