Connected Learning in a Connected World

Editor's Notes

1. NAT: Need intro slide – so I can say hello and thank sponsors, etc – maybe a picture of HASTAC Conference Theme EDYTA: Can you create this once I get email response from connie Thank you Cathy Davidson and David Goldberg for putting together such a wonderful conference ……. I want to say, again, how thrilled I am to be here and how incredibly appropriate it is that HASTAC’s 6th annual conference is in Peru and is international in focus.   This is true for many reasons, let me highlight two:    the 21st century is a fascinating time.   It is a time of massive change and shifts.  My colleague and mentor, — John Seely Brown (former head of Xerox Parc), whom some of you may know — often refers to this as a Cambrian moment… These shifts are happening at both the local and global level in ways we’ve never experienced before 
2. In part, because we now live in a massively connected world : And, of course, we are seeing the implications of this connected world play out everywhere – From the connections of massive data sets; to crowdsourcing complex problems; participation in social networks and online games; But the the world of education is really struggling to understand its role in this connected world, what it should like --- More than anything -- I would argue that a connected world needs connected learning
3. Connected Learning is an approach to learning that many of us here have been working on, writing about, designing and implementing for the last ten years. And it is very much at the heart of the $150 million Digital Media and Learning Initiative that I oversee at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Today, I want to talk about connected learning in the context of a connected world. And try to think through – with you all – its insights for higher education and its need for the humanities; what it means in a global context; Let me start by saying just a few things about connected learning
4. Part of what is so exciting about living in a connected world is the massive number of connections that exist within and across networks. We now live in a world that is more like a matrix, where people change jobs regularly, new information is being produced at an extraordinary pace. Rare is the individual who sets out on a life path, enters a single job and stays for a lifetime.
5. And yet, unfortunately -- our current educational system is designed to accommodate such a singular path – our educational systems are not designed for a networked, connected world.
6. In fact, much of the current 19th and 20th century design of our education system – where learning happens only within a school building; during certain times of the day; and only between a teacher and a large number of students; and success is determined by standardized tests – Misses much of what is relevant and meaningful in the learners life. And it fails to connect the extraordinary resources in the world beyond the school and beyond a singular pathway
7. Connected Learning – instead – seeks to introduce a pedagogy and a digital infrastructure that connects the world in a way that is relevant and meaningful to the learner
8. How does it do this? First, by understanding the categories and contexts that are relevant to the learning and building connections rather than silos. From connecting interests to academics, in school to out of school/ online and out offline. Self and peer
9. NAT – CAN YOU MAKE THE CircLES A LITTLE MORE PROMINENT AND CHANGE ACADEMIC TO OPPORTUNITIES CAN YOU MAKE THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE PREVIOUS SLIDES (THE WORDS INSIDE THE CIRCLES) – USE APPS, WEBSITES, CIVIC INSTITUTIONS RATHER THAN LEARNING LABS, HIVE LEARNING NETWORKS, LINKED LEARNING DEEPER LEARNING (THESE CAN BE REPLACED – FOLKS HERE WON’T KNOW WHAT THESE ARE – NEED TO BE MORE GENERIC) PLEASE KEEP EMPLOYERS, HIGHER EDUCATION, MENTORS, __________________ It does so through attending to pedagogy– the significance of pedagogy is important. in the 21st century pedagogy matters because the context of learning matters. Some of the core design principles of the pedagogy of connected learning are the following – and I will list these – but as you see on the slide they are not represented in a bulleted list but rather in an integrative format. At some point we will get to a dynamic depiction. In the 21st century – design of learning and pedagogy is dynamic and responsive to the learners The pedgagoy of connected learning has a specific set of design principles. First, connected learning brings together the three spheres of Second, it requires peer-to-participation among peers with a shared purpose. Third – it is focused on production. On the learner as a maker and producer And finally – it is openly networked in ways that connect shared interests with relevant opportunities – there has to be a payoff to getting better at something Wwe
10. Whenever I talk about connected learning – the first response I hear back is – BUT – what about content? My response is always – yes – Content. Content is extremely important – student knowledge and understanding of content is critical – but not as an outcome – not as something consumable -- rather, in terms of how it relates to a context or a problem.
