6/10/2006

Removing learning and learning again (2.0 II)

1. What does learning mean in a new information environment fostered by Web 2.0?

  • Essentially it could mean new social patterns of behaviour, related to openness and sharing contents.
  • Users find out they can be publishers of their own contents, and take advantage from this possibility.
  • Users want to share information and any kind of content (images, sound, music, texts, etc.) among people with common interests.
  • Users are interested in reshaping and repurposing contents, offering their own version, which means developing their critical and creative thinking (welcome Creative Commons!).
  • Each user is a powerful node in a open network of knowledge sharing.
  • Characteristics of the user experience in this new knowledge environment determine (and reflect) the way people communicate and learn: it’s a continuous process embedded in work and life.

2. What does it mean in terms of users empowerment?

  • Users don’t need intermediaries for accessing, selecting, filtering, cataloguing and building new knowledge (Wikis, Blogs, RSS, Podcasting, and so on… are features of this hyper-connectivity).
  • Traditional roles in education, information and even entertainment systems are transformed: teachers and journalist could be best understood as “moderators” (or e-moderators) facilitating ways for users to manage the informational chaos, rather than being the unique authorised voice about any issue. Teachers should be more than ever “the guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage” into communication processes addressed to foster learning.
  • Users have a new understanding of power in terms of information and therefore, knowledge. This is no more a restricted field for authorised and licensed professionals. Everyone can have their say…although those people writing on a wiki page, for instance, are exactly those users that really knows an specific issue. The knowledge network naturally weaves itself.
  • It’s an empowering phenomenon, since it breaks down a unidirectional model of information and knowledge transmission, giving users a wide range of possibilities to relate events, information, history, and therefore, allowing a self elaboration of those events.
  • Introducing web 2.0 resources and philosophy into the field of teaching and learning, could mean turning many things upside down, among them, the instrumental use of educational system for indoctrinating purposes, where learners only know the institutional version of things, taught in order to perpetuate the establishment. What could be the scenario where learners have their own media to create and deliver contents and works, having free access to all sort of sources and also, offering free access to all kind of readers as well? What if the new role of teachers in schools and universities is to help students to weave history from different threads, contrasting peers opinions and opening minds -by means of the Internet open resources-, instead of talking alone in classroom in a traditional transmission of knowledge?

3. Who are these learners / users?

  • The interesting thing is that these learners will be / are consumers and employees, cultivating new approaches towards the consumption and working practices.
  • But users will be / are employers and producers as well, transforming their approach on working relationships and their understanding of consumers expectations.

2 Comments:

At 10:37 a. m., Anonymous Anónimo said...

Creo que se deberían ampliar más las ideas finales. Parece interesante, pero no se ve muy clara la transformación de los procesos de producción y consumo. Eres muy optimista. Hay un libro de Jeremy Rifkin, "El fin del trabajo", que puede aportar un enfoque sobre este tema.

David

 
At 2:17 p. m., Blogger Judy O'Connell said...

A really great summary and overview of potential issues. Thanks. It is interesting to see such commentary coming from an management and ethics point of view rather than an educators point of view. I'll share this with my peers.

 

Publicar un comentario

<< Home