I'm currently in Austria for the Microlearning 2006 conference. I've had some time over the last few days to visit local attractions and get a sense for the culture (I've included some photos on flickr). I'm generally able to get along fairly well in communicating with others (due to their English skills, not my German). My wife Karen is traveling with me as well (this is part presentation, part relaxation)...and we had a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant. The owner didn't understand any English (or much German for that matter). Language is but one vehicle of communication, and with an interesting dance of repetition, mispronunciation, charades-type actions, we were able to order our dinner (I heard prosciutto, scampi, tiramisu, and espresso...just said yes to each :)).
Thinking about how people can communicate and achieve intended means outside of language, brings me back to my favorite topic of abuse: courses. Courses may be desired vehicles for learning (much like language for communication). Formal learning has often been quoted as comprising less than 20% of the actual learning process. Language (in interpersonal communication) has also been ranked as low as 7% of meaning communication (the balance comes from tone of voice and body language). I find that many Europeans are more comfortable than I am with others who do not speak their language (communicating in alternative means appears to be a skill (or tolerance) they have acquired. I am used to English and French (which I regretably do not speak, in spite of several junior high years of classes). As I do not have the diverse language experiences of Europeans (which requires they shift to alternate means of making requests), I resort to language as a primary means of communicating my requests. I think the same holds true for many with formal learning. People do not acknowledge or value the incredible richness of informal learning...and as a result perceive informal learning as ineffective. The experience with learning drives the selected path. Bloggers and technologists have relied on informal (networked) means of learning for years. It feels intuitive...and in most cases it works better than formal learning.
My internet connection is hit and miss (it's been cloudy since we arrived, so the front desk agent has explained that the weather is the problem). I've come to expect quality internet connections in the same vein that I expect running water!
Posted by gsiemens at June 4, 2006 2:33 AM | TrackBackGeorge,
It's great to see that your knowledge is being put to good use in Europe. I've been thinking quite a bit about informal learning since the ELearning Guild Annual Gathering 2006, where Jay Cross held running sessions on this area over several days. The concept of the 'course' is a bit like firing at a moving target - every time we think we have it nailed, knowledge in the area moves on and the course becomes obsolete. The Connectivism paper and your recent paper at the Google Summit are showing us that we need to develop new models for knowledge management. It's been said before that the big challenge is in the implementation. What will school courses look like in ten years' time? We will need to see more knowledge management training coming into courses across the curriculum.
Have a great time in Austria with Karen. See you at the Global Summit in Sydney later this year.
Kind regards,
David Hawkes