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I have been thinking about the idea of play and how it relates to college aged students. For many, games provide the same type of learning experience. In lab environments, we often play games such as simulating an epidemic or watching evolution in action by making and flying paper airplanes (these are some cool labs that I won't bore you with the details). But, I have found that my students love online games that can be found on some websites. For instance, no one cares about the science of blood typing until they have to pretend to be the medical professional and decide what kind of blood to give a patient (nobelprize.org offers this game and many others). I think about how much time I used to spend playing video games and how cool it would have been to incorporate that into my learning. So, my point is that play is important to children, but it is also an effective strategy for adult students.

I'm very fond of game-based learning, expecially after my experience in one of my educational leadership classes. A group of researchers developed a board game that simulated realistic scenarios of what it takes to make systematic change in an organization. Seeing the real-like consequences of my decisions helped me learn the textbook information in a dynamic, genuine fashion. I also think our mode of thinking can be playful when faced with a problem. For example, multiply the numbers 15 and 31. Skip the rote algorithm with pencil and paper, and creatively multiply 31 by ten, taking half, and adding it to the first product to arrive at the answer. When faced with any kind of problem, tinkering with the options in this fashion of exploration and with no fear of failure or judgement or need to have the answer right away can inspire insightful solutions.

This idea that you need to care about something, find meaning in it, has a definite basis in memory. Students remember something better if they can find some personal significance to the information. I also find that can remember something better if you tell a joke about it, but that is a different idea entirely. But I really try to point out "why do I care" moments in my teaching as these are the concepts that the students will remember. No one cares about all of the steps of blood clotting, but if you explain how those steps relate to a blood disorder like hemophilia, the students can find a reason to care about all of those steps.

As a math educator, balancing between explicit and tacit knowledge is difficult. Some of my students may never use math beyond high school, while others may use it to find the cure to a form of cancer. Solving problems that are open-ended, real-world, and relevant to students is one key way that I can convey the tacit significance even to students who will not pursue STEM careers.

I like how the author presents the important dimension of where "context and content interact." About this statement "Our teaching institutions have paid almost no attention to the tacit" - I think our professors are trying to let us create tacit content when they give us projects with a choice on the context for the application of our learning. What is important to me is often "how do I apply this knowledge at work" Btw, how Melissa and Justin draw their students into learning with the examples given here shows how IDs can make instructions in a courseware more engaging - by giving them meaningful context. I've not been a teacher and so I need to draw from the experiences of those who teach. Thanks

WOW! This quote from Douglas definitely defines how I feel as a third year teacher. We constantly are teaching our curriculum to fit the timelines set by the district and state. We test our kids to death to see if they are mastering the "core" content. Where in the world do they even have time to express their interests? I struggle with finding time to answer and investigate student questions that arise in "lectures!" If only we could allow students to learn through their best way! Being driven by self-motivation and their own inquisitiveness towards concepts directly related to them, will only yield higher level thinkers!

Does this line really have the world play in it? There is so much that can come from students being able to play and explore. When did things change so much that we had to eliminate the inquisitive nature of students? The ability to explore, discover, and PLAY!!

Today, we are creating a society of rote memorizers. It is hard for students to grasp the imaginative side, the problem solving side, the risk-taking side. It is amazing that even at the primary grades, I see so many students who are afraid to try something; afraid to create on their own. They look to me for directions, samples, expectations! It is hard to reverse the thinking in some of the students. To allow my students to know that experimenting and being "wrong" is okay!

Marie, I can relate to your observations.  After talking with my 13 year-old daughter, I see where "wrong" and "bad" are often conflated with "failure".  It is a hard mindset to untangle when it seems to be reinforced in school.

I think technology especially is learned best through just playing with it. I always tell people who are uncomfortable with new software or electronic searching to just sit down and play with it. Time and use creates a sense of comfort, and I think using the word play changes the way that they think about their learning experience.

Karen, I agree with your observations.  I think it also changes the expectations of and attitudes towards the experiences.  

