PLE-discussion revisited, 2008

Even “e-Learning 2.0″ still seems to be discussed primarily from the perspective of institutions or organisations.

But the Web 2.0 obviously is “user-centered”. Every This was the starting point for discussing “PLEs” (Personal Learning Environments) as opposed to LMSs (Learning Management Systems) and VLEs (VirtualLearinng Environments) that has been led by Scott Wilson, Leigh Blackall, Stephen Downes and many others in 2005.

The main point has been nailed by Leigh in his notorious “Die LMS Die! You too PLE!” blog post:

So while I whole heartedly agree with the PLE and Scott’s reasoning for rejecting the LMS/VLE, I can’t say I’m with them on their alternative. In my view, the VLE, LMS and PLE are the same. A suggestion that the Internet, and informal networked learning are not enough. That people still need to come to school to learn. That people need to distinguish learning from life, that people need to download and install an application that will solve their learning needs.

The ultimate learning environment is “the Web” itself. But the Web consitss of a applications which trigger designed user experiences. That is the question: Is there room left for instructional design of any kind in a Web environment? And how can we help mainstream users with low “Web literacy” to exploit the new possibilities for their personal empowerment?

2 basic questions

* Why (if at all) is “traditional e-learning” not sufficient for a typical “life-long learner” who needs to do “vocational self-learning” for herself, here and now — be it either because s/he is anxious about her professional future or because s/he is enthusiastic about learning new things?

* What “learner-centered” offer could be made to persons in such a situation, be it forced unto them or not, who are just mainstream users (e-mail and/or chat, occasional search, some rudimentary social software) and not feeling too confident about using Web 2.0 stuff?

E-learning is dead – list of possible questions

Life-long learning in digital networked media environments

(1) „E-learning is dead“ (undead, undead) … ?

Jay Cross published this announcement in 2003: the very person who coined the term “e-learning” 4 1/2 years earlier. BUT …

… the “current industry is experiencing vibrant growth in the US Self-paced eLearning Market”, reports Jay’s old partner Sam Adkins now, who actually had started the eLearning-is-dead-meme back then, by confessing “sailing Snake Oil”.

… everyday, millions of people are learning with and in the Web.

So what does that mean: “E-learning is dead”?

(2) “Life-long learner”-centered perspective

So here we have a “Life-long learner”, sitting at home, wondering how s/he will be able to step one step ahead of tomorrow’s shifts in her professional field, and the labour market in general.

S/he will take anything if it helps – formal, non-formal, informal, vocational, institutional, hard skills, soft skills, meta skills, whatever.

S/he has just average computer literacy. S/he just doesn’t know what to do und where to start. Attention is scarce.

And there we have a Screen, some software, the Web.

What can this “Life-long Learner” do with it now, end of 2008?

(3) Designing self-directed learning

Is this a contradiction in itself?

(4) The L-word

Every term assembled by combining “learning” with some other word sounds like a buzzword: e-, rapid, informal, game-based, scenario-based, whatever-based.

What could that mean for our Life-long learner: “learning”?

(5) Personal Learning Environment

What is that? What could it be?

Is there some connection to the notions of the “Come-to-me Web” vs. the “Go-and-get-it Web”, or the “Personal Info Cloud” (Thomas Vander Wal)?

(6) Information and Knowledge

Is there a change in the aggregate state of human information under the impact of networked digital media?

Does this have any consequences for the kind of information and knowledge needed by vocational learners?

Are information and knowledge(s) really becoming “small pieces loosely joined”, permanently morphing and shifting? Has this something to do with the Web?

(7) Overload

“In supermodern society, the individual is empowered like never before, inflated like never before, overwhelmed like never before,” said the French ethnologist Marc Augé.

“The solution to information overload? More information, but in a different form, and in different channels,” said Web theorist David Weinberger.

(8) “Building learning communities with software”

Learning is a personal experience. Learning is a social experience.

What is the relation between personal and social motivation in “Web learning”?
What is the role of software, what is the role of humans?

(9) “Understanding myself as a project.”

It seems that even normal people are increasingly expected to innovate and manage themselves like a one-person enterprise.

How can digital networked media help to “start me up”?

Hello world!

This is blog set up for a number of online interviews i am planning. The idea is asking “opinion leaders” in Web-based Learning why “traditional e-learning” is not sufficient for a typical “life-long learner” who needs to do “voactional learning” for herself, here and now.