Baring my SOLEdoes informal, self and socially directed learning make for an inclusive learning

environment?

Andrew MiddletonHead of Academic Practice & Learning Innovation

LEAD, Sheffield Hallam University

@andrewmid

APT 2015 - Mainstreaming Open Education

SOLEs and me

Social Open Learning Ecologies – a playful acronym A heterotopian ideal? – Gourlay (2015) A collection of emerging ideas that suggest a future

disrupted learning space Smart Learning – new spaces for new learning

the convergence of diverse innovative methods (spaces) that each promise to disrupt longstanding approaches to teaching and learning

creating an educational philosophy that is widely accessible, open, flexible and convincing

SOLE todaySocial Open Learning

Ecologies (SOLEs) – a way to imagine the future.

Prolific use of social media and personal smart

technologies underpin new forms of learner

engagement that reflect changing life habits

(Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2012; Jackson, 2010; Barnett, 2006)

SOLEs and me

I want to conceptualise, believe in and enact SOLEs… but it has to be inclusive

Free and open “Does the education system serve the interests of the providers, or of the learners?”

Stephen Downes (2011, p.7)

Informal – some (false?) dichotomies

Disrupting the formal Provided or self-constructed space Directed vs self-directed learning Regulated vs self-regulated learning Disconnected vs connected learning Commercial vs non-commercial Instructivism vs constructivism Content vs interaction

Another view of 'informal'Aspires to transform "university"

A parallel, people-centred "university"?

Get real in the third spaceIdeal or real?

Can we construct a realistic informal paradigm for learning in higher

education that is inclusive?

Self-directed learning

Aids learners in managing and solving complex problems within changing work environments

Supports development of lifelong learning Capability is thus an extension of competency Self-regulation of learning leading to self-

confidence, self-efficacy and so self-esteem (Dacre Pool & Sewell, 2010) Valuing self

Are graduate capabilities and attributes more valuable than knowing what they know?

Blaschke, L. (2014). Using social media to engage and develop the online learner in self-determined learning. Research in Learning Technology, 22

The devaluation of knowledge"The shrinking half-life of knowledge..." (Gonzalez, 2004; Siemens, 2004)

Knowing how to learn is a fundamental skill given the pace of innovation and the changing structure of communities and workplaces

Socially-directed learning

Social capital Digital neighbourliness? “Relationships of mutual acquaintance and

recognition” (Bourdieu 1983, p.249) Connections among individuals – social networks,

reciprocity and trustworthiness (Putnam, 2000) A sense of belonging Social media - a place for bridging, bonding and

linking social capital

Valuing belonging and communityHow important is the social construct and how is this fostered?

Smith, M. K. (2000-2009). ‘Social capital’, the encyclopedia of informal education. http://infed.org/mobi/social-capital/. Retriev 4 July 2015

Recognise and transform the ways in which students are able engage with, reflect on, and record their journeys to ‘becoming professional’

Ashley Holmes (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Accommodating difference: Contexts Perceptions Experience Levels of knowledge Aspirations Journeys Interpretations….

Rhizomatic learning“Acknowledge that learners come from

different contexts, that they need different things… presuming you know what those things are is like believing in magic. It is a

commitment to multiple paths.”Dave Cormier, 2011

http://davecormier.com/edblog/2011/11/05/rhizomatic-learning-why-learn/

Learning ecologies

Open learning environments

1. Freedom to reuse

2. Open access

3. Free cost

4. Easy to use

5. Digital networked content

6. Social based approaches

7. Ethical arguments for openness

8. Openness as an efficient model

Open, accessible and inclusiveCan open learning environments be easy, accessible and efficient?

Weller, M. (2014) Battle for the open. Ubiquity Press

Principles

"A characteristic of these early MOOCs was that they were associated with individuals, not institutions" p.94

Can individuals shift the paradigm?

Personal Learning Environments PLEs are inherently self-directed A technological and a pedagogical approach Designed by the learner around personally

defined goals or approach Place the responsibility for organizing learning

on the individual

Johnson et al. (2011)

PersonalTo what extent does the PLE concept disregard the social richness?CapabilityDo effective PLE learner’s need to be highly capable and confident first?InclusivityDoes moving away from deficit models of pedagogy reduce inclusivity?

So.., SLEsSocial Learning Environments A socially mediated space Formed around the potential of a community

to support its collective and individual learning, exponentially

However, distance, technology and commerce challenge dynamism and promote content packaging.

Social - connected learningHow does bringing the social and connected dimension into the PLE concept strengthen it?How is the social dimension facilitated?

TechnologyTo what extent is technology critical to either PLEs or SLEs?

Open learning environments

1. Autonomy

2. Open association

3. Self-direction

4. Self-regulation

5. Social mediation

QuestionsWhat are the intersections between openness and heutagogy?

Who is discussing learner inclusivity in terms of capability?

Is developing learner capability our next priority?

Values

RICH DIGITAL MEDIA

USERGENERATED

MEDIA

BYOD

MOBILE LEARNINGOPENNESS

SOCIAL MEDIAFOR

LEARNING

Multiplier Effect

disrupts Models of Formal of Delivery

disruptsOne-to-Many model

disruptsDependency on Text

disrupts Provided Content model

disrupts Provided “Classroom" model

disrupts Provided Technology model

Smart Learning

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SOLETransformational

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Does informal, self and socially directed learning make for an inclusive learning environment?

How do we learn how to learn in the open? Does self-direction lead to isolation? We’re interested in MOOCs – but how interested are we in

disrupted open learning spaces?

Smart LearningSee Smart Learning Scenarios

Please speak to me about your smart learning scenarios