This is such an "ah-ha" moment for me and highlights the contrast between Learning 1.0 and Learning 2.0 - Learning 1.0 = Creating Content while Learning 2.0 = Reshaping Context.  

I never really thought of the Web being a tool to reach multiple intelligences! The different tools that are on the internet would be great to use in the classroom because each child could express their learning in the context that best suits their needs. Some students could be typing written documents, others could be creating presentations or even short video clips. The possibilities are endless when involving Web 2.0 tools!

I noticed this idea, too! I'm a very visual learner, so I appreciate how the Internet can easily include text, videos, and slideshows in the classroom learning environment. Being able to connect to audio for auditory learners or people with visual impairments would also be really useful.

Much as discussed here, technology often reaches multiple intelligences at once seamlessly. I am a visual learner and my daughter is an auditory learner.  Recently, we both watched a clip and picked up on different things because she was mainly listening and I was mainly watching.  As stated here, this addresses not only how a child may express themselves but also how a child may learn too.

Yes, can you imagine have these types of tools when you in a K-12 setting?  I envision some of the harder subjects for myself would have been less difficult because I would be able to interact with the content in different ways.  

I would take it one step further to include that it not only reaches multiple intelligences, but also is great at adapting for ability levels. It posses the challenges needed for gifted students, the adaptations for students with needs, and can accomodate students who learn better in different languages. In many ways it is the ultimate instructional tool.

The idea that we need to be shifting from lecture-oriented/teacher centered learning is something that is hard for young teachers to start changing in their classrooms because of the lack of support from administration. I believe that soon students need to be learning in schools that are discovery-based. There still would be an underlying core of subjects being covered per grade level but students could work on their own through self-motivating projects to discover the information. The role of the teacher would be more of an adviser/moderator that would check in with students on their projects, make suggestions, and stretch their learning!

Marie--this is very interesting and I think what leads some parents to a home school curriculum. I am not a K-12 teacher and have no experience in that area, but with my own children I see that sometimes they are being taught one certain way to do something because that is the way they will be tested. Since my husband and I are both college professors, we often teach the kids other things and this gets them in trouble at school sometimes. For instance, we taught them 4 states of matter--liquid, gas, solid, and plasma. My son was told that plasma was not in the book so it was not a correct response.

Ugh. Yes. The "the answer in the book is the only correct answer" problem. I was one of those horrible students who argued with my teachers all the time that the teacher's edition was wrong. It's why I always try to write questions that are either A) obviously open-ended on purpose or B) specific enough that there is genuinely only one answer. Sometimes it's all in the directions, but because of my annoyance in school, I try to keep it in mind.

It seems like the discovery option in K-12 is not as prevalent in classrooms these days, because teachers/administrators are more worried about covering material for state tests.  

Marie that is exactly the type of classroom I try to maintain.  Students all around the room discovering their own learning.  Its amazing at how something as simple as the powerpoint project I'm having them create right now generates so much creativity and interest.  The students get to pick their topics and I haven't seen them more excited about a single assignment since I've been there.  They ask if we can get out the laptops every free minute and they are constantly calling me over while working to tell me the interesting pieces they are adding about their topic/person/thing.  I also have them present their powerpoint to the class hoping everyone can learn a little about each other's projects and generate their own questions.  As for "the answer in the book is the only correct answer", I haven't come across students that argue with the material yet (unless it is spelling and they are positive that tomato has an "e" in it), but plain and simple the books are outdated.  The information is not always accurate and although I still use the books I try to alternate the books and current internet pieces on the same topic.  Learning is about the students and we aren't constrained to just the old, dusty, resources in the room.

I like the thought of "augment[ing] the knowledge dynamics of a region". I think it acknowledges that technology is a great tool, but that it isn't the end all and be all. It adds to the learning experience in a way that can be individual and powerful.

