informal learning in a virtual community: tywc david davenport computer eng. dept., bilkent...
TRANSCRIPT
Informal Learning in a Virtual Community: TYWC
David DavenportComputer Eng. Dept.,Bilkent UniversityAnkara 06533 – Turkey
email: [email protected]
Education - the realm of schools & teachers Irrelevant, boring lessons, lack of learning! Keep kids out of the way
Students are containers to be filled knowledge from teacher all treated the same
Formal Learning
Informal Learning
No teacher required! Two most complex & difficult lessons Usually unaware of it, yet sometimes…
Learning is like breathing, it’s natural, we do it all the time
I want to talk about learning. But not the lifeless, sterile, futile, quickly forgotten stuff that is crammed into the mind of the poor helpless individual tied to his seat by ironclad bonds of conformity! I am talking about LEARNING – the insatiable curiousity that drives the adolescent boy to absorb everything he can see or hear or read about gasoline engines in order to improve the efficiency and speed of his ‘cruiser’. [Carl Rogers]
Experiential Curiosity-based Opportunistic Mentor & Environment
Non-formal learning Extra-curricula activities Sports & Youth clubs Museums, zoos, stately homes, etc.
Antithesis of classroom learning!
Informal Learning
Informal Learning
Learning is Natural Personal Individual
Can be facilitated Stimulus Environment Community
Members have commitment to & generally accept its rules participate in its organisation & running develop informal & emotional bonds
Social Capital – trustworthiness Virtual communities
Non-local, reversing decline?
Communities
Alliances of people who share a common interest and value system
The Young Writers Club
A Virtual Informal Learning Community Personal website founded in 1995 Now a major international resource
Learning in TYWC
From members perspective… Meet others with similar interest Have their work “published”
& read and commented upon by others Encouragement & constructive criticism Negative comments - pseudo-anonymous! Global interaction leads to better understanding of
Geography, Time, Cultures & Religions - tolerance? Helping out… School use!
Learning in TYWC
From author’s perspective… Demands considerable time & effort! Follow & use latest technology Stimulus for student projects Problem members
Technological limits Social issues
free speech, pornography & privacy Intellectual property, copyright & plagiarism
New interests!
Concluding remarks
Some “lessons” for educators… Learning is natural growth, not production
personalisation Informal learning can be very effective
Passion, motivation, ownership! But cannot easily combine with schooling Technology supports IL, but again…
Initial novelty value, but Turns into part of the problem!
Concluding remarks
Some “lessons” for educators… Rapid Change demands learning culture
Passport to real life after 12 year sentence Life-long learning
But how? Throw out conventional lessons & exams Credit for out-of-school experience Provide time! Down play individual competition Encourage cooperation & community
Thank you…
Questions Comments Suggestions
TYWC - http://www.cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~david/derya/ywc.html