11. Here is what we know from all our research – meaningful learning– content then becomes the context for participation in this experience. Its not the end point – its what is learned along the way– as part of the experience. At this point in a talk I can go in any number of directions, depending on the audience and the context, because connected learning has significant implications for thinking about assessments and alternative credentials, the role of the adult, institutions such as libraries and museums. And I’m happy to talk about any of these But there are three things I want to turn to now – global learning, higher education and the humanities
12. What does connected learning look like in Action? Let me give you three examples: [NEED A SLIDE] It looks like Libraries that have become Make spaces – where young people use the content of the library, music collections, books, and remix them into projects that have meaning have for their own lives and community [NEED A SLIDE] It looks like a school whose pedagogy is designed based on games rather than standard curriculum – Quest to learn school in New York City [NEED A SLIDE] And it looks like a City – like Chicago – that has connected all of its learning opportunities thru digital badges These are signs of dramatically changing approaches to learning
13. What does connected learning look like in Action? Let me give you three examples: [NEED A SLIDE] It looks like Libraries that have become Make spaces – where young people use the content of the library, music collections, books, and remix them into projects that have meaning have for their own lives and community [NEED A SLIDE] It looks like a school whose pedagogy is designed based on games rather than standard curriculum – Quest to learn school in New York City [NEED A SLIDE] And it looks like a City – like Chicago – that has connected all of its learning opportunities thru digital badges These are signs of dramatically changing approaches to learning
14. What does connected learning look like in Action? Let me give you three examples: [NEED A SLIDE] It looks like Libraries that have become Make spaces – where young people use the content of the library, music collections, books, and remix them into projects that have meaning have for their own lives and community [NEED A SLIDE] It looks like a school whose pedagogy is designed based on games rather than standard curriculum – Quest to learn school in New York City [NEED A SLIDE] And it looks like a City – like Chicago – that has connected all of its learning opportunities thru digital badges These are signs of dramatically changing approaches to learning
15. But I want to push on this a little bit more and ask – what does connected learning mean for higher education? I’m going to start with higher education – because I am very worried about higher education. My concern, in part, is the distraction of MOOCs. In k-12 education, there is the distraction of Kahn Academy. Its much worse in high education with MOOCs.
16. This may or not be provocative thing to say. Putting bad pedagogy online has never been the answer to a learning problem. What MOOCs tell us – and its an important thing to know – is that there is incredible demand for learning But in the context of innovation – it is incredibly important to ask the right question. I would suggest that the question we are not trying to solve is how to get 100,000s of students to sign up for a course and then dropout. We’ve already solved the 5% retention goal I would argue that there is a much more important question to ask - -and it’s the question at the heart of Connected Learning
17. I worry about the disconnect between how students learn and interact outside of the classroom and how they are expected to learn in the classroom.
18. These are things you all know – and they come straight from the connected learning design principles Classrooms are still setup in broadcast mode; yet we know that in the rest of their world young people are engaged in peer-to-peer communication; When its around a shared interest with opportunities for payoff, learning, time on task sky rocket
19. In the academic world, we are still waging wars on plagarism -- In the academic world, we still expect “original work” that is done by the individual.
20. We know that in the digital and connected world – creativity and making are about remix and collaboration.
21. And we know that the work worlds we hope to send these kids out to – rely on passion, interest, ability to work in peer groups So not only are we not organized in a way that fits what they are used to and what they consider relevant and meaningful –we also aren’t preparing them for the future work world This is troubling
22. We can focus our attention on MOOCs for as long as we want – it won’t solve or address these issues
23. FEM TECHNET EXAMPLE SLIDE
24. OPEN MIT LAB EXAMPLE
25. this brings me to the second topic – the humanities and the digital humanities I want to make two strong statements or claims: Higher education needs the humanities to transform successfully in the 21st century AND Connected Learning needs the humanities 3 key reasons for this The transformation in learning in the 21st century is fundamentally about pedagogy -- a shift to peer-to-peer participation around a shared interest or passion -- what areas in higher education most know how to engage students as peers; to support them in critique and review; in peer-to-peer interaction? -- at the core of learning is making and creating and performing : again, what who has that pedagogical expertise -- sharing those products to larger networks, through performance or to the public – making the work available for feedback and critique (not from the vaunted expert or teacher) – but more broadly – again – where does that happen? 