Several decades of exponential information growth has forced changes to the tools and methods we use to stay current. But change is beginning to outpace our ability to cope. Social technologies, shift to user-created content, two-way flow of information, and increased openness require a significant shift in how we function as individuals and organizations. We are starting to utilize first-generation technologies and processes that represent patterns and connections between information elements, not only the elements themselves. As evidenced by participatory news sites, tag/information clouds, the collective actions of many can provide a new way of filtering, sorting, and making sense of abundance - we are extracting meaning based on connections. What types of changes are required within our organizations today to adopt democratic approaches reflective of our emerging needs?

Prof. George Siemens:

George Siemens is a internationally prominent writer and researcher on learning, networks, technology and organizational effectiveness in digital environments. He is the author of Knowing Knowledge, an exploration of how the context and characteristics of knowledge have changed and what it means to organizations today. Siemens is also Associate Director, Research and Development, with the Learning Technologies Centre at University of Manitoba and founder and President of Complexive Systems Inc., a learning lab focused on helping organizations develop integrated learning structures to meet the needs of global strategy execution. Siemens maintains www.elearnspace.org, www.connectivism.ca and www.knowingknowledge.com. Additional background information is available at www.elearnspace.org/about.htm.

Technological innovations and new products and tools continue to develop at a phenomenal rate. The terminology associated with these changes are beginning to spill over into the mainstream – phrases such as ‘podcasts’, ‘blogs’, ‘Myspace’, ‘YouTube’ etc. unheard of by most of us a couple of years ago now pepper news presentations and even radio four broadcasts! ‘Web 2.0’ has become synonymous with this more interactive, peer-generated and collaborative Internet. Many argue that the new possibilities of these social networking tools are resulting in a fundamental shift in the way we work and learn. Rich immersive virtual environments such as ‘Second Life’ are exciting educators in terms of the possibilities they offer for learning.

Teachers and students are therefore faced with an increasingly complex and rich technology-enhanced environment for teaching and learning. This offers tremendous opportunities but also poses problems in terms of how to maximise the potential affordances of these new tools to create stimulating and engaging learning environments.

Recent research on students’ experience of using technologies shows that they are very comfortable in this technology-enriched fast moving environment. ‘Google’, ‘Wikipedia’, ‘Email’, and ‘MSN chat’ are core tools to support their learning. Today’s students are sophisticated users who appropriate the technologies to their own needs. The implications for educational institutions both in terms of the technological infrastructure we provide and the way in which we support learners is profound.

The presentation aims to consider the factors which make up this new dynamic, technology rich environment. It will consider both the teacher and student perspectives – offering suggestions on how we need a new approach to the design and delivery of learning activities to maximise the potential affordances of the range of abundant range of tools and resources available to help teachers facilitate and scaffold learning and for learners to appropriate these tools and resources for their own personalised learning needs.

 

Prof. Gráinne Conole:

 

Grainne Conole is Professor of E-Learning in the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University in the UK. Previously she was Professor of Educational Innovation in Post-Compulsory Education at the University of Southampton and before that Director of the Institute for Learning and Research Technology at the University of Bristol. Her research interests include the use, integration and evaluation of Information and Communication Technologies and e-learning and the impact of technologies on organisational change. Two of her current areas of interest are focusing on the evaluation of students’ experiences of and perceptions of technologies and how learning design can help in creating more engaging learning activities.

 

She has extensive research, development and project management experience across the educational and technical domains; funding sources have included the EU, HEFCE, ESRC, JISC and commercial sponsors). She serves on and chairs a number of national and international advisory boards, steering groups, committees and international conference programmes. She has published and presented over 200 conference proceedings, workshops and articles, including over 50 journal publications on a range of topics, including the use and evaluation of learning technologies and is editor for the Association of Learning Technologies journal, ALT-J. She is co-editor of the recently published RoutledgeFalmer book ‘Contemporary perspectives on e-learning research’.

Website: http://iet.open.ac.uk/pp/g.c.conole/index.cfm