A keynote presentation at the University of Durham, Jan 2013 Allison Littlejohn Director, Caledonian Academy Chair of Learning Technology

A keynote presentation at the University of Durham, Jan 2013

Allison LittlejohnDirector, Caledonian AcademyChair of Learning Technology www.gcu.ac.uk/academy

Collaborators:Dr Isobel falconer, Dr Anoush Margaryan, Dr Colin Milligan,, Lou McGill, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

The learning ecology: why the promise of an economy of scale has not been achieved

Key challenge: continual learning

“The most profound impact of the Internet… is its ability to support and expand the various aspects of social learning”.

“Attention has moved from access to information towards access to other people”.

John Seeley Brown (2008), Minds on Fire

Grand challenge

Scenario 4

Our times are characterized by immaterial labour...

...labour that is not restricted to material production but penetrates also the political, the social, the cultural, and ultimately life itself.

‘Multitude’, Hardt and Negri, 2004

Grand challenge


Trends in work patterns From... To...

Large organisations Smaller units of production

Single site base Multi-site working as the norm

Permanent employment ConsultancySilos of knowledge Open knowledgeIn-house idea generation Crowdsourcing ideasLocal/ national focus Global / networked reach

Scenario 4

Telepresence

Multi-site micro expertise

Networked innovation

Crowdsourcing

Multi site data analysis

Grand challenge


GC: Every graduate from the UK HE sector has the ability, confidence and mindset to plan and implement his/her own learning pathway to achieve his/her learning goals.

Grand challenge

Scenario 4

E-learning research and development tends to Focus on... Largely ignoring...

Online versions of current learning design where teachersmap out learning pathways

Learners decide their learning pathways

Bounded, structured environments

Open, unstructured environments as the ‘norm’

Content as the central object of activity

People learn together via objects of activity

Trends within the education sector

Wider societal trends and the impact on education

Stepanyan, K, Littlejohn, A & Margaryan, A (2012) Sustainable eLearning, Journal of Educational Technology and Society


Grand challenge

1. How do learners learn in open, unstructured, networked environments?

2. How can learners be prepared for learning in such environments?

3. What learning approaches prevail?

4. Do inter-relationships change in open, unstructured environments?

Question 1

How do people learn in open, unstructured, networked environments?

Context: Shell global knowledge sharing networks

Period: Sept 08-Apr 09 Method/instruments: Mixed method: Questionnaire (Cross and Parker, 2004) & semi-structured interviews (critical incident)

Sample: survey: n=462 (E46%; N27%; M27%); interviews: n=29 (E41%, N31%, 28%M)

How do learners learn in unstructured env?

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

Consume


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Charting occurs wheneach learner mapshis/ her learningpathway throughplanning, implementing& reflecting on learning goals

CHARTING


Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Charting occurs wheneach learner mapshis/ her learningpathway throughplanning, implementing& reflecting on learning goals

Builds individual &collective knowledge

CHARTING


Scenario 4

Question 2

How do these knowledge actions relate to approaches to learning?

Scenario 4

Acquisition Participatoryof knowledge

Sfard, 1998

What learning approaches are used?

Scenario 4

Knowledge creation

Acquisition Participatoryof knowledge

Sfard, 1998; Paavola, Lipponen, and Hakkarainen, 2004


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


Acquisition

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


Acquisition

• vidcast lectures• OERs• Open Courseware• x-type MOOC

Scenario 4


Scenario 4


Scenario 4

Typically sequenced tasks with vidcast lectures, computer marked tests.

Little or no interaction with the thousands of other learners

Acquisition


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Consume

ConnectCreate

Contribute

Participatory


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Consume

ConnectCreate

Contribute

Participatory


• online tutorials• blendedlearning• cMOOC

Scenario 4


Scenario 4


Scenario 4

Typically structure provided by instructor.

Learners provide peer support & create/ contribute content

Participatory


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Knowledge creationThird type affordedby networkedtechnologies


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Knowledge creationThird type affordedby networkedtechnologies


researchdegrees

professional or workplace learning

Scenario 4

Social objects as knowledge is created/shared collectivelySee Knorr-Cetina, K (2001), Edwards, A (2011) and Paavola, S., & Hakkarainen, K. (2005). The knowledge creation metaphor: An emergent epistemological approach to learning. Science and Education, 14(6), 535-557

Digital networks used to connect while sensemakingSiemens, G. (2005) Connectivism: Learning as Network-Creationhttp://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/networks.htm

Shared goals as a focus for knowledge creationLittlejohn, A., Milligan, C and Margaryan, A (2012) Charting Collective Knowledge, Journal of Workplace Learning

Connecting the individual & collective

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/networks.htm

Goals as the Social Object

Connecting the individual & collective

You Your goal

Dynamic Knowledge, e.g. wikis

Shared resources (e.g. delicious)

Formal Learning

Recommended Resources

Collaborative Spaces

Knowledge Networks

Libraries of Cases / Examples

of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You

People with similar skills

Peers with similar goals

Tutor

Team

Anyone



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Tutor

Team

AnyoneGROUP



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Tutor

Team

AnyoneNETWORKGROUP



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Tutor

Team

AnyoneNETWORKGROUP

COLLECTIVE



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

Tutor



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

CREATE

Tutor



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

CREATE

CONNECT

CONTRIBUTE

Tutor



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

CREATE

CONNECT

CONTRIBUTE

You and Your Peers

Your goals

Tutor

Scenario 4

The knowledge-creation approach to learning highlights those kinds of activities where people collaboratively develop new artefacts and products while learningHakkarainen, Palonen, Paavola, & Lehtinen, 2004.


