Learning Theories for the Digital Age

Steve WheelerInstitute of EducationPlymouth University

Photo by Steve Wheeler

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Einstein_1947.jpg

“I never teach my students. I only provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

- Albert Einstein Stev

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Behaviourism/Instructionism

‘Personal windows’ on the world

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Surface Learning

Deep Learning

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Marton F and Säljö, R. (1976) On Qualitative Differences in Learning, 2: Outcome as a function of the learner's conception of the task, British Journal of Educational Psychology 46, 115-27

Knowledge

Wisdom

Transformation

http://slated.org

Knowing that

Knowing how

Knowing why

Cognition

Application

Analysis

Evaluation

Declarative

Procedural

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Data

Information

Knowledge

Wisdom

Transformation

ENGAGEMENT

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/specialkrb/2772991999

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PassiveObserver

TransactionalParticipant

PeripheralParticipant

Adapted from: Karalis, T. (2010) Situated and transformative learning: exploring the potential of critical reflection to enhance organizational knowledge, Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 24 (1), 17 - 20

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Lurking = legitimate peripheral participation?

Core

‘Transformative learning involves experiencing a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thought, feelings, and actions.’ (O’Sullivan, 2003)

http://www.halloffame.outreach.ou.edu/2003/Mezirow.html

Jack Merizow

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Merizow, J. (1991) Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Perspective transformationPsychological (changes in self concept) Convictional changes (revision of belief systems)Behavioural changes (changes in lifestyle)

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Photo by Steve Wheeler

Merizow, J. (1991) Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

PassiveObserver

TransactionalParticipant

PeripheralParticipant

Core Group

Full Member

Adapted from: Karalis, T. (2010) Situated and transformative learning: exploring the potential of critical reflection to enhance organizational knowledge, Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 24 (1), 17 - 20

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The transformation ‘event horizon’ – Kevin Burden

We learn by doing (Piaget, 1950)

Photo by Steve Wheeler

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Commenting, discussing

Sharing, retweeting, liking, favouriting

Watching, lurking, reading

Curating

Creating, repurposing

The Engagement Pyramid(Adapted from Altimeter Group)

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Students taking notesPhoto: Lori Cullen

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http://web.media.mit.edu/~papert/

“I am convinced that the best learning takes place when the learner takes charge.”

– Seymour Papert Stev

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Digital Natives? (Prensky, 2001)

Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part 1. On the Horizon. Emerald Publishing

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http://jiscrsc.jiscinvolve.org/wp/files/2013/04/digvis-digres.png

“We all fall somewhere along a continuum between Digital Visitor and Digital Resident, from very occasional online interaction, like accessing your bank account, to the evolution of a complex online presence through a variety of platforms.” – Judy Bloxham (JISC, 2013)

Digital Residents, Digital Visitors (White & Le Cornu, 2011)

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Personal Learning NetworksPhoto by Steve Wheeler

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http://bradley.chattablogs.com

“ ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ …is an axiom for collecting knowledge… through collecting people”.

- Karen Stephenson

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Distributed LearningConnectivism

http://thirdmonth.blogspot.co.uk

Computers as ‘mind tools’ for the engaging of learners in critical thinking

- David Jonassen

‘New’ Social Constructivism

Beyond my reach

What I can learn with help(ZPD)

ZPD and scaffolding

What I can learn on my

own

Technology and toolsKnowledgeable others

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Photo by Mark Hillary http://www.flickr.com/photos/markhillary/4135336907/

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Twitter Wall

We learn by making (Papert, 1980)Photo by Steve Wheeler

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Learning

User generated

content Stev

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Learning by making

Learning 2.0

ToolsCollaborating

Sharing

Voting

Networking

User generated

content

Architecture of participation

Tagging

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Blogging

http://www.volusion.com/

In the act of writing... ...we are written.

- Daniel Chandler

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“Blogging ... Is the most important form of unchoreographed public discourse that

we have.”

- Lawrence Lessig

http://news.oreilly.com

“Never have so many people written so much to be read by so few...”

- Katie Hafner

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Flip the roles, not just the classroom

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“Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student

contradiction, by reconciling the poles

of the contradiction so that both are

simultaneously teachers and

students.”

- Paulo Freirehttp://arts.anu.edu.au

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http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm

We learn by teaching

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Bearpit Pedagogy

http://open.salon.com

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Self organised learning

For successful self organised learning the essential components are:

• Communication• Reflection• Collaboration• Community• Creative Tools• Amplification

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Heutagogy

Flâneur

Self-determined learning

Hase & Kenyon

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Making Connections

In Connectivism, learning involves creating connections and developing a network. It is

a theory for the digital age drawing upon chaos, emergent properties, and self

organised learning.

(It’s not what you know, but who you know)

Source: Wikipediahttp://www.pestproducts.com

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RhizomesDeleuze & Guattari

Anarchy of the Web

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Rhizomatic learning

Source: Cormier, D. (2008) http://davecormier.com/edblog/

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“In the rhizomatic view, knowledge can only be negotiated, [and is] a personal knowledge-creation process with mutable goals and constantly negotiated premises.”

http://www.slideshare.net/courosa/why-social-networks-matter

GlobalSocial

Personal Stev

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“All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.”

- John W. Gardner

http://picsnwall.com/wp-content/uploads

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