New learning communities can be understood through a theoretical framework that draws from connectivism and the learning ecosystem model. Key aspects include personal learning skills, conversation across networks, dynamic and overlapping communities, and organic connections formed between learners. Collective leadership models from nature, like those seen in bioteams, provide examples of distributed leadership styles for new learning communities characterized by fluid roles and responsibilities.
NM TIE 09 New Learning Communities: A Theoretical Framework
1. New Learning Communities:
A Theoretical Framework
Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz, M.A. RETA & NMSU
New Mexico Technology in Education Conference
Oct.22.09
Ruidoso, New Mexico
@hollyrae
hollyrae@nmsu.edu
Wiki for this presentation: https://nmtiepresentation.pbworks.com/New-Learning-Communities%3A-A-Theoretical-
Framework
7. Big Shifts
•The world is
changing
Gutl & Chang
•Learning is
changing
Seimens &
Downes
•Communication is
changing
Thompson
Attributions at https://nmtiepresentation.pbworks.com/New-Learning-Communities%3A-A-Theoretical-Framework
10. Scoble’s Social Media Starfish
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbarefoot/1814873464/
Social Media Landscape
http://www.fredcavazza.net/2008/06/09/social-media-
landscape/
The Conversation Prism
http://www.briansolis.com/2008/08/introducing-conversation-prism.html
11. What happens to learning in this
context?
“Our learning and information acquisition is a mashup. We
take pieces, add pieces, dialogue, reframe, rethink,
connect, and ultimately, we end up with some type of
pattern that symbolizes what’s happening ‘out there’ and
what it means to us. And that pattern changes daily.
G. Siemens and P. Tittenberger.
Handbook of emerging technologies for learning, March 2009.
12. The Golden Triangle as Interpreted by Brian Solis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/ / CC BY 2.0
13. Connectivism
Affordance of tools
Contextual situated learning
Social learning theory
Epistemological views
Embodied cognition
New media theory
Systems theory
Network theory
‘A learning theory for a digital age’ from George Siemens &
Stephen Downes.
Influenced by learning theories, social structures, and
technologies, such as
Handbook of emerging technologies for learning, March 2009
http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wikis/etl/index.php/Handbook_of_Emerging_Technologie
s_for_Learning
14. What is knowledge?
‘knowledge and cognition are distributed
across networks of people and technology is
the process of connecting, growing, and
navigating those networks'
the knowledge of the network is bigger than
any one node
Handbook of emerging technologies for learning, March 2009
http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wikis/etl/index.php/Handbook_of_Emerging_Technologie
s_for_Learning
15. Learning is forming connections
Connectivism
(George Siemens & Stephen Downes)
Learning is connecting new experiences within our neural,
conceptual and social networks
Depth and diversity of the connections is what determines
understanding
Frequency of exposure and integration with other concepts can
strengthen understanding
Connections can be strong or weak – different networks serve
different needs
Expertise (the facility of using networks) is what is needed to
learn in this new context
16. New Learning Skills
G. Siemens and P. Tittenberger. Handbook of emerging technologies
for learning, March 2009. “New Learning, New Educators, New Skills”
17. Created with Wordle - http://www.wordle.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_skills
Soft Skills
18. Flickr Creative Commons Search for ‘early adopters’ or ‘power users’
Technology Fluency & Adeptness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hbemisschurtz/favorites/
19. Wayfinding
Wayfinding encompasses all of the ways in which people
and animals orient themselves in physical space and
navigate from place to place
•traditional navigation methods used by indigenous
peoples
•in the context of architecture to refer to the user
experience of orientation and choosing a path within
the built environment
•the set of architectural and/or design elements that
aid orientation.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayfinding
20. Sensemaking
Sensemaking is the ability or attempt to make sense of an ambiguous
situation.
creating situational awareness and understanding in situations of high
complexity or uncertainty in order to make decisions.
"a motivated, continuous effort to understand connections (which can be
among people, places, and events) in order to anticipate their trajectories
and act effectively" (Klein et al., 2006a).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensemaking
Klein, G., Moon, B. and Hoffman, R.F. (2006a). Making sense of sensemaking I: alternative perspectives.
IEEE Intelligent Systems, 21(4), 70-73.