Yes it should be pedagogy before technology

This is another way to see the Connectivist approach to learning

If Web 1.0 was about building a relationship between the web and the individual and Web 2.0 is about building support for relationships, what will Web 3.0 look like ... tailored experiences ... personalization...collaboration?  If so, are we already in a Web 3.0 world?

The Web 3.0 could be the Internet of Things or building a relationship between an indivudal and a thing, or turning things into people. Like having an oven recognize that Zach put a turkey in the oven and the oven knows that Zach likes the turkey cooked a certain way so it automatically cooks it for you. Scary concept, but it's coming.

In a lot of ways--and this is something that others have pointed out--big internet services have narrowed our influences because of more targeted use of the data we give off when we use Google, for instance. Thus, limited some of the potential for relationships that Brown talks about.

Interesting! Could this information be considered public like the information that is already being sold by physical stores, etc.? Do you think there will be less material things in the future and more virtual or made of different materials? Like a physical stop sign won't be necessary when cars drive themselves. We won't have to paint our walls we can change the color with a click!

Sam, I do think there will be less material things in the future. Check out this link. http://mashable.com/2013/05/18/stop-sign-water/ LaserVision, a light show company, designed a curtain of water with a stop sign projected onto it. It's been a project in Austrailia since 2007. The implications of this are endless. And I think we are approacing a very different and radical age.

That's really neat, thanks for sharing! :)

This shift is happening and undeniable. Social learning is the theme for our next e-learning e-fiesta. Thanks Phil for sharing this (rather long) article.

Does this guy work for Google now? Perhaps had a part in designing Google Glass? I got to experiement with Google Glass in February. Woah, was that cool. It was very unique in being able to watch a video in your glasses or wink and be able to take a picture. I can definitely see Google Glass, or a future model being implemented in education.

Google Glass came to my mind as well.  I've had colleagues that have had the opportunity to try them.  It confuses me as to how it works exactly.  Perhaps we have reached the Jetsons age?

I've been more fascinated with what 3D printers can do in the classroom, where at least for now printers seem to have an easier to identify educational role.

Well that was a dead-on prediction.

I think this can get into the touchy subject of plagiarism. There's a famous saying that goes, "stealing from one source is plagiarism, but stealing from many sources is research". I also read a book titled, "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon. One of the famous sayings used was from Picasso, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."

Again, I find most middle school and high school students, college-aged, and adults are not always certain on the differenences between a .gov or .edu site versus a .com site. 

The standards for "cobbling" or taking code fragments are different than traditional "ideas," though. Code seems less abstract and more material-based, at least virtually. 

This is a loaded sentence and I love it. It's a great point and I think it describes the complexity of today's world, Web 2.0 tools, and how to be an effective digital bricoleur.

I love this. Stories are everywhere, from birth to death, and have always been apart of the human nature. I do believe stories are vital to education and how every child learns best. Not always just storybooks, but stories from parents, classmates, friends, and from their teachers.

Absolutely! I always try to incorporate story telling into my classes. Sharing things I learned during my time in school and letting students share their stories with their peers and myself. A lot of the time I even learn from their stories!

This is a great way to learn that I think a lot of professors on campus overlook. The engineers basically were experiencing what we call today a "flipped classroom". I think this is a great way to learn, especially with a small group of people where you can bounce ideas off and pause the lecture or re-watch it. Sometimes during a lecture or in a class, people need that time to pause, and think over the material. Some students do this, and then miss what the instructor continued to talk about.

I think this is a rather important concept, that the teacher also learns from the students. This creates an environment of learning where students can take the reign of teacher and be able to teach. This creates a two-way conversation that can foster deeper and more meaninful learning.

We had "Grandma" in our class while student teaching. The students loved her! I wonder if the students in this project assist "their grandparent" in using technology?

