Learners in the digital age

There can be little doubt that the plethora of Web 2.0 technologies is creating new and exciting possibilities for anytime, anywhere learning.

Perhaps the main point of access point for anytime, anywhere learners - particularly young people at universities, colleges and schools - are virtual learning environments (VLEs). These "learning platforms" are beginning to increase the scope for learners to access pre-selected material and resources, either as an intergral component of learning programmes or created to supplement more traditional teaching and learning techniques.

The very best VLEs provide the learner with a wide variety of good quality material presented in an imaginative way. Along with the usual elements such as the presentation of information and the course assessments, VLEs offer scope for more flexibility in patterns of learning and also can act as learning portals via RSS feeds and collaborative wikis.

Of course, the groundbreaking impact of the ubiquitous iPod® and similar devices such as mobile phones are not only providing some learners with the choice of accessing video, enhanced and audio podcasts 24/7, but the opportunity to access learning material and resources anytime and anywhere. However, this adds yet another layer into our understanding of the "digital divide". Some VLEs are incorporating podcasts to provide different learning opportunites and also to cater for different learning styles. Whilst this undoubtedly increases access, the flexibility afforded by portable devices is lost.

Ideas such as One Laptop per Child (OLPC), hold out the prospect of increasing access for every learner, wherever they are. The so called "$100 laptop" is a new initiative launched by MIT Media Lab. The success of this initiaitive will depend on the will of governments but as mentioned in a previous post, there is often a time lag in bringing such ideas to fruition within a life cycle of new technology.

Whilst there is the potential to support learners in the digital age, there are just as many challenges for the educators, adminstrators, policy makers and governments to make this a reality.

New challenges - new directions

Few can dispute the evolutionary nature of technological developments. With an increasing range and synergy of innovative Web 2.0 applications, the digital world that arrives tommorrow includes a wealth of opportunities for the imaginative educator and anytime, anywhere learner.

Unfortunately, inspirational or creative ideas are not enough. In practice, barriers exist that put a brake on both the innovation and adoption of new technologies. In that sense, Web 2.0 is no different.

In his book "Crossing the Chasm", Geoffrey Moore present a marketing analysis on the behaviour of consumers in relation to technological products. He presents a model to describe the market penetration of new technologies and the kinds of consumers groups that participate within a product's life cycle. In brief, he identifies the following groups:

• Innovators (2%) - always in pusuit of new technology for its intrisic value
  
• Early adopters (15%) - "buy" into new technology concepts early in the product life cycle
  
• Early majority (34%) - relate to the new technology but have a sense of practicality
  
• Late majority (34%) - similar behaviour to the "early majority" but lack confidence with technology, waiting for established standards and then requiring a lot of support
  
• Laggards (15%) - those not interested or want anything to do with new technology (unless this is so well embedded in other products that it appears "non-existant").
  

Moore modified the model to introduce cracks between the various consumer groups, the largest between the "early adopters" and the "early majority". He describes this crack as the chasm - the barrier to cross before a technology product/innovation becomes widely adopted.

Within an educational context, such patterns of behaviour can also be seen. As in day-to-day life, this pattern is likely to vary between different age groups. For example, it is much more likely that younger people will "buy into" new technology concepts and products compared to their adult counterparts (parents, carers, teachers, etc).

There may well be as many educational innovators as there technology innovators - all trying to embrace the potential of new technological innovations to support effective teaching and promote personalised learning. For some this will be easier than others, it all will depend on the politics and decision-making processes within the educational organisations they can influence or work in.

Often, policy makers and leaders in governments and key educational organisations - large or small - are not able to respond to a fast moving agenda. In part this may reflect the perspectives of individuals but is also a feature of decision and ploicy making processes. Stephen Heppell elaborated on this phenomenon in "Heppell's Technology Cycle", a podcast he posted in September 2005. There are always opportunities but also threats to development.

Ideally, there should be no limits on creativity, particularly if this can lead to more effective and high quality educational learning experiences. The challenge is: How to keep pace with, adopt and embrace technological innovation? New challenges need new directions. In our increasingly digital world, we have to find a way to invest in new ideas and innovation - sooner rather than later.

Welcome to the challenge

Welcome to this first post on our blog.

For learners - whether young or old - we will share thoughts about the emerging trends in e-learning and the ways in which we can all exploit the power and potential of "anytime, anywhere learning".

Our future posts will include comments as well as presentation of ideas and discussion about some of the developments taking place with Web 2.0 technologies. We will consider how these can be used effectively within our digital world so as to enhance and improve both the quality and effectiveness of acquiring knowledge, skills and understanding for all learners.

Our topics will focus on domains such as the ethics, politics and implementation of e-learning, including practical suggestions and examples of effective practice - wherever this is taking place worldwide.

Enjoy.