Microlearning

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Microlearning

URL = http://www.microlearning.org


Discussion

"Webfeed aggregators offer the most obvious illustration of how the Web 2.0 enables networked learning. Sources that offer webfeeds, for instance in the form of files in the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format, number in the millions. A learner may pick and choose from any number of such sources of information, subscribe to them, and obtain a completely customized stream of information delivered to him that he or she may consume when and how they like.

The composition of this cognitive diet is entirely up to the individual, and it may incorporate input that bears the imprimatur of some authority (e.g. institutional or news sources), but the openness of the system enables anyone, and most notably learners themselves, to offer flows. We stated earlier that flows are a better framework where change is involved. Because learning is obviously about change at the personal level, the personal weblog is a natural fit. The process of documenting one's learning experiences and sharing them lets people who are along similar paths to connect to one another. By and large, weblogs are available as webfeeds and so learning logs quickly become networked as learners subscribe to each other's feeds based on commonality of interest and gradient of expertise. Webfeeds are dynamic rather than static, so the relationship results produces a continuous process of learning, which often features a conversational component. The resulting learning experience is much more self-organized and centered around the individual learner.

We note that this pattern of publishing and subscribing has existed in scholarly communication, albeit more coarse-grained and with important technological and social limitations. Now, it appears that participants in the digital culture have "jumped ahead": the pattern is available to everyone now, in a more fluid form, and spreading rapidly - arguably more so among groups such as hobbyists than academics." (http://seb.jot.com/WikiHome/MicroLearningProposal?revision=11)


Implications


1) This enables networked, personalized learning.

On the input side, there is a large number of free sources of learning, so there is much freedom to pick and choose from them. Syndication lets you build your custom-fit personal cognitive input stream. Web 1.0 enabled a "find and use" pattern, Web 2.0 enables "find, use, and keep track" - crucial for rapidly changing domains of knowledge, e.g. computer programming. On the output side, you can document your learning experiences and share them. This lets people who are along paths similar to yours to connect to you. Note that this pattern of publishing and subscribing has existed in scholarly communication, albeit more coarse-grained and with important technological limitations. Now, people in the digital culture have "jumped ahead"; the pattern is available to everyone now, and spreading. Not to scare you, but scholars may be left behind if they don't jump in.


2) This gives people increased ability to spot valuable learning resources (material or people), for enhanced learning.

Because you can access the individual or aggregated (a la Technorati) point of views of other learners, you can have very valuable information that lets you make clueful choices as to how to allocate your attention. (contrast this with higher education). Institutional boundaries fade away.

3) This enables collaborative, constructivist learning.

A remix culture is growing in which you recombine things you and others have done to make something meaningful to you and your cohorts (this builds in part on licenses that enable reuse and remixing) You (anyone!) can easily build dynamic resource pages like this SocialSoftwareAndEducation page." (http://seb.jot.com/WikiHome/MicroLearningProposal?revision=11)


More Information

For an idea of who is who in the new field of microlearning, see the list of participants at Microlearning 2006 conference.

Microlearning.org is the homesite and refers to three interlinked sites: 1) MicroPapers: A growing archive of selected whitepapers; 2) Microlearning Conferences: Profiles, papers and presentations; (3) MicroWiki: Microcontent-web of definitions.