I have a student now that due to several reasons cannot read or write.  I only have the student for two subjects and during our time with those subjects the student puts his finger on the page as if he is following along, but has no clue where the class is.  The student is constantly cutting papers and never doing the assignment like the rest of the class.  The student does not even remember my name, but if I give this student a verbal test the student receives grades of 80%.  I have no idea how he is retaining the information when he is talking and looking at a completely different page, cannot remember my name, but can get almost every answer correct.  Clearly he is able to concentrate on what is being read or spoken to him in those environments even though according to my eyes he's not paying attention at all.  Just reminded me an example of multi-processing.  

A corporation purchases another for billions of dollars, for the purpose of investing in a medium with intense transformation potential. The uncertainty of what those transformations will be does not deter them. This is the power of increased convenience in communications: it is potentially of great service to billions of people, and worth more green bills than each of us shall witness in our lifetimes.

Scapegoating extrinsic motivation is hardly an excuse to close your mind to the possible benefits of badge systems. Traditional credentialing - high school diplomas or college degrees - are guilty of the same dangling of a carrot. All certification, badges included, acts the same way as stickers once motivated us when our teachers give them to us on our tests back in elementary school. The advantage of badges, however gimmicky to some, is that they are progressively earned and detail all varieties of learning. 

This part I see as valuable. It's like endorsements on LinkedIn. We have to find a way to utilize badge systems like this without insulting the people who want to use a more traditional system. Reformers have a tendency to act like their way is the best way, when really, it's just another way.

Since this system excites learners, why not incorporate it into traditional classroom settings. Using games in teaching motivates students and can be especially helpful for those students who are competitive. I don't think we need badges to see the usefulness of that.

This idea of Badges is an interesting concept. I like the idea of denoting specific skills based on earning badges in that field. I like that the badges can be earned for things such as listening. However, reading that it can be paired with standardized tests makes me question the true validity of the badges. I know that I personally do not test well. I have always done very well in school and on performance projects but when it comes to tests I "freak." Does that mean that in these situations I will be unable to earn a mastery badge because of my poor testing skills?

I think this line is very true. I know when I went to college as an undergraduate, they pushed the idea of being a well rounded student with every requirement that was listed in our degree report. Although it is good to be well rounded in your knowledge, I agree that the main focus should be on job specific skills. The badge system would allow learners to focus on the skills and knowledge they need in order to become the best candidate for the job they wish to do. This would almost turn into a "trade school" approach to learning and as the learner wants to expand their knowledge base, they can specifically focus in on a particular area of expertise.

I have a feeling that I wouldn't want to spend too much time socializing with people who only have the bare minimum of knowledge required to do a job. It would be a very boring cocktail party. If that makes me an elitist or snob, then so be it, but I would rather have interesting conversations. I'm just trying to look at the big picture of how these badge type programs would impact how we interact with each other. Would it further stratify the class system? If so, that's troubling.

The idea of being well-rounded elicits the thought of having the luxury of time to develop skills prior to entering the job market and finding the security of a job waiting.  Conversely, the statement, "they just want to find a job", changes the thought from having time to the imperative need that a job is necessary now.

Yes. I agree. I was in high school for a long time and when my students got a job, most of them told me that they were worried about what made their employer choose my students as employees. Also, most of the company spend lots of money for re-training their employees.(I advocate online badge.:) If we have well-developed badge systems, I think that there will be the change the way people think about badges and higher education.  

Excellent! Ha!

I can see why this is beneficial to employers for computer-programming jobs. Many different programs/courses/trainings are available for many occupations today.. the only real difference here is that you would earn a "badge" once complete. It would be hard to make this universal with the endless programs, certifications, etc. for so many different subjects/reasons/etc.

I agree with this statement. I guess it depends on the field you are looking to get a job in... but I have been told by professors that if a resume is over a page long, sometimes it is not even considered.

I find it tricky when learners start to question why they are expected to learn certain information. In some fields, there have been decades of development for certain curricula, so shouldn't the learner value that the experts in that field find that information important? As an educator, I hear from students all the time that they don't know why they have to learn a certain chunk of material because they feel it doesn't relate to what they are doing. But in the future, they may finally make the connection and realize that it is important.