22. Learning Ecosystem as a Model
Gutl & Chang, 2008
a comprehensive review of the ecosystem
model as used to describe highly dynamic
learning environments that change organically
and often
a model to identify perspectives, relationships,
approaches and implementations
assists in identifying pedagogical, cognitive,
social, organizational, and technological
aspects
23. Characteristics
Open and flexible to allow for student's self
direction
Support the individual learner and the
community in a natural learning process
Network of learning agents and sources
dynamically changes according to situations
and context
(Gutl & Chang, 2008)
25. A learning ecosystem is a framework…
for understanding new learning environments that incorporate a
variety of
tools (ie: course management systems, Web 2.0 applications) and
multiple touch points (web, client, mobile) that aims to make
transparent to the members of the learning community various
channels (relationships, pathways, protocols) in support of
learners (who learn in a variety of contexts) as facilitated by a
master learner who models the strategies of how to use the channels
26. External Communities
Current Events & Trends
FacilitationandAssessment
Nurturing a Professional Development Ecosystem - Julia Parra, Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz & Susie Ceppi-Bussmann -
Virtual School Symposium, Phoenix, November 2008 http://vss2008.wikispaces.com/nurturing
28. Characteristics of
New Learning Communities
Personal learning skills are integral
Conversation is not just in one system/tool/place
Communities overlap between networks
Connections (the stuff of learning) are made
organically
Highly dynamic, Influenced by a wider social
experience
and...
30. Organizational Biomimicry
•Looking at ‘power users’ & ‘power’ communities of
natural ecosystems
•from Ken Thompson (the Bioteaming Manifesto,
@kenthompsonbio)
•Traits of successful bioteams
•Pheromone messaging
•Collective leadership
These are new communication styles for humans.
38. This is a tremendous shift!
Successful bioteams are highly dependent on
members’ beliefs and values
Collective communication is somewhat new to
humans
Each users experience is unique and personal
responsibility is substantially increased
40. Anyone can #harshtag
On this slide I relay a personal perspective on the#heweb09 keynote hashtag ‘drama’- probably does not
make sense from slide alone.
http://wthashtag.com/transcript.php?page_id=5224&start_date=2009-10-06&end_date=2009-10-07&tz=2%3A00&export_type=HTML
41. Anyone can pull a ‘Kanye’
http://www.safm.com.au/entertainment/music/mtv-vma-2009?selectedImage=6
42. Anyone can make a Kanye parody
http://mashable.com/2009/09/15/kanye-west-parodies/
43. Anyone can make a Kanye parody
http://mashable.com/2009/09/15/kanye-west-parodies/
44. Blended Teamwork
Original Source: From Small is Beautiful… but Big is Powerful (on NESTA site, no longer
available) by Ken Thompson
New source also by Ken Thompson, Nature’s four teamwork systems
http://www.bioteams.com/2006/01/16/natures_four_teamwork.html#
45. Teamwork in Nature
Anderson &
Franks
Description Ken Thompson’s Term
Individual Work •Single individuals
•Without help
Solo Work
Group Work •Multiple members
•Same tasks
•Concurrent/Synchro
nous
Crowd Work
(eg: Brainstorming)
Partitioned Work •Two or more
subtasks, sequential
•Not concurrent, can
be asynchronous
Group Work
(eg: Subtask 1 – Collect Data;
Subtask 2 – Analysis)
Team Work •Multiple individuals
•Different tasks
•Concurrent/Synchro
nous
Team Work
(eg: Responding to a threat;
Exploiting an opportunity)
46. Blended Teamwork
“You need the right sized team for the job.”
Successful bioteams have many types of inter-connected
groups.
A bioteam uses all type of collaboration in the right context.
Solo – sometimes the most effective
Group – great for asynchronous
Crowd – used carefully, too much = poor role definition, time
wasted
Teamwork – requires coordination of individuals and roles
Original Source: From Small is Beautiful… but Big is Powerful (on NESTA site, no longer
available) by Ken Thompson
New source also by Ken Thompson, Nature’s four teamwork systems
http://www.bioteams.com/2006/01/16/natures_four_teamwork.html#
49. Evaluating Collective Leadership
Is network membership growing?
Is the proportion of members who are active in the network growing?
Is network membership increasingly diverse?
Are members engaging in multiple kinds of activities provided by the
network?
Are members coming together in different combinations in the network?
Are members both bonding and bridging in the network?
http://link-to-results.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=62
50. ORGANICS
Seven Key Behaviors which demonstrate Collective Leadership
Outgoing - get to know any members of the team you don't already know by
talking to them and finding common interests.
Recruit - when you meet a new team member or customer introduce them to
another team member with a common interest.
Go - network widely inside and outside the team and constantly expand your
field of operations.
Ask - ask for help from others in the team whenever you join a work group. Pay it
forward too - offer help to other team members.
Note - keep yourself aware on a daily basis of overall team priorities and issues,
and reflect on these in your team activities.
Investigate - when you see something "interesting", investigate, communicate
and discuss it with at least one other team member.
Collaborate - join and work in at least one team work group or special interest
group, which is interesting to you but is outside your normal role
http://www.nesta.org.uk/assets/features/why_penguins_have_no_commanding_officer
51. What sense do we make now?
@hollyrae @desertjul
Practical
Applications
Hinweis der Redaktion
Individualized
Unique
Can go awry
Tools – vygotsky language, gibson
Papert, wenger, - constructionism and constructivism (active learning)
Social learning bruner, vygotsky, bandura
Epistemological views – downes connective knowledge and cormier – rhizomatic knowledge
Concept of mind – papert, minsky
New media theory – McLuhan – humanity and tech the impact of technology on humanity will continue to grow in greater prominence as we are increasingly able to augment human cognitive functioning through pharmaceuticals and the future promise of embedded chips.
