The Fourth Paradigm
09-January-2006
permalinkAh ha - someone else has got it. Quote form Clive on Learning at some length not only because he is saying what I have been ranting on about for the last six months but also because he says it so much more eloquently than me.
"The fourth e-learning paradigm is learners doing it for themselves.
I say 'learners' but it's hard to identify them as such - they don't wear school uniforms and sit neatly in rows behind their desks. Learners in this context are just people looking to get things done and using their initiative to overcome any obstacles in the way (like being short of information or not knowing how to go about doing something). They can do this because they have been empowered by software tools that are incredibly easy to use yet awe-inspiring in their potential. First port of call is of course Google - not a new phenomenon, but one that plays an increasingly important role in everyday life. You will buy books, watch TV documentaries, consult with experts, even go on training courses, but only if you can't find what you need on Google.
But Google's not enough, because with Google you're still essentially a passive recipient; you are not in a position to challenge or debate. More importantly, you don't have the opportunity to publish your own thoughts and opinions, to become a provider as well as a recipient. With the new tools, everyone's a publisher, everyone's a teacher. As we enter 2006, there are something like 30 million blogs like this one, with more than 30 thousand being discovered daily. Blogs allow people like you and me to publish our thoughts and experiences to whoever will take notice. They allow us to make contact with others who are facing similar challenges and who may be able to provide us with help. They expose us to the broadest possible range of views and perspectives, often in stark contrast to the 'official view' or the hysterical outpourings of the mass media."
Technorati Tags: e-learning, non formal learning, work based learning