2. Second reason – 21st century learning requires new narratives and new paradigms. We learn through metaphor and narratives. Whether its in the sciences, technology, medicine, philosophy – this is a time of being overwhelmed with an abundance of new information. New categories and boundaries are being broken down. As a society we are desperate to make sense of these changes – to have metaphors and ways of holding this new knowledge that enables us to interact with it in the world. -- Its nice to have all this new data – but if we can’t make sense of it; place it in a broader narrative context; connect it to a metaphor; we are pinballs moving from one data set to another. The humanities has to step in to what is now an empty space. Its in those narratives that we can find our passions and our shared interests. Its in those metaphors that we can connect our identities to the broader world and become makers and creators, and part of a community. These stories are critical to identity and to community and to shared purpose. We need new narratives and metaphors to advance learning in the 21st century. 3. Third – and this transitions me into my last topic – and it’s a relatively new one for me
26. this brings me to the second topic – the humanities and the digital humanities I want to make two strong statements or claims: Higher education needs the humanities to transform successfully in the 21st century AND Connected Learning needs the humanities 3 key reasons for this The transformation in learning in the 21st century is fundamentally about pedagogy -- a shift to peer-to-peer participation around a shared interest or passion -- what areas in higher education most know how to engage students as peers; to support them in critique and review; in peer-to-peer interaction? -- at the core of learning is making and creating and performing : again, what who has that pedagogical expertise -- sharing those products to larger networks, through performance or to the public – making the work available for feedback and critique (not from the vaunted expert or teacher) – but more broadly – again – where does that happen? 2. Second reason – 21st century learning requires new narratives and new paradigms. We learn through metaphor and narratives. Whether its in the sciences, technology, medicine, philosophy – this is a time of being overwhelmed with an abundance of new information. New categories and boundaries are being broken down. As a society we are desperate to make sense of these changes – to have metaphors and ways of holding this new knowledge that enables us to interact with it in the world. -- Its nice to have all this new data – but if we can’t make sense of it; place it in a broader narrative context; connect it to a metaphor; we are pinballs moving from one data set to another. The humanities has to step in to what is now an empty space. Its in those narratives that we can find our passions and our shared interests. Its in those metaphors that we can connect our identities to the broader world and become makers and creators, and part of a community. These stories are critical to identity and to community and to shared purpose. We need new narratives and metaphors to advance learning in the 21st century. 3. Third – and this transitions me into my last topic – and it’s a relatively new one for me
27. The significance of the global context for learning – and the importance of the humanities in defining global learning Just as we need new narratives for how we understand information and data in our connected world – we need new narratives for understanding global education In the US – there are two stories we tell ourselves about global education 1.
28. The first is that it is a competition – and btw – we are losing NAT – CAN YOU CHANGE THE TITLE OF THIS TO : GLOBAL EDUCATION IS A COMPETITION
29. NAT – NEED A SLIDE HERE ABOUT HELPING The second approach is that we are the experts and we are “helping” countries poorer than ourselves one of a “more developed country” like the US helping an “underdeveloped” country. A connected world – with a connected learning approach – however – may offer a third approach.
30. Missing from these two narratives – is one that describes the mission of global learning – or connected learning as – coming together to solve complex problems And for youth to come together to solve complex problems that are locally relevant and globally connected
31. What has been wonderful to find out from our research with youth – when we talk with them about what interests them – and we’ve done this now with thousands of youth
32. NAT : can the title of this sllde be changed to “Shared Local Problems” -- invariably we hear a variant on I want to make my community better Could be about a mural on a local underpass, could be about clean water, could be simply violence in their neighborhods; could be a local garden They may not be political active – but they certainly are aware of where they live and they would like to make it better
33. The other thing that has become increasingly interesting – through our work we have begun to work with youth in the Middle East and North Africa -- that we do live in a global world – the issues that kids face in a local community in the US, have many of the same contours, properties and issues of those in a local community in Morroco or Qatar -- I suspect as here in Peru or Latin Americasetsemer Can we begin – with our large data emerg Because it is clear – that the challenges we leaving for the next generation – we are leaving across the globe – and it will require the next generation to have the skills to engage with these problems at a local and global level
34. NAT – need to edit this: INTERESTS : GLOBAL COMPETENCIES PEER CULTURE: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCE OPPORTUNITY: EMPLOYABLE SKILLS SUB HEADS WITHIN THE CIRCLES --- within the interests circle  Water sustainability; clean water, fashion, music -- Understanding difference … cities of learning, mentors Opportunities -- employable skills -- community engagement -- higher education -- systems thinking