Scenario 4

The knowledge-creation approach to learning highlights those kinds of activities where people collaboratively develop new artefacts and products while learningHakkarainen, Palonen, Paavola, & Lehtinen, 2004.

‘... A kind of individual and collective learning that goes beyond information given and advances knowledge and understanding’

Paavola and Hakkarainen, 2005


Q Should networked knowledge creation be a mainstream approach to learning in universities?

If yes – How can we implement it into mainstream practice?

If yes – How can we prepare learners for this form of learning?

If no – What are the consequences of not mainstreaming this approach to learning?

Pause for thought

Charting tools use goals as a social object for sharing, discovery and cooperation

Charting Tools

‘... learners (rather than some instructor) are in charge of their learning, by setting their learning goals, by monitoring their learning progress, and by choosing the time and place of learning.

This type of informal learning might be framed as a form of self-regulated learning which requires a specific learning competence.’

Schulz and Robnagel, 2010


How can learners be prepared?

Scenario 4

SRL MOOC Study Hypothesis

People who exhibit a high degree of Self-Regulation in theirlearning will use qualitatively different strategies to plan,monitor and reflect on their learning than individuals whoexhibit a low degree of Self-Regulation in their learning


Scenario 4

Plan

Implement

Reflect


Zimmerman, B. J. (2005). Attaining self-regulation: a social cognitive perspective. In Boekaerts, M., Zeidner, M., and Pintrich, P.R (eds) Handbook of self-regulation, pp13-39. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Scenario 4

Plan• task analysis• goal setting

Implement

Reflect



Scenario 4


Implement

• self-instruction• help-seeking• self-monitoring• etc

Reflect



Scenario 4


Implement


Reflect

•self-judgement•self-evaluation



Scenario 4


Learners with high SRL scores set clear goals & can adapt these goals as learning pathways change.

Those with low SRL set vague (or no) goals.

Implement


Learners with high SRL scores & clear goals can adapt these goals as learning pathways change.

Reflect


Learners with high SRL scores reflect on and adapt goals.



Scenario 4


Connect Consume Create Contribute

Implement


Reflect




Scenario 4


Connect

charting tools

Consume Create Contribute

charting tools

Implement


facebooksearch toolsbookmarkstwitter

deliciousdiigo

scoop.itblog

twitterscoop.itblog

Reflect


blog blog



Scenario 4

Question 4

Are we evidencing the changing inter-relationships Seeley Brown predicted?

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Do relationships change?

HEFCE Impact study around awareness of UKOER programme and SCORE work

• Two questionnaires

• Semi structured interviews (n=10)

• Lifecourse perspective

Scenario 4

people

immediateenvironment

extendedenvironment


Scenario 4

Openness… is now a part of the world we’re living in(R1)

A lot of the things with OERs are about philosophy, it’s about culture, it’s about why are we actually wanting to do this? (R6)

Openness now is part of the team culture in learning technology (R7)

[I see a] ground swell of change in attitude towards ideas about openness (R4)


Scenario 4

amongst academics;

between academics and students;

between academics and organisations;

academics and students with knowledge resources


Scenario 4

Why the promise of an economy of scale has not been achieved?

Universities tend to journey to familiar destinations, building on what they are already doing. By following familiar paths institutions are bringing about change, though the change tends not to be transformational.

HEFCE Impact study Final Report (2013)

Make do or spend?

Scenario 4

Teachers mapping out learning pathways

Learners deciding their learning pathways

Bounded, structured environments

Open, unstructured environments

Content as the central object of activity

People learning together around objects of activity

With focus on trends within the education sector

Considering societal trends and the impact on education

Make do… or spend resources on….


Unlearning

Transformational change requires everyone involved in the processes to unlearn their current beliefs, values and assumptions

Dede, C. (2007) Transforming Education for the 21st Century: New Pedagogies that Help All Students Attain Sophisticated Learning

Outcomes, NCSU Friday Institute (February 2007) http://thenetwork.typepad.com/files/dede_21stc-skills_semi-final.pdf

Make do… or spend resources on….

The learning ecology: why the promise of an economy of scale has not been achievedA keynote presentation at the University of Durham, Jan 2013

Allison LittlejohnDirector, Caledonian AcademyChair of Learning Technology www.gcu.ac.uk/academy

Collaborators:Dr Isobel falconer, Dr Anoush Margaryan, Dr Colin Milligan,, Lou McGill, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/

Documents

A keynote presentation at the University of Durham, Jan 2013 Allison Littlejohn Director, Caledonian Academy Chair of Learning Technology