Systems theory – complexity – Mason Davis
Network theory – strong ties and weak ties small worlds, power laws, hubs, structural holes, and weak/strong ties are common in literature. Educational focus of networks comes from work by Starr-Roxanne Hiltz, Chris Jones, Martin de Laat, and others.
Learning is connecting new experiences within our neural, conceptual and social networks - integration
2 how well and how consistently we are connected to ideas and concepts
Frequency of exposure (how often, the manner we integrate with other contexts)
Connections can be strong (small world – well connected) or weak (bridging separate worlds)
Expertise!! richly connected nuanced and diverse
SO What is expertise? A whole lot o skills – multi literacy view
Anchoring Staying focused on important tasks while undergoing a deluge of distractions.
Filtering Managing knowledge flow and extracting important elements.
Connecting with each other Building networks in order to continue to stay current and informed.
Being human together Interacting at a human, not only utilitarian, level context.
Critical and creative thinking Questioning and dreaming.
Pattern recognition Recognizing patterns and trends.
Navigate knowledge landscape Navigating between repositories, people, technology, and ideas while achieving intended purposes.
Acceptance of uncertainty Balancing what is known with the unknown
Contextualizing (understanding comtext games) Understanding the prominence of context ... seeing continuums... ensuring key contextual issues are not overlooked in context games""
Make a map, update it as you learn.A map is a visual representation of an area, regions, and themes. (Mapmaking from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map)
Looking at your change over time rather than expecting to arrive at a certain point.Dead reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course. (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_reckoning)
Identify themes you are looking for, keep notes as you work, are you on track?A compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles. It consists of a magnetized pointer (usually marked on the North end) free to align itself with Earth's magnetic field. (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass)
Watch the stars. Look to your strong and weak ties, what are others learning?Astronomy and Natural Cues The wayfinder depends on observations of the stars, the sun, the ocean swells, and other signs of nature for clues to direction and location of a vessel at sea.from 'Modern Wayfinding' from Polynesian Voyaging Society http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/navigate/wayfind.html
Notice navigation elements, viewing and sharing options, personal settings, social features, or saved searching options. make it work for you!Global positioning satellites (GPS) are placed in orbit above the earth's atmosphere. These systems provide a tool for labeling every point on the surface of the planet using longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates. Three satellites must be in orbit overhead, in any given region of the earth before triangulation strategies can be used to determine exact position. from NEC Foundation of America Grant Textbook: Environmental Literacy: GPS http://www.wayfinding.net/iibnNECtextGPS.htm
Vocabulary sheet
Tools
Channels
Developing a framework is essential sense making for educators and students
Ecosystems are a hot topic!
Facilitation is the water
Teacher provides the nutrients soil seeds and through facilitation keeps the social and climate fertile for learning
Sun is the energy, the internet the tools
The higher up you go the less structured and less formal the learning is
Laughing humor and fun appear at all levels
The wind is the current, the weather cycle. This involves precipitation of current events, news , trends viral videos etch right into your ecosystme. This is out of your control but you can somewhat tailor what comes through by using widgets
a framework for understanding new learning environments that incorporate a variety of
tools (ie: course management systems, Web 2.0 applications) and
multiple touch points (web, client, mobile) that aims to make transparent to the members of the learning community various
channels (relationships, pathways, protocols) for learning.
New patterns emerge when communities are happening in with so many channels
Ants and bees communicate with a community with pheremone messaging (whole to group)
Geese who rotate in and out of the lead position exhibit collective leadership (no single member has all the responsibility)
Penguins migrate without a leader, each knows a part of the route
Ants and bees communicate with a community with pheremone messaging (whole to group)
Geese who rotate in and out of the lead position exhibit collective leadership (no single member has all the responsibility)
Penguins migrate without a leader, each knows a part of the route
* Broadcast and individual – either to all or to one avoiding one to some or subgroups
* One-way – does not require a reply
* Whole species – available to all, allows for lurking and listening, reputation matters
* Simple vocabulary – concise messages are more readable
* Robust delivery – can work in different environments, despite time and/or ‘noise’
* Low energy – low cost to send or receive
* Longevity potential – messages persist in ecosystem
* Multi channel - Communicating through more than one channel ensures it 'gets through' and sometimes to understand the entire message means crossing channels
* Quick and slow responses - 'releaser messages' which have an immediate effect and 'primer messages' which assist in long term responses, reminders
* Location information - communicate new pathways, nearest team member, most accessible resource
OTLGC summer internship emailed all the other students
# Self organizing - each member can take the lead at any time
# Many leaders - various strengths, highly interactive and cooperative
# High agility, initiative and resiliance