Identifying the Benefits and Pitfalls of Blogs and Wikis Cheryle Walker eLearning: Driving Instructional Design with Emerging Technologies Conference Sydney, June 2007

Where is the learning? What is the value? Knowledge in the context of time and space Content vs. Context Collaborative or co-created knowledge Expert vs. the Crowd Self-sufficient learning Disposable Knowledge Longevity vs. Engagement Facilitating Conversations in Learning Cultures From e-learning To c-learning Surf the web for information Ask a friend or an expert to explain something Tinker with things and try to work them out Get a group together to find an answer or make something happen Watch other people doing something, then try it for yourself Explore a new territory, alone or in company Talk to people Write and make diagrams, drawings, movies, music, multimedia Invent new things or ideas of your own Compare different ideas and experiences Ask why? And how? And how else? “ There is an increasing use of, and reliance upon discovery based or experiential learning, especially using the web. Who hasn’t Googled recently?”

Knowledge in the context of time and space

Content vs. Context

Collaborative or co-created knowledge

Expert vs. the Crowd

Self-sufficient learning

Disposable Knowledge

Longevity vs. Engagement

Facilitating Conversations

in Learning Cultures

From e-learning To c-learning

Surf the web for information

Ask a friend or an expert to explain something

Tinker with things and try to work them out

Get a group together to find an answer or make something happen

Watch other people doing something, then try it for yourself

Explore a new territory, alone or in company

Talk to people

Write and make diagrams, drawings, movies, music, multimedia

Invent new things or ideas of your own

Compare different ideas and experiences

Ask why? And how? And how else?

Identifying the Benefits Harnessing these new “Weapons of Mass Collaboration” Discussion Tracking Accessibility Content Creation and Co-creation Virtual Teaming Creative Expression Empowering, engaging, reality based learning Productive Learning “ Mass collaboration can empower a growing cohort of connected individuals and organisations to create extraordinary wealth and reach unprecedented heights in learning and scientific discovery,”

Discussion Tracking

Accessibility

Content Creation and Co-creation

Virtual Teaming

Creative Expression

Empowering, engaging, reality based learning

Productive Learning

Publishing with RSS “Mix, Match & Mutate” Really Simple Syndication Push vs. Pull Control and Management of Information Continuous Environmental Scanning Customised Content Programmable Web (Mash-ups)

Really Simple Syndication

Push vs. Pull

Control and Management of Information

Continuous Environmental Scanning

Customised Content

Programmable Web (Mash-ups)

Addressing Questions of Validity (and reliability, verifiability, bias, ownership…..) Speed to publish Authorship & source Consensus vs. Credentials Vandalism Management & Gardening Online Collectivism or Coordinated Intelligence? “ Despite questions about its accuracy and criticism on other college campuses, some Harvard professors and teaching fellows have incorporated Wikipedia, the online collaborative encyclopedia, into their syllabi.”

Speed to publish

Authorship & source

Consensus vs. Credentials

Vandalism

Management & Gardening

Online Collectivism or Coordinated Intelligence?

Difficulties & Limitations Organisational Inhibitors Individual Inhibitors Pedagogical Inhibitors

References Bartlett-Bragg, Anne, Reflections on Pedagogy: Reframing Practice to Foster Informal Learning with Social Software , University of Technology, Sydney, 2006 Owen, Martin, Grant, Lyndsay, Sayers, Steve, Facer, Keri, Social Software and Learning, Futurelab, Bristol, 2006 Hof, Robert D, Mix, Match, and Mutate, Business Week Magazine, California, 25 July 2005 Tapscott, Don, Williams, Anthony D, Wikinomics, How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, 2007

Bartlett-Bragg, Anne, Reflections on Pedagogy: Reframing Practice to Foster Informal Learning with Social Software , University of Technology, Sydney, 2006

Owen, Martin, Grant, Lyndsay, Sayers, Steve, Facer, Keri, Social Software and Learning, Futurelab, Bristol, 2006

Hof, Robert D, Mix, Match, and Mutate, Business Week Magazine, California, 25 July 2005

Tapscott, Don, Williams, Anthony D, Wikinomics, How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, 2007