On this week's podcast, Simon and Jade primarily discuss the work of Ito et al. (2020), which focuses on "connected learning," a seemingly more holistic approach to education that incorporates socio-cultural contexts, multiple literacies, and technology into curricula. With additional references to Soule and Warrick (2015), as well as Ken Robinson's talk on Changing Paradigms, we ultimately conclude that there are no alternatives to real-life interactions. Technology itself is merely a tool we can use to enhance learning experiences and our lives, but not to completely replace those human connections and interactions we need to develop crucial 21st century skills.
Highlights from the 2019 Connected Learning Summit and the talks that inspired attendees to consider what role they can play in addressing some of the big issues society is facing in a digital world and how civic engagement fits in.
In our digital age, social interactions are evolving as people increasingly turn to social media and other virtual spaces to connect. Researchers question if social media hurts or harms our ability to interact with one another, and so far the results are mixed.
It is certain, however, that the internet has created new opportunities for connections and learning that otherwise wouldn’t have existed. This is especially true for professional development, where communities of practice grow networks of educators who come together to learn with, and from, their peers.
It was perhaps inevitable. A bunch of die-hard connected learning scholars, all working in our own institutions, separated by space, time, and borders. Studying about how people learn through connecting, yet totally isolated ourselves. Like shards of a magnet, we found each other, all reaching out for community, comradery, and connection. And finally, after years of “shouldn’t we get together” and “why don’t we collaborate,” we did: we came together to form the Connected Learning in Teacher Education (CLinTE) network in 2017.
I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on what makes a good and accessible digital assignment for faculty and teachers who are not comfortable with digital tools but open to learning and experimenting. An approach I’ve often seen is what I’ve recently started calling the kitchen sink approach to “onboarding.” In this approach, a suite of tools or a single tool that can do “everything you can imagine and more” is shown or given to a faculty member to integrate into their already existing course or assignment. The hesitant but eager faculty member, initially excited to try something new, quickly becomes overwhelmed and frustrated as they attempt to make the tool live up to the promises of “doing everything and more.” Frustrated, the faculty member then abandons integrating the tool because they “tried and it didn’t really work with their style of teaching” or “there is too much stuff in the course already to add digital tools.”
It maybe useful to distinguish the types of learner that we are promoting a connectivist model towards. Learners who are experienced in a particular domain can pull knowledge from a variety of sources to interact with existing schema. Having some domain knowledge already allows them to create the interaction independently.
Edutopia blogger Beth Holland recalls how she came to recognize that professional learning embodies curating, sharing, and connecting, and reviews the tools that help her meet these needs.
This week has seen the third iteration of Bring Your Own Devices for Learning. My role this time round has been somewhat different - and I think this is because I am not facilitating a TweetChat th...
A lot of the work we have been doing as part of the connected learning community has focused on children and young people. We design digital tools that create new ways for young people to learn. We create environments in which learning starts with a young person's interest.
Far from being intimidated by new ed-tech, John Heath, pro-vice chancellor at Birmingham, says there has been a "seamless transition" with staff and students....
The technology offered by one university includes a new VLE, where course materials can be accessed on a module by module basis, allowing lecturers to link to external resources and interact with their students online. Video and podcast caption for lectures across the whole institution has also recently been introduced.
This report introduces connected learning, a promising educational approach that uses digital media to engage students’ interests and instill deeper learning skills, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. The report lists four elements constituting connected learning’s emphasis on bridging school, popular culture, home, and the community to create an environment in which students engage in and take responsibility for their learning.
This report introduces connected learning, a promising educational approach that uses digital media to engage students’ interests and instill deeper learning skills, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. The report lists four elements constituting connected learning’s emphasis on bridging school, popular culture, home, and the community to create an environment in which students engage in and take responsibility for their learning.
This repport connects learning and digital media to engage students’ interests and instill deeper learning skills, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. The report lists four elements constituting connected learning’s emphasis on bridging school, popular culture, home, and the community to create an environment in which students engage in and take responsibility for their learning.
