When Information and Interaction Change Canadian Defence Academy George Siemens March 27, 2008

Information Abundance=new approach Knowing and sense making Networks Impact

Information

Abundance=new approach

Knowing and sense making

Networks

Impact

Information Abundance=new approach Knowing and sense making Networks Impact

Information

Abundance=new approach

Knowing and sense making

Networks

Impact

Information: Currency and barometer of humanity’s progress

What happens when something of a primary nature changes?

We are defined by our interaction with information Our interaction with information is defined by how we are connected to others

We are defined by our interaction with information

Our interaction with information is defined by how we are connected to others

The gatekeepers Institutions Curriculum designers, educators Assume to know what learners will need later

Institutions

Curriculum designers, educators

Assume to know what learners will need later

We fundamentally relate to information differently

Not created by select few Learn lesson from news, media, music industry

Learn lesson from news, media, music industry

Not controlled by select few Learn lessons from PR, marketing, and politics

Learn lessons from PR, marketing, and politics

Information Abundance=new approach Knowing and sense making Networks Impact

Information

Abundance=new approach

Knowing and sense making

Networks

Impact

Growth of information & changed interaction with information Not possible on our own Not possible with centralized model

Not possible on our own

Not possible with centralized model

Participatory sense making Our world makes sense through our interactions with information and others ....(and in turn, their interactions with information and others)

Our world makes sense through our interactions with information and others

....(and in turn, their interactions with information and others)

Requires new approaches to making sense of abundance “ Significant attainments become lost in the mass of the inconsequential” Vannevar Bush, 1945

“ Significant attainments become lost in the mass of the inconsequential”

Vannevar Bush, 1945

Associative trails between information

Associative trails between people

Information Abundance=new approach Knowing and sense making Networks Impact

Information

Abundance=new approach

Knowing and sense making

Networks

Impact

Information becomes knowledge through connections

What is known is a function of how it’s connected/related to other known elements

What is known is known by its context A play or movie Suitability or inappropriateness: not inherent...function of context

A play or movie

Suitability or inappropriateness:

not inherent...function of context

Educators foster (direct) the formation of connections

Social processes are a form of cognition Salomon, xiv

Salomon, xiv

Distributed cognition: thinking in networks

Are our institutions designed for this? NO

NO

By design, today’s institutions & systems serve to handle information of a different nature

Information Abundance=new approach Knowing and sense making Networks Impact

Information

Abundance=new approach

Knowing and sense making

Networks

Impact

Let’s talk networks

Connectivism Knowledge is held distributed within a network Competence/learning occurs through network creation Technology performs “grunt cognition” Capacity to stay current “ Knowing where/who” Sense-making/pattern recognition

Knowledge is held distributed within a network

Competence/learning occurs through network creation

Technology performs “grunt cognition”

Capacity to stay current

“ Knowing where/who”

Sense-making/pattern recognition

What do we mean when we say learning occurs in networks?

Neural

Conceptual t

Information & social networks

What then are important learning activities? Creating a network to provide information when needed Develop skills and mindsets to create this network Social, technological, automatic (bots)

Creating a network to provide information when needed

Develop skills and mindsets to create this network

Social, technological, automatic (bots)

Information Abundance=new approach Knowing and sense making Networks Impact

Information

Abundance=new approach

Knowing and sense making

Networks

Impact

What does this mean to learning design?

What about teaching/training?

Systemic changes Openness How we teach How we determine content Look at information life cycle – institutions need to be aware of points of production

Openness

How we teach

How we determine content

Look at information life cycle – institutions need to be aware of points of production

Systemic changes Technology for finding meaningful content (right now finding happens in social networks) How we package content How we accredit learning

Technology for finding meaningful content (right now finding happens in social networks)

How we package content

How we accredit learning

Practicality? Early stages But already established trends Networked learning is the path forward...as long as current information trends continue

Early stages

But already established trends

Networked learning is the path forward...as long as current information trends continue

www.elearnspace.org www.connectivism.ca www.knowingknowledge.com Contact: gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org

www.elearnspace.org

www.connectivism.ca

www.knowingknowledge.com

Contact: gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org