Shared Learning Contexts

15-March-2005

[ Non Formal Learning , e-learning in Small and Medium Enterprises , ICT and learning , Knowledge and learning ]

p to now the main use of computers for learning has been to try to replicate the existing paradigms of education and pedagogy e.g. the virtual classroom, the on-line university. I have long argued that ICt may not be so good at these things. But, I believe ICT has massive potential for supporting the sort of informal learning which goes on everyday, in the workplace , in the home, individually and indifferent communities.

From Scott Wilson's Workblog:

Bit of a throw away remark by Scott in his work web log but one I think is immensely important.

“First of all, I'm afraid I'm going to have to introduce a new bit of terminology. From now on instead of courses I'm going to talk about shared learning contexts (SLCs). Courses are a good word to describe a lot of things in formal education, but isn't broad enough to cover similar groups of functionality in informal settings, so this is a new term to cover anything that provides a space where a group of people engage in learning, whether informal or formal, and wether (sic) or not there is any sort of assessed outcome.”

Extended text for this entry:

This starts to overcome my problem with Scott's previous work. Great though his blog entries shave been, and much as I support the work on service based e-learning applications, scott, in common with nearly every other researcher in e-learning, has remained focused on formal educational courses. Michael Eraut and Stephen Billet have both argued that we learn throughout our lives, and in particular through work. They suggest that non formal learning may be the norm, rather than the leftovers from formal learning programmes.

What has this to do with e-learning? Up to now the main use of computers for learning has been to try to replicate the existing paradigms of education and pedagogy e.g. the virtual classroom, the on-line university. I have long argued that ICt may not be so good at these things. But, I believe ICT has massive potential for supporting the sort of informal learning which goes on everyday, in the workplace , in the home, individually and indifferent communities.

Something akin to this has been supported by ICT in the form of knowledge management systems. However, such system have reflected organisational needs and have contributed little to individual learning. Scott's idea of shared learning contexts begins to show how different forms of learning can be brought together. It should not be a big extension to start showing how we can serve both the needs of organization knowledge management and individual learning using services to mediate knowledge and learning flows.


Graham Attwell; 15-March-2005 08:31:04;