New Learning Ecosystems

1. New Learning Ecosystems NLII 2004 Annual Meeting

2. Purpose of this session • have a stimulating conversation and see whether any insights or potential next steps emerge • conduct initial exploration and inquiry - so not a lot of emphasis on engineering any particular work product - just want to see if relationships, key research & analysis questions, or common models start to emerge naturally

3. Format/What to Expect • 5 panelists present their premises (mini-lectures) • Small groups have facilitated discussions around specific questions (15 minutes) • Reporting out is done in the San Diego Experiment

4. Introductions • Diana Oblinger (New Learners/New Roles) • Executive Director of Higher Education, Microsoft Corporation • Ellen Wagner (Learning-Centered Interactivity) • Director, Global Higher Education, Macromedia • Joel Foreman (Gaming as a Learning Technology) • Associate Professor, George Mason University • Van Weigel (Peer-to-Peer Learning Technologies) • Professor of Ethics and Economic Development, Eastern University • Bryan Alexander (M-Learning) • Co-director, Center for Educational Technology, Middlebury College

5. 1) How might all of these influences/elements interact to create a new learning space? What will the learning space of the future look like? Will it be the holodeck? is it the matrix? • 2) How do we design a learning space that "understands" M-learning? Where do we "stick" the teacher (physically and philosophically)? • 3) I want to use my phone in an wireless space, but my colleague likes her palm. Is there a common ground for those of us who have very different "personal" devices? • 4) Can an environment be too immersive? Where does all the material we generated/collected go at the end of term? How does the learner get "back" to the experience if they want to retrace their learning path? • 5) Van speaks about disequilibrium. In what ways could disequilibrium go too far and create dysfunctional learning spaces? How might we predict and counter these dysfunctions? • 6) How do we ensure that a learning session stays on track in a learning environment? How can an instructor be sure that their students are paying attention (and he or she is earning their attention)? How can we teach students to gracefully multi-task (e.g., manage the transitions and the social protocols)?