24
Web 2.0
Insight
describing share drives as web 2.0 or even
then forget it. How we use information in dimension of learning, we run the risk of
a learning tool. I am often struggling to
an age of information overload changes. mistaking the publishing of information for
see the difference and as with all these
learning and training.”
initiatives there is so much more document
Learning? Questionable. Would my
exchange by email between colleagues than
approach be the same to consulting Now I’m a great fan of Elliott. On occasions
there is through document repositories.
an organisation blog or wiki or even he can be a bit over-excited about
documentary repository? Maybe, but first technology but generally he’s a sound chap
I suppose in some senses rapid e-learning –
I’d need to be sure that there was critical and I think that quote still holds good. I
using authoring and content management
mass to ensure that the smoothing process have been to numerous conferences where
tools to enable non-developers to
I described earlier had verified the content people have told me that user-generated
create learning objectives – is also web
or I’d need to have the endorsement of content represents a breakthrough in
2.0 because these tools often allow
the ‘expert’ in my organisation to reassure learning and then have gone on to
collaboration, a few subject matter experts
me that what I was consulting was true demonstrate sites that include lots of stuff
from anywhere in the world contributing to
and I wasn’t going to look stupid when I that users can read. It’s not learning, as I
a programme and being able to make it live
used the facts. If that’s the case it’s simply understand it, but just another source of
in double quick time. Not being learning
another form of the corporation publishing information; it’s publishing not learning!
designers, the process of interaction
information on the intranet, isn’t it?
is often limited to clicking next and
A few weeks ago, you may have caught
completing a pretty undemanding multiple
‘Paradise or Bust’ on the BBC. This
choice quiz at the end, but frankly quite a ‘It’s not learning,
programme told the story behind Tribe
lot of e-learning looks like that anyway, so
as I understand
Wanted – an internet-generated tribe that
nothing specifically lost there I think.
would volunteer to live on a South Pacific
it, but just
island run democratically by the people who
Now I’m sure the web 2.0 purists will say
joined the community both physically and
I have missed out on all sorts of tools and
another source
online. It was foundering in the disinterest
technologies which fit under this heading,
of information,
of the cyberworld, with fewer and fewer
but my point is not to focus on the specific
people logging on each week and important
tools but to pose two questions. One, does
it’s publishing, votes about how the island community
anyone apart from those who contribute
not learning’
should be run decided by a mere handful
use this stuff? And two, is it learning when
of diehards. The documentary series
they do so?
represented the last hope to save the digital
Haven’t organisations been able to do that dream, which already failed to generate
For the first one the jury is out. I have used
for a while without having to call it web enough subscribers to be able to afford an
Wikipedia to check a date or other fact
2.0? As for contributing to online debates internet connection on the island – one of
many times but I have yet to contribute
– I’ve tried, I really have, but my experience the early and pretty important milestones.
because I don’t tend to look at pages
has always been that after a brief flurry of In an article by Decca Aitkenhead about this
containing things I know a good deal
people posting comments like, “This is so shining example of the web 2.0 world was
about but pages where I have knowledge
coo-o-ol!” and “Love the site, great idea!” the following: “Because the media has been
gaps. I guess that suggests that I am
and “Let’s see if we can’t get a real dialogue so charmed by the notion of an internet
a learner in that I consult information,
going here”, everyone gets bored, nothing tribe, it has been effectively reporting
discover what I need and then use it, but I
of any use gets posted and when you log on something that doesn’t really exist – and, by
wouldn’t suggest I have learned anything.
for the fourth time to see exactly the same doing so, just managed to keep the dream
I am a skilled information seeker I think
posts you saw on the last three occasions, alive.” Now substitute the idea of self-
and I can look things up for a specific
then the favourite you stored gets deleted. generated learning for internet tribe, and
purpose but I don’t carry that data around
computer nerds and technology interests
in my head. In the same way that Einstein
As for the learning question, I remember an for the world’s media, and play that back.
reputedly never learnt his phone number
interesting comment about e-learning from Sound familiar? Maybe, just maybe, the
on the basis he could look it up if he
US guru Elliott Masie back in 2000. He said emperor really is walking among his citizens
needed it, I use the information I need and
then: “If we don’t focus on the experience in the all-together!
Robin Hoyle is a writer and senior partner
in independent consultancy Learnworks.
He has worked in learning for over
20 years – specialising in materials
development for large scale development
programmes. He works with organisations
that wish to develop or review their
strategy for learning and development in
a changing environment. Email
robin@learnworks.net
learningmagazine.co.uk
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