web 2.0 as a medium for knowledge sharing and learning space

Web 2.0 as a medium for knowledge sharing and learning space

A brief review from the educational perspective

Andreas Meiszner

The Open University (UK) / Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (PT)

Lexelerator conference, Brussels May 7th

Agenda

Part 1 Web 2.0 – or so it’s called

Part 2 Web 2.0 from the business perspective

Part 3 Web 2.0 from the educational perspective

Part 4 The case of Free / Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Communities

Part 5 The Open Educational Resource (OER) movement

Part 6 Preparing the ne(x)t generation: towards open and participatory learning ecosystems

Part 1

Web 2.0 – or so it’s called

Knowledge sharing & learning as an active creation process Knowledge sharing & learning as an active creation process in disperse environmentsin disperse environments

Web 2.0 – or so it’s called

Web 2.0 – a message beyond the hype

I think we're --in a lot of ways --in a period of the most profound reinvention of ...education and how people need to learn since the invention of literacy. Tim O'Reilly

Web 2.0 – the Impact

The past The futureClosed OpenExpert driven only Everyone has a storry to tellIndividualistic CollaborativePower is knowledge, so hoard it Knowledge is wothless unless sharedProtect your part, don't share The whole is bigger than the sum of its partsCopyright CopyleftReproduction cost exist Reproduction cost close to zeroMass markets Niche marketsProduct oriented Service oriented

ICT and the web 2.0 ENABLES us to do things different and more ICT and the web 2.0 ENABLES us to do things different and more efficiently, but they are also significantly CHANGE the way we efficiently, but they are also significantly CHANGE the way we

live and work REQUIRING us to acquire new skills and mindsetslive and work REQUIRING us to acquire new skills and mindsets

What does the future expect from us?What does the future expect from us?

Ability of being self-taught & self-learningHaving a mental model of how the world works to let you figure out

what's importantA new "digital divide" between those who know how to think about

search and those who don't; those who know where the current hotinformation is being shared, and those who don't

The importance of "doing things," "tinkering,", and "exploratory learning"

That "engagement" is not new to Web 2.0, but the opportunity isbeing democratized by the technologySource: Tim O'Reilly, May 2007

Web 2.0 – What it brings along for our citizens

Part 2

Web 2.0 from the business perspective

Web 2.0 – The business sectors’ response

"What I worry about much more is our ability to make the necessary cultural changes to meet the new demands of the digital native."

Rupert Murdoch, 14.4.05

“To me, the challenge is not awareness, the challenge is engagement,"John Hayes, CMO, American Express

Harley Davidson relinquished control of its brand to its biker community, withoverwhelmingly positive results.

Mark Blaxill, senior vice president, Boston Consulting Group

What makes some projects more successful than others?

Clearly understand target group needs

Involve target group in all relevant activities

Seek regular feedback and provide updates

Foster openness and interaction

Establish the critical mass to create strong communities


Consumer power – growth of consumer communities

See-through companies – increased transparency in business

Your customers want to work for you – co-creation at work


What makes some companies more successful than others?

Part 3

Web 2.0 from the educational perspective

I think we're --in a lot of ways --in a period of the most profound reinvention of ...education and how people need to learn since the invention of literacy. Tim O'Reilly

Recall: Web 2.0 – a message beyond the hype

The expectations of digital technology for enhancing learning, individually as well as collaboratively, and in all corners of the educational arena, have become widely accepted……But why then is it – with a general agreement on expectations of technology for enhancing learning – that these visions are not realized and demonstrated more widely in educational design and practice? Is a core potential of technology for enhancing the quality of learning just a myth or an unattainable perception put forward by technophobes?

E.K. Sorensen

During the e-learning boom of the last five years hundreds of conference systems, learning management systems and virtual learning environments have been developed. Most of these environments have been designed to manage study materials, students, their basic cooperation and simple evaluation and grading of their work, ……rather than to promote engagement in active learning and knowledge building.

Dean, 2004

Recall: Web 2.0 – BEYOND THE HYPE

Learning as a finished and delivered product to be Learning as a finished and delivered product to be consumed consumed

Education in the past

Examples Examples -- formal educational settingsformal educational settings

Education today – the example of traditional HE

A myriad of closed systemsA myriad of closed systems

Education today – the example of traditional HE

Questions

? What’s the benefit of a myriad of closed learning environments?

? What do we protect and for which reason?

? What’s the benefit of letting our students play in TWO different worlds – the CLOSED world of formal education and the OPEN world of informal education?

? Why should educators explaining the basics over and over again if the web shows us that learning processes can be made visible and preserved and thus become learning resources for FUTURE learners

? In which way must the CLOSED world of formal education change to take advantage of the OPEN world the web 2.0 provides? After all, we are approaching an OPEN decade: OPEN SOURCE, OPEN CONTENT, OPEN ACCESS, OPEN RESEARCH, …

Part 4

The case of Free / Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Communities

What does the FLOSS case show us?What does the FLOSS case show us?

