Learning in Context
George Siemens
www.elearnspace.org
www.connectivism.ca
Nature of Learning
• Climate in which learning occurs
• Network creation (neural and social)
Learning
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•
•
•
About
To do
To be
To transform
Monochromatic
• Assuming that our current view is accurate all
(or most) of the time
• Ignoring nuanced nature of learning, life, and
situational specific aspect of intended
learning
• Assumptions:
– Each learning approach serves a unique function
– Each learning experience provides different
affordances
We’re going “know-where”
“Know-where” is more important than
“know-what” and “know-how”
Know where…
Connected Specialization
• Content
• Social (collect
knowledge in my
friends (Stephenson))
• Learning approach
– Multi-dimensional
– Multi-faceted
– Multi-contextual
Learning as a process, not event
Formal Learning
• What:
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–
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Courses
Programs
Degrees
Defined by “established knowledge”
Structure imposed by experts in advance of
learning
• Why: Structure, serve stakeholders, focused
• Good for: initiating learners who are new
(foundation building)
• Ineffective: when learning “at the point of
need” is required
Experience/Game-based Learning
• What:
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–
–
–
Problem Based Learning
Ill-defined learning targets
User defines process and space
Adaptive, flexible
• Why: Experiential (learning as a by-product
of other activities)
• Good for: real life challenges
• Ineffective: if foundations are not in place
(or the learning experience (as games) needs
to provide foundation)
Mentoring/Apprentice Learning
• What:
– Personal
– Guided and facilitated by “expert”
• Why: Accelerate personal performance
• Good for: personal, relevant
knowledge/learning
• Ineffective: foundation forming, “highbandwidth”
Performance Support Learning
• What:
– Learning at the point of need
– Can rely on other learning approaches
• Why: Point of need, competence,
assistive
• Good for: short, focused learning
• Ineffective: Developing foundations of
a discipline
Self-Learning
• What:
– Meta-cognition
– Learning about learning
– Learning that is personally driven
• Why: Learning for pleasure, personal
competence
• Good for: Exploring areas of personal
interest
• Ineffective: How do learners know what
they need to know?
Community-based Learning
• What:
– Diversity
– “wisdom of the crowds”
– Social/dialogue
• Why: create multi-faceted view of a space or
discipline
• Good for: dialogue, diversity of perspective
• Ineffective: foundational, “high time
requirement”
Informal Learning
• What:
– Conferences
– workshops
– colleagues
• Why: Serendipity, constant, ongoing, “in
the stream”
• Good for: Continual, ongoing,
multifaceted
• Ineffective: Chaotic, not always valued,
scattered
How do the pieces fit?
Various types of learning
• Challenge:
– how to integrate various perspectives,
learning, etc.
– How do we create the whole?
• Tools don’t exist yet
• Still modeled after classrooms
Conversation, not Content
Tools for the Task
What’s wrong with courses?
• Courses can’t keep up with life today
• Courses project start/stop learning
• Schools need to transform/be
transformed by a particular era/culture
• Courses are “one-model” views (formal)
Stop building courses
• Start building learning spaces that
enable learning
• Provide learners with knowledge skills to
learn for life
– Teach learners how to build a personal
learning network
– Assist learners to build conduits not
consume content
Learning Ecology
Learning Ecology
Determining the approach
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•
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•
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Intended outcome
Nature of the learning task
Match task with appropriate medium
Consider profile and needs of learners
Meta-learning elements required (are
we trying to teach content or process?)
• Diverse tools/spaces/ecologies
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www.elearnspace.org
www.connectivism.ca