On Becoming: The cognitive and social impact of technology George Siemens Leading Learning Toronto, Ontario May 5, 2008 Learning Technologies Centre www.umanitoba.ca/learning_technologies

What does technology do? Cognition Socialization What can we do together? On becoming human...or techno-human Finding balance

What does technology do?

Cognition

Socialization

What can we do together?

On becoming human...or techno-human

Finding balance

Technology allows us to

think

know

be intelligent

to “do” cognition

together

Technology allows us to

feel

act

share

be

together

But...

Carriers of patterns of previous reasoning Roy Pea

Carriers of patterns of previous reasoning

Roy Pea

What does technology do? Cognition Socialization What can we do together? On becoming human...or techno-human Finding balance

What does technology do?

Cognition

Socialization

What can we do together?

On becoming human...or techno-human

Finding balance

Haxby, Hoffman, & Goggini (2000)

Loss of control

Cognitive load

Multi-perspective

Distributed

Collective

Connective

The promise? How can people and computers be connected so that—collectively—they act more intelligently than any individuals, groups, or computers have ever done before? MIT Center for Collective Intelligence

How can people and computers be connected so that—collectively—they act more intelligently than any individuals, groups, or computers have ever done before?

MIT Center for Collective Intelligence

The promise?

The outcome 4000 registered “ a few dozen” contributed Finally, professional writers hired

4000 registered

“ a few dozen” contributed

Finally, professional writers hired

Digital Maoism? The Wikipedia is far from being the only online fetish site for foolish collectivism. There's a frantic race taking place online to become the most "Meta" site, to be the highest level aggregator, subsuming the identity of all other sites.

The Wikipedia is far from being the only online fetish site for foolish collectivism. There's a frantic race taking place online to become the most "Meta" site, to be the highest level aggregator, subsuming the identity of all other sites.

“ Diverse people working together and capitalizing on their individuality” Scott Page

“ Diverse people working together and capitalizing on their individuality”

Scott Page

What does technology do? Cognition Socialization What can we do together? On becoming human...or techno-human Finding balance

What does technology do?

Cognition

Socialization

What can we do together?

On becoming human...or techno-human

Finding balance

Identity

Belonging

Connectedness

Relational

What does technology do? Cognition Socialization What can we do together? On becoming human...or techno-human Finding balance

What does technology do?

Cognition

Socialization

What can we do together?

On becoming human...or techno-human

Finding balance

Our opportunities for distributed cognition, to learn, interact, and share far exceeds the design of education

Our opportunities for distributed cognition, to learn, interact, and share

far exceeds the design of education

Our ability to act, influence, and change far exceeds our ability to understand

Our ability to act, influence, and change

far exceeds our ability to understand

Same networks of information also carry misinformation

Same networks of information also carry misinformation

What does technology do? Cognition Socialization What can we do together? On becoming human...or techno-human Finding balance

What does technology do?

Cognition

Socialization

What can we do together?

On becoming human...or techno-human

Finding balance

Technology-mediated learning No difference ...but tools carry different patterns of previous reasoning

No difference

...but tools carry different patterns of previous reasoning

Technology as extension

or

Technology as humanity

Return to humanity?

Rise of techno-humanity? http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/

Privacy & Security

Baja Beach Club

What does technology do? Cognition Socialization What can we do together? On becoming human...or techno-human Finding balance

What does technology do?

Cognition

Socialization

What can we do together?

On becoming human...or techno-human

Finding balance

What is the role of education?

Stakeholders

Learner Educator Institution Society Organizations

Learner

Educator

Institution

Society

Organizations

Values to preserve Deep understanding Transformative impact of learning Being human Students as products of—and participants in—traditions of art, ideas, and values (Harvard)

Deep understanding

Transformative impact of learning

Being human

Students as products of—and participants in—traditions of art, ideas, and values (Harvard)

To embrace Exploration/experimentation Broad spectrum of learning Reality of thin classroom walls Collaboration and sharing as educators, learners

Exploration/experimentation

Broad spectrum of learning

Reality of thin classroom walls

Collaboration and sharing as educators, learners

Websites and Newsletters www.elearnspace.org www.knowingknowledge.com www.connectivism.ca http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wordpress/ gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org

www.elearnspace.org

www.knowingknowledge.com

www.connectivism.ca

http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wordpress/

gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org