Learning 0.5

I notice that I rarely talk of Higher Education any more - or Higher Teaching as its called in Portugal (Ensino Superior) .

<stifles a yawn>

Oh, but great jumping jelly beans, perhaps it's time now to bring out a post.

At my place we're going to start doing e-learning. Next year, I think. Our leaders have decided that Moodle is the e-learning solution and we will get some technical training on how to use it and become e-teachers.

Umm ... you might be wondering where my work on learning in distributed communities fits into this scenario. Well, rest assured, it doesn't. It stays quite separate from my Institution, where it's not relevant.

<stifles another>

Now can I move on to talk about learning? You know, that F****** cool thing that takes place in my projects Outside The Teaching Institution.

Kathy Sierra of Creating Passionate Users has a GREAT diagramme mapping out what we teach and what students really need. And you have to read the post.

And so the more I play in the pink area the less I identify with formal Education.

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Comments

[Michele Martin]

You know, at the heart of both Kathy's general philosophy, as well as this particular post is her belief that the role of education/training is to help the user "kick a**." That means focusing on the learner first, understanding and building upon the learner's interests and competencies and being aware of the particular issues learners will need to address. It's about creating a particular kind of culture and belief system as much as about trying to convey specific knowledge.

To me part of the problem in all brands of education is an ongoing belief in the "teacher" as someone who is an expert who instructs other people in his/her area of expertise. There's obviously a place for that in any learning situation, but we don't seem to have mastered how to be co-learners who are sharing a sort of learning journey together. Extremely frustrating.

[Beverly Trayner]

Thanks for passing by Michele.

There's a lot at stake from Institutions and colleagues if you rock the boat with a re-negotiated view of learning and teaching. YOu have to be pretty persistant!

[Michele Martin]

You're right, Bev about the need for persistence. I keep thinking about The Tipping Point and the need to find the right people to work on in the system. If they can be persuaded to think differently, then the rest of the system can come along.