researchers have tried to assess how humans are coping in this highly connected environment and how “chronic multitasking” may diminish our capacity to function effectively.
Clifford Nass, notes that scholarship has remained firm in the overall assessment: “The research is almost unanimous, which is very rare in social science, and it says that people who chronically multitask show an enormous range of deficits. They’re basically terrible at all sorts of cognitive tasks, including multitasking.”
Below are more than a dozen representative studies in these areas:
The researchers conclude that the experiments “suggest that heavy media multitaskers are distracted by the multiple streams of media they are consuming, or, alternatively, that those who infrequently multitask are more effective at volitionally allocating their attention in the face of distractions.”
Members of the ‘Net Generation’ reported more multitasking than members of ‘Generation X,’ who reported more multitasking than members of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation. The choices of which tasks to combine for multitasking were highly correlated across generations, as were difficulty ratings of specific multitasking combinations.
same time, these experts predicted that the impact of networked living on today’s young will drive them to thirst for instant gratification, settle for quick choices, and lack patience
similar mental limitations in the types of tasks that can be multitasked.
survey about the future of the Internet, technology experts and stakeholders were fairly evenly split as to whether the younger generation’s always-on connection to people and information will turn out to be a net positive or a net negative by 2020.
said many of the young people growing up hyperconnected to each other and the mobile Web and counting on the Internet as their external brain will be nimble, quick-acting multitaskers who will do well in key respects.
The educational implications include allowing students short ‘technology breaks’ to reduce distractions and teaching students metacognitive strategies regarding when interruptions negatively impact learning.”
The data suggest that “using Facebook and texting while doing schoolwork were negatively predictive of overall GPA.” However, “emailing, talking on the phone, and using IM were not related to overall GPA.”
Regression analyses revealed that increased media multitasking was associated with higher depression and social anxiety symptoms, even after controlling for overall media use and the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion.
Learning is more active? It appears that communities networks and the like require engagement - meaning active
learning
Driscoll (2000) defines learning as “a persisting change in human performance or performance potential…[which] must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world” (p.11).
An organizations ability to foster, nurture, and synthesize the impacts of varying views of information is critical to knowledge economy survival. Speed of “idea to implementation” is also improved in a systems view of learning.
While I accept that knowledge is organized and stored outside the "person". Learning is a distinctly internal process methinks. IOW - I don't get his point
Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual.
In the way that consciousness is an emergent property of the flow of energy within system of cells, neurons - Siemens idea of "learning" is the process through which individuals, ideas, and networks emerge (manifest).
I don't know if this is what he's getting at but perhaps?
Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
Seems to me that what currently is known is equally important in that it guides us, grounds us, and forms the basis for our capacity. Wisdom or knowledge. Dichotomous.
Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology.
Learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and processes, should be reflective of underlying social environments
The “half-life of knowledge” is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete.
To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”
Next, I view the topical searches I have set up, looking for gold among the dross. Then finally, if time permits, I’ll view my entire Twitter feed. That’s how I get the most out of my time on Twitter.
This is an important point - using Twitter strategically.
5. Feed the people you follow if you come across information that you suspect would interest them.
As you begin to understand what motivates some of the key people you follow, you will naturally encounter nuggets of information that may be of value to them. Make the first move. Share it with them.
So be proactive – share FIRST. Don’t wait for someone you’re connected with to share something with you.
6. Engage the people you follow. Be polite, mindful of making demands on their attention. Put work into dialogue if they welcome it. Thank them for sharing.
They’re also a platform for dialogue and discussion, going beyond information exchanges into deeper levels of communication – sharing insights and experiences. Rheingold reminds us to be kind and show gratitude;
7. Inquire of the people you follow, of the people who follow you. But be careful. Ask engaging questions – answers shd be useful to others
Being mindful of being useful to others helps to ensure that we build mutually productive and gratifying relationships in our social channels.
8. Respond to inquiries made to you. Contribute to both diffuse reciprocity and quid pro quo
1. Explore: It’s not just about knowing how to find experts, co-learners, but about exploration as invitation to serendipitous encounter.
In a recent Twitter conversation, he laid out 8 key thoughts on how to build your own personal learning network from your social media channels. Here they are, along with my thoughts on each:
You need to be open: To new people, opportunities, possibilities, to knowledge.
3. Follow candidates through RSS, Twitter. Ask yourself over days, weeks, whether each candidate merits continued attention
2. Search – Use Diigo, delicious, listorious, to find pools of expertise in the fields that interest you.
Your goal is to identify people and potential sources you can add to your personal knowledge network.
Once you’ve identified people who are posting information that appears to be relevant to your areas of intererst, follow them.
Analyze the quality of their social media posts. What is their point of view? Is the information they’re posting accurate? Are they focused or scattershot? What is the “signal to noise ratio” of their feed? In other words, out of everything they post, how much useful information?
4. Always keep tuning your network, dropping people who don’t gain sufficiently high interest; adding new candidates
I follow about 900 people on Twitter. But I’ve developed a list I call “rockstars” who consistently provide the best ideas and resources in their feeds. That’s the tweetstream I visit first, because that’s where I’ll find the best stuff in the least amount of time.