Looking at informal virtual learning environments, like Free / Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) communities, shows that:

Content is not something static but dynamicLearning resources are manifoldUsers are also active creatorsSupport and learning resources are closely connected Open and transparent structures foster re-use and discourse, but

also continuous improvement and evolutionary growthExistence of a wide range of possible activities to engage at around

the core productSelf-studying and learning from what others did are pre-dominant

forms of learning, plus gaining soft skills “on the fly”

Today – The FLOSS Case

The diverse FLOSS learning ecosystemThe diverse FLOSS learning ecosystem


Content & Support in FLOSS Content & Support in FLOSS


A large variety of information spaces A large variety of information spaces –– outsideoutside

FLOSS Community Places (source http://innovationcreators.com/wp/?p=70


A large variety of information spaces A large variety of information spaces –– insideinside


Individual learning, community support,...Individual learning, community support,...

Learning is happening...


... product development, or off topic socialisation spaces... product development, or off topic socialisation spaces

... in a larger context...


... provided by and for the community... provided by and for the community

117 new members within 4h41m


Community support servicesCommunity support services

User help user; a double gain where both learn; lurkers welcome


A greater range of inputs – not just from the educator, but from all contributors so the collective is the source of knowledge, not one individual

A more personalized learning experience – instead of learning objectives that apply to a whole cohort, this approach allows learners to gather the elements of knowledge they require.

Greater sharing of knowledge – in (higher) education much of the previous input is lost, whereas here the dialogue, resources, and outputs remain as learning resources.

Peer production – active engagement in producing something with a set of peers is a powerful motivational and educational driving force.

Real activities – engaging in legitimate activities that are not restricted to anartificial educational setting also provides valuable experience.

Peer support – a large support network provided voluntarily by peers in a collaborative manner nearly 24/7.

Open learning environment – The whole is bigger than the sum of its parts, thus there is the need of providing new educational models and scenarios that are not limited to students formally enrolled at a course.

What type of learning environment does FLOSS provides?What type of learning environment does FLOSS provides?


Part 5

The Open Educational Resource (OER) movement

Today – The OER Case, high quality, largely static

Teaser & Courses from expertsTeaser & Courses from experts

Static OER vs. dynamic Web 2.0Static OER vs. dynamic Web 2.0

Today – OER vs. Web 2.0 & FLOSS

At the current OER movementWe create repositories, but not learning communitiesContent is defined and produced in the traditional wayContent is static, not manifold and rarely updatedFormal students do not directly engage with OER and thus do not

engage with external students or free learners Students' / Free learners' learning processes and learning outcomes

do not become part of something (course, learning resource, product, etc)

Support and learning resources are not connectedWe don't really look at motivations and activities to attract free

learners to become active contributors

In which way is the Web 2.0 & FLOSS approach different from the In which way is the Web 2.0 & FLOSS approach different from the OER movement?OER movement?

Today – OER vs. Web 2.0 & FLOSS

Part 6

Preparing the ne(x)t generation: towards open and participatory learning ecosystems

Successful learning environments at the webSuccessful learning environments at the web

Source: Toru Liyoshi etal., OpenLearn conference 2007

Education Tomorrow

How could this look for education?How could this look for education?

Education Tomorrow


How could this look for education? (continued)How could this look for education? (continued) ‏‏

Education Tomorrow


Because the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts!Because the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts!

Education Tomorrow

The Future – Towards OPLE

Open IssuesOpen Issues

Educational level: Assessment of learner & certification – who assesses whom and what?Quality assurance – is P2P sufficient?Underlying business models – Learning for free and class support and

certification against fees?Cultural restrains – educational sector & societyMotivation for free learners to engage – what are the motivational factors

corresponding to the FLOSS case and the participatory web at large

Political level:Response of the EC to ne(x)t generation’s demands – LLP too small scale,

meanwhile FP7 too technology focused. What should be the role of the EC & Member States Policies in this process?

The NetGeners.Net Pilot Course

Towards Open Participatory Learning Systems Towards Open Participatory Learning Systems –– a Pilot Coursea Pilot Course

Thank you for your attention!

Contact: [email protected]

Further information:

• The FLOSSCom project - www.flosscom.net

Outcomes:•1. Report on the learning environment of Free / Libre Open Source (FLOSS) communities•2. Report on the effectiveness of a FLOSS-like learning community in formal educational settings

• The NetGeners.Net pilot course – www.netgeners.net

• The Cape Town Open Education Declaration - www.capetowndeclaration.org

web 2.0 as a medium for knowledge sharing and learning space

Economy & Finance