A virtual exchange, or a project done in collaboration with global peers using technology, gives youth an opportunity to build friendships and mutual understanding across countries. It takes time, planning, and patience, however, to build partnerships for effective global project-based learning. These five steps outline the most important things to know for finding, building, and strengthening partnerships with global peers to lead to a successful and meaningful project exchange experience.
COVID-19 has upended normal social connections that develop between students and professors. We are missing the connections that develop through casual interactions in office hours, pre-class discussions, post-class questions, and any other in-person interaction. These social connections are important for student retention, academic development, diversity, and inclusion. As universities and faculty grapple with the shift to an online education system, and as uncertainties and budget concerns about the fall semester take hold, strategies to maintain student-faculty connections should be a top priority.
As we thoughtfully shift our courses online, we must also strategically consider how to best replicate or innovate to develop social connections. While maintaining a connection with students should be a university wide initiative, in the short run, faculty can assist by developing their own student connection initiatives. The purposeful use of social media presents a great opportunity for educators to connect with their students and recreate some of the social connections that are lost due to online education, while also providing new ways of developing connections.
"socially embedded, interest-driven, and oriented toward educational, economic, or political opportunity. Connected learning is realized when a young person is able to pursue a personal interest or passion with the support of friends and caring adults, and is in turn able to link this learning and interest to academic achievement, career success or civic engagement."
While teachers may strive to design learning opportunities which engage students in ways that meet these goals, the structures of schooling in 2019 are often prohibitive. Far from feeling free to develop learning which enables agility, creativity and flexibility, teachers’ days are packed full as they navigate the demands of standardised testing, and content packed curricula and requirements of competing external and internal stakeholders.
Connected learning is currently a popular phrase in education. It's the theme of my keynote speech to the EADL conference in Tallinn, Estonia in May 2019. Learning in the digital age involves a lot of technology, but fundamentally the role of the learner is still to explore, discover and acquire knowledge. Through technology, we can connect not only with content but also context - people, resources and ideas, and we can also share our own ideas for discussion and further learning. There are many theories and constructs that can inform us of the nature and potential impact of connected learning. The following some thoughts from a post I originally published in 2015:
Six principles define it and allow every young person to experience learning that is social, participatory, interest-driven and relevant to the opportunities of our time.
I am lucky to know some amazing teachers. I know teachers who are throwing open the doors of their classrooms and partnering with community organizations, libraries, and museums to expand students’ learning opportunities. I know teachers who are flipping the hierarchical teacher-student relationship on its head to allow students to take the lead in their learning. I know teachers who are linking their students to networks that discuss and take action on the most pressing issues of the day.
Australian higher education has adopted a widening participation agenda with a focus on the participation of disadvantaged students, particularly those from low socioeconomic status (LSES) backgrounds. As these students begin to enter university in greater number and proportion than ever before, there is increasing interest in how best to facilitate their success. A recent national study employed semi-structured interviews to ask 89 successful LSES students what had helped them succeed. Twenty-six staff experienced in effectively teaching and supporting LSES students were also interviewed about what approaches they used in their work. Analysis of the study’s findings indicates a strong theme related to the use of technology in effectively teaching and supporting LSES students.
The future of learning is where all learners are connected to as many other learners and teachers as possible, so that learning is mobile, personal, limitless and unconstrained by configuration. The future of learning is connected, social, mobile and personal.
One of the best perks of supporting the Los Angeles Central Library is advanced notice of the readings and talks coming through town as part of their ALOUD program.
Henry Jenkins joins USC from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was Peter de Florez Professor in the Humanities. He directed MITs Comparativ...
Connected learning — education that uses digital media to engage students and encourage communication, collaboration and critical thinking — is the key to student success in the information age, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education [ http://all4ed.org/ ].
I often get asked questions like these: Does peer learning really work? Don’t we need experts to learn from? Can the (proverbially) blind really lead the blind? Those are good questions and I will get back to them in a second.
Addressed the important question: "Could peer learning be the (only) answer to scale meaningful learning and education for a growing global population?"
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