In our survey on the subject, we defined e-Learning 2.0 as, “The idea of learning through digital connections and peer collaboration, enhanced by technologies driving Web 2.0. Users/Learners are empowered to search, create, and collaborate, in order to fulfill intrinsic needs to learn new information.” For Web 2.0, we said, “The stage of the World Wide Web where the Internet has become a platform for users to create, upload, and share content with others, versus simply downloading content.”
These definitions are fine, as far as they go. The problem is that they don’t really tell anything that designers, managers, and developers in the e-Learning world will find useful.
To provide helpful information to members, The eLearning Guild is publishing a series of essays and a 360 Research Report on e-Learning 2.0. We posted a survey to find out what members’ current practice and future plans look like in this area, and we will publish the results in late September. The essays started last week with Will Thalheimer’s “Evaluating e-Learning 2.0: Getting Our Heads Around the Complexity.” This week, I provide an overview of Learning 2.0, and in the next three weeks, Learning Solutions will deliver four more essays to explore further. (See Sidebar 1 for a summary of these essays.)
The eLearning Guild will publish the following information about e-Learning 2.0 in August and September 2008.
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Date |
Topic |
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Aug. 18, 2008 |
Essay: “Evaluating e-Learning 2.0: Getting Our Heads Around the Complexity,” by Will Thalheimer. E-Learning 2.0 is coming, and it’s coming soon if it’s not already on top of you. You need to be ready to figure out if it’s working. This won’t be easy, but this article gives you the formula for success. (Learning Solutions) |
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Aug. 25, 2008 |
Essay: “What is e-Learning 2.0?” by Brent Schlenker. This high-level overview explains what e-Learning 2.0 is, and how it differs from e-Learning 1.0. (Learning Solutions) |
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Sep. 1, 2008 |
(Not publishing due to Labor Day holiday in the |
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Sep. 8, 2008 |
Essay: “Why e-Learning 2.0?” by Michele Martin and Sanjay Parker. Integration of Web 2.0 tools and applications, such as social media, into e-Learning is probably not a choice, but an inevitability. In fact, e-Learning 2.0 is already here and is likely already functioning in your organization without your involvement. (Learning Solutions) |
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Sep. 15, 2008 |
Essay: “Change 2.0: Impact on Your Culture,” by Mark Oehlert. “If you thought that implementing an LMS, or something like it, required change management, then e-learning 2.0 is on some hyperbolic curve over that.” Mark gives you a better understanding of the linkage of e-Learning 2.0 to ongoing formal programs. (Learning Solutions) |
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Sep 22, 2008 |
Essay: “Understanding Today’s Learner,” by Jane Hart. For many organizations, there is a real need to address the needs of a changing workforce or student population. Jane outlines what research tells us about Learners 2.0 and how they learn best, shares her interviews with e-Learning professionals on how they are addressing the needs of today’s Learners 2.0, and explains the importance for Learning and Development professionals of experiencing being a Learner 2.0. (Learning Solutions) |
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Sep 22, 2008 |
Essay: “How to Get Started in e-Learning 2.0,” by Tony Karrer. Tony provides a basic two-point answer and action plan that you can begin putting into place today, even if you are not “going 2.0” right away. (Learning Solutions) |
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Sep 25, 2008 |
The eLearning Guild 360 Report on e-Learning 2.0, by Steve Wexler and the Research Team. Survey results and analysis. |
Going beyond definitions
Web 2.0, blogging, wikis, and social networks are among the hottest topics in e-Learning today. These technologies have empowered end-users, and highlighted the value of informal learning opportunities as a major part of the learning process.
The fast pace of technology innovation is changing many things including e-learning. The technology changes are forcing us to rethink how we design learning experiences, especially with Internet technologies. We are still in the very early stages of integrating these technologies into our existing design methods and models, and so there are no definite answers, yet.
The new Web and how it grows
There’s an important point that is easy to miss in the frenzy of change. Web 2.0 is not about technology, and neither is e-Learning 2.0. The human element is what makes the new Web work. Without user-generated content, the new Web would be an empty shell of fancy technologies.
But the new Web is not empty. People from all over the world are filling it with digital content. Today’s Internet empowers users with a world of information at their fingertips, as well as the ability to publish their own. The new Web also connects us with other people, facilitates our conversations, and supports collaboration on a global scale.
These connections are spontaneous, informal conversations occurring in real time between Web users from all over the world. They are not formalized, scheduled conversations and collaborative exercises. The Web technologies that make this possible fall into the category of Web 2.0.
The 2.0 class of software on the Web differs significantly from enterprise-class software that Learning and Training departments are used to dealing with. In his article, Mark Oehlert will show you how, as he says, “that sneaky little 2.0 may already be getting inside your organization.” The new software enters organizations from the outside in, through employees’ experiences as consumers.
I’ve provided a personal example of how insidious this process is, in Sidebar 2. You will probably find this example registering with your own experience.
Web 2.0 is now mainstream! That’s right, I’m calling it right now. Here’s why. My wife and parents are using it. They are not only using it, but they are talking about it and are enjoying the experience. It’s every technologist’s litmus test for the success or failure of new consumer innovations. If your not-so-tech-savvy friends and family can use it and enjoy it, then you’ve got a winner. So, if you and your family aren’t Web 2.0, you will be.
No, my wife and parents aren’t blogging. Well maybe, kind of, sort of. They write something, send it to me, and I post it on the “blog.” But that’s not really blogging.
