Re-thinking E-Learning.. Learning Solutions Magazine Has A Good Article

What's on my mind today, in between connecting with and communicating with corporate clientele about work is "Rethinking eLearning" and trying to figure out our how much people and institutions are ready for that and whether folks even realize that a "re-thinking" of eLearning is even necessary... or that we are even talking about the same thing in our now 21st century world. Like how does one wrap one's own mind around it?

Then BINGO... the Universe again responded via a Google Search for "re-thinking e-learning" with an excellent and thoughtful article in Learning Solutions Magazine - April 28, 2010.... so here's the link to it. Even the bold-faced sub-titles help you get a grasp:

• Technologies - These have have a profound impact on the way the people can now not only learn better, but also perform what they do better.
  
  
• Mobile Devices - Mobile devices are especially hot now that multiple technologies have both improved and the market for apps has exploded.  The CONTENT delivery, the COMPUTATIONAL POWER, their real-world CAPTURE capabilities, and their power for COMMUNICATIONS...especially in ripe new markets such as in developing countries.. is fueling both investment, and hot projects.
  
  
• Virtual Worlds - What's new is that virtual world learning is beginning to happen in in different and more practical communications scenarios such as in immersive 3D web conferencing... without having to plunge into the swamp of Second Life and all it's seedy anonymous avatars of people of questionable character and ethics.
  
  
• Semantic Web - This has to do words and terms... and associative "tags" themselves  that are creating new contexts for learning, away from formal classroom events.
  
  
• Learning... Not for Learning's Sake..but for personal performance ... driven by people's need to know and to excel...with or without the institution's support for this.
  
  
• Spaced Practice - This is where you get your learning in "snippets" in between the practical applying of what you are learning.
  
  
• Social Learning - Wow is this a biggie. The web now... is a "Social Web" where content is being "crowd-sourced", commented upon and socially "highlighted"... which itself drives innovation and even more social learning.
  
  
• Meta-Learning - This concept hints at how big this phenomenon really is.
  
  
• Distributed Cognition - This goes hand in hand with the social learning and the meta-learning and is about recognizing and honoring the fact that we are all "smart" in our own special way with something to contribute and process...Power to the people!
  
  
• Slow Learning - This term in the article is confusing. Maybe it has to do with how slow institutions and political regimes are able to learn in contrast with workers themselves... empowered by the Internet.. and learning fast about how powerful they are. Witness the fall of Mubarek in Egypt for instance. 

There is much to think about... and to do ...and experiment with...and to collaborate on as a global learning community when it comes to "re-thinking e-learning" ...if institutions dare. Let's connect if you are re-thinking it too. 425-780-6872.