Learning Design – bridging the gap Martin Weller & James Dalziel

Why are we excited? Enthusiasm Stickability Ease of use Communities that actually work

Enthusiasm

Stickability

Ease of use

Communities that actually work

Web 2.0 characteristics Technology User generated content Informal learning Democracy Bottom-up Socially oriented Web as platform Harness collective intelligence Perpetual beta

Democracy

Bottom-up

Socially oriented

Web as platform

Harness collective intelligence

Perpetual beta

Higher education characteristics Controlled technology Us generated content Accredited learning We know best Top down Individual achievement Review before release Filtered intelligence Aim for perfection

Controlled technology

Us generated content

Accredited learning

We know best

Top down

Individual achievement

Review before release

Filtered intelligence

Aim for perfection

Implications Technology – loosely coupled vs centralised VLE User generated content – vs academic produced Pedagogy – informal/community vs structured/didactic Content and resources – new metrics, 3 rd party, new formats vs lectures, articles Philosophy

Technology – loosely coupled vs centralised VLE

User generated content – vs academic produced

Pedagogy – informal/community vs structured/didactic

Content and resources – new metrics, 3 rd party, new formats vs lectures, articles

Philosophy

The granularity of learning We think the course is the granularity for learning, but that may be a result of the economics of HE – place, accreditation, teaching What if the natural granularity is much smaller – akin to a blog post or a twitter post? Or at least varies for user/topic/need "For decades we've been buying albums. We thought it was for artistic reasons, but it was really because the economics of the physical world required it: Bundling songs into long-playing albums lowered the production, marketing, and distribution costs ... As soon as music went digital, we learned that the natural unit of music is the track." (Weinberger)

We think the course is the granularity for learning, but that may be a result of the economics of HE – place, accreditation, teaching

What if the natural granularity is much smaller – akin to a blog post or a twitter post?

Or at least varies for user/topic/need

The topography of formality At the moment one or two big peaks then flat plains Perhaps flatter Lots of informal learning through social networking, Then come together for formal learning chunks What we do as educators

At the moment one or two big peaks then flat plains

Perhaps flatter

Lots of informal learning through social networking,

Then come together for formal learning chunks

What we do as educators

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Threat to HE Content industries i) Find ways of maintaining the publisher model, by managing the rights and use of content through a combination of technological and legal controls. ii) Find new business models that give away content but build and sell services around it.

Content industries

i) Find ways of maintaining the publisher model, by managing the rights and use of content through a combination of technological and legal controls.

ii) Find new business models that give away content but build and sell services around it.

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plus … Social Convenience Guidance Accreditation

Social

Convenience

Guidance

Accreditation

What’s LD got to do with it? Meno’s paradox – still offers structure and guidance Granularity of learning – range of user generated sequences, e.g. blogs Topography of formality – long tail Cultural clash – allows both guidance and user input Web 2.0 quality – focus is on quality of learning experience, but different metrics will be required Personalisation - not only the subject you want but the way of learning it.

Meno’s paradox – still offers structure and guidance

Granularity of learning – range of user generated sequences, e.g. blogs

Topography of formality – long tail

Cultural clash – allows both guidance and user input

Web 2.0 quality – focus is on quality of learning experience, but different metrics will be required

Personalisation - not only the subject you want but the way of learning it.

We need.. Tools to generate and share LDs Motivation to share Alternative accreditation methods Critical mass A flickr for learning design

Tools to generate and share LDs

Motivation to share

Alternative accreditation methods

Critical mass

A flickr for learning design

Or.. Is education/learning intrinsically different? Should it hold out against 2.0/user generated content “ A few endorse Wikipedia heartily. This mystifies me. Education is not a matter of popularity or of convenience—it is a matter of learning, of knowledge gained the hard way, and of respect for the human record. A professor who encourages the use of Wikipedia is the intellectual equivalent of a dietician who recommends a steady diet of Big Macs with everything.” Michael Gorman

Is education/learning intrinsically different?

Should it hold out against 2.0/user generated content