Learning Technologies Centre Learning today… Provincial Territorial Distance Education...

Learning Technologies Centrewww.umanitoba.ca/learning_technologies

Learning today…

Provincial Territorial Distance Education AssociationSeptember 25, 2006

Iqaluit, Nunavut


What is the purpose of education?

• Culture:– To educate in?– Preserve?

• Prepare for employment?• Prepare for life?• To give life?


What does it mean to learn?


• “…people are actually quite poor at complex logical calculations, but are very good at quickly recognizing patterns, interrupting ambiguous information, and learning”

Beinhocker The origin of wealth


What is the nature of change?


Lifestyle

• Cultural diversity• Students are working more• Learning from multiple sources (and

institutions)• Practical, implementation• Expectation of relevance


• "By obsolete, I mean that our high schools--even when they’re working exactly as designed--cannot teach our kids what they need to know today ….Training the workforce of tomorrow with the high schools of today is like trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50-year-old mainframe. It’s the wrong tool for the times."

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstory.cfm?ArticleID=5586


How are we reacting?

• Not well…• We are solving today’s problems with

yesterday’s solutions– Duplicating functionality of old tools– Doing more of what’s not working

• Our primary concern is not money or technology: It’s about vision


But is this practical?

• Clear aims through decentralized means

• Channels of content delivery must align with the skills of learners (i.e. where they “live” digitally)

• Context-games• Repurpose in multiple spaces• New tools (2B mobile phones, 820M

Computers) (BusinessWeek)


What types of tools?

Functionality:Two-way flowBrings in all voicesKeeps people as

individualsAdaptiveNetworked in nature

(scalable, flexible)

Examples• Blogs• Wikis• Podcasts• Social:

– Social bookmarks– Tags

• End-user content creation and classification

• LMS


Balance

• Centralization with decentralization• Content with conversation• Self-directed with guidance• Amateur with expert• Individuality with group• Innovation with tradition• Immediacy with reflectivity


Balance…

• Requires diversity• Multiple approaches• Valuing uncertainty • Understanding tensions• Knowledge as process/flow…and as

product


• World wide enrolment in higher education will almost double in the next 25 years (90 million: 2001, 160 million: 2025)

(As cited by Diana Oblinger: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI063001.pdf)


How do we move forward?

• Public education– Teach learning for life– Teach reflection, critical thinking,

creative thinking– Use technology to augment and extend,

not determine learning (Nunavut, Manitoba, remote communities, Aboriginal


We need new spaces and new structures of

learning


Our learners need new skills

• To see shades and continuums• To use emergent (not predefined) problem

solving (or opportunity engagement)• To navigate a digital landscape• To accept uncertainty, tolerate ambiguity,

comprehend chaos• To build, create personal learning networks• To be whole (acting in light of entire image)


Why not try this…• Let them own the tool (but on open

standards)• We supply content and foster conversation• That’s it.

• Blend eportfolios with education (from an early age)

• Give learners control so they have a life history

• Create our content to fit into their space (RSS feed – they subscribe to each course)


• http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=1923618305363771016&pr=goog-sl

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