No, we don’t have a family wiki either. And no, they don’t aggregate news feeds to gather their local and national news. Actually, they all still enjoy going outside and dragging in the soggy newspaper left by the delivery guy early in the morning. I still don’t understand the attraction. But it works for them. And basically, that sums up my experience with my non-technical family ... until now.
So, my family doesn’t blog, they don’t wiki, and they don’t aggregate. So what? You may not do any of these things either, and there is a good chance that some readers will not know what I’m talking about. That’s okay; I’m here to help clear things up as best I can. By the end of this article, I hope that you, and your family, will be well on your way to experiencing what the new and improved Internet has to offer, and leaving your Web 1.0 habits behind.
If my family doesn’t do those fundamental Web 2.0 activities, then how can Web 2.0 have gone mainstream? What are they doing that has turned Web 2.0 into a mainstream activity?
They are all addicted to adding to the family tree. Its crazy! It’s even a borderline obsession for some of them.
Geni is a user-friendly Web 2.0 application that helps you build your family tree ... and so much more. Geni is like every other Web 2.0 application in that, after you join, you are encouraged to invite your friends and family members to sign up, simply by adding their e-mail addresses to a list.
I almost didn’t click the Send button when I was contemplating “inviting” my family. I never send invites to family. It’s just not their thing. But I clicked Send and the Internet will now never be the same for me.
I started my Geni account on July 21st 2008. Three weeks later, we have 105 relatives in the family tree. Some Geni users may have more, some may have less. But increasing and growing the tree is not really most the powerful part of the application. Members share photos, video, historical timelines, upcoming events, and contact information.
I asked my wife to describe her experience:
“I went to my inbox one day and I had a new e-mail that said, “You have been invited to join geni.com by Brent Schlenker.” I must confess my first thought was, ‘Oh please! I can barely figure out how to text message.’ My husband thought our family would enjoy it. I spent days, maybe weeks, mocking the Web site every time I would see a new notification in my inbox regarding a site update: ‘Wow, great news, my Geni tree is growing.’
Soon I found myself checking it out
bits at a time. As soon as I gave it a chance, it hooked me, and I couldn’t
walk away from it. I loved how interesting it was to check out the family, and
see how all of us were connected. Even I could download pics to share with
everyone ... all the kids’ latest events, and even a photo of my dear sweet
dad, who’s been deceased for 15 years, on a camel in
Thank you to my brilliant husband for continuing to have patience with me, and showing me new paths to go down even when I don’t want to. He knew how easy it was, I just need to keep giving all this new technology a chance.”
Why is adding family members to a tree the killer app that brings Web 2.0 into the mainstream? Great question! I have no idea. Well, that’s not necessarily true. Based on my experiences immersing myself in Web 2.0 applications over the last few years, I actually do have an idea. Here’s my idea:
- The topic is relevant — i.e. it’s all about me, and everything I know about me.
- Family ties are a powerful draw — making old and new connections is a wonderful feeling.
- Collaborating with family by sharing life’s moments via pictures, videos, timelines, and events is FUN!
- Consuming information regarding other family members encourages creation and publication of digital content of your own.
Coincidently, these are the main
drivers of all things 2.0, from Web 2.0, to
Let me summarize this experience. These human elements are being facilitated by technology in an engaging and productive way. When average computer users begin feeling comfortable doing these types of activities online, then we know we’ve reached a tipping point. This is the point at which we all stop using the Web to simply “Google” for information, and start consuming, creating, and collaborating online. E-Learning 2.0 acknowledges these activities as powerful, educational, and learning tools accessible to every computer user, and to the mainstream population at large.
E-Learning 2.0 springs from Web 2.0, but it’s more
E-Learning 2.0 is not just about implementing blogging, wikis, and social networking systems. While simply having the technology available to users is the obvious first step, there is more to it than just installing, and hitting the “On” switch.
Before I explain that, there is another key point that you are going to hear from the other authors in this series. You may find it disturbing. E-Learning 2.0 is already here, and it’s already in use “in the wild” in your organization, without your involvement. Actually, it’s not e-Learning — it’s more like what Jay Cross calls “informal learning.” It is people using Web 2.0 tools and applications to support their own learning. Sometimes I call it “Learning 2.0” to make this clear.
You also should understand that Learning 2.0 does not replace traditional top-down, centralized training and education, including e-Learning 1.0. It extends it. Learning 2.0 also competes with (e-)Learning 1.0 for the time, attention, and acceptance of today’s learners, and of today’s business leaders. Jane Hart’s article will show you this next month.
To a certain extent, Learning 2.0 is disintermediating the traditional Learning or Training department. At the same time, Learning 2.0 can be an ally of Learning and Training departments. By shifting certain learning tasks to the 2.0 path, you can free up resources for better development of formal instruction, where formal makes more sense. Will Thalheimer’s chart in last week’s article may help to clarify this idea. In addition, Mark Oehlert will outline how change management regulates the balance between 1.0 and 2.0.
But now, back to explaining e-Learning 2.0.
There are currently no formulas that guarantee a successful e-Learning 2.0 strategy. But understanding a few key elements will help guide your thinking and understanding of e-Learning 2.0. Here they are:
- Web 2.0 technologies support and facilitate informal learning.
- Users must be free to publish (Rip, Mix, Feed).
- Enterprise Systems must enable content via the five “-ables” (searchable, editable, linkable, feedable, taggable)
- Organizational cultures must change.