In regarding Melissa's comment above (I see it was made last year), I still to this day question some of the material that I was being taught in middle school and high school. There are just some subjects and lessons that I feel we would have been better off without.

I do believe that the skills of learning is the more important in school than that which a student actually learns. Gonzalez in 2004 speaks about the "half-life of knowledge" with this in mind, our student have to be prepare to learn, what is current and appropriate, and learn it very quickly. If I'm going to teach a girl to make a skirt, in order to access if learning have taken place, I could have her build a model or an actual skirt. It really only matter to me or the girl. what matter is if she can build a skirt.

I agree that the evaluation of knowledge is tricky and a little subject-dependent. Evaluating someone's theory or argument can help a learner understand whether or not the theory is appropriate for supporting their own argument. The source theory could be apocryphal and, thus, unsuited for a highly structured academic piece. This would be a liberal arts/social science skill. But evaluating mathematical proofs seems like a higher-order ability that is for advanced learning, rather than middle-school-level learning. 

While learning theories may not focus on the value of knowledge, I feel that there needs to be a certain external criteria for this worthiness, especially when considering the implementation of learning systems that connect the digital and physical realm. This behaviorist approach seems to be the starting point, but certainly not the end. 

This description really emphasizes the importance of committee meetings, professional development workshops, and the like. We must have networks within our organizations so that knowledge can be shared. I have been fascinated at committee meetings how a representative from one area can drastically improve the understanding of the rest of the committee of some aspect of the problem. Committee work can be time-consuming, however, so moving it to a online environment can be more efficient.

This is a testament to the need for informational literacy to be taught across the spectrum of education.

Yes, it's so important for students to know how to find the information they need without getting frustrated by bad searches or misled by bad sources. It's frustrating because it's so often overlooked.

The "know-where" mentioned here reminds me of the John Seely Brown article where he mentions how to "be your own private, personal reference librarian, one that knows how to navigate through the incredible, confusing, complex information spaces"...or a professional Googler.

True! and 50-90% of the information on the web will never be accessed by a search engine; the 'deep web' contains some of the most valuable information sources

I really like this quote because it sums up the idea that students are individually making connections with the world to gain knowledge. They tend to follow and explore information that is related to their interests.

I like the quote for that reason, and I also like it because of the emphasis on the concept of performance and performance potential; thus, the idea of applying learning is incorporated into the very definition of learning!

I love the way experience is an important part of the definition of learning. Experience and performance are great teachers, far better than any textbook ever will be and yet many institutions seem to insist that this is the way to learn.

It's so trendy now to talk about "lifelong learning", but there is definite truth to the idea that we never really stop learning just because we have finished our formal education. I'd bet most people don't even realize that they are learning even just by catching the news.

Or from reading their social media feeds! I read so many articles from what my friends share!

I used to think of Facebook as "recreation" but now I get alot of information/stay up to date through my "likes" and what friends post (so many Facebook pages available). I guess this is an example of how both are coming together.

Every time I have interviewed for a job in software engineering, I have been asked questions about how I keep up with changing software development approaches and continue to learn new programming languages, databasing concepts/techniques, and other relevant skills. Copious amounts of informal learning truly is a must, in the world of software programming!

Learning: a game of solving the riddles of reality?

I like the gaming connection!

Same here, and playing the game depends on knowing the rules and recognizing the unseen obstacles that hinder progress. 

And hopefully, we are not sacrificing too many truths in the name of appeasement.

Paid subscriptions will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. In hindsight, the thought of objectivity from a few providers is scary. The open source nature of media put the power in the hands of the people, and their interaction allows consumers a method of control over media hubs that may not be honest about allegiance to specific policies and special interest groups. 

For as much as news networks have turned into a 24/7 reality -- it is even more clear that anyone with access to technology can report on current events as they happen.  There is no waiting for the 5 o'clock news anymore to tell you what occured on the other side of the world.  Users on twitter are tweeting or journalists are streaming from the location as the events unfold.