Learning 2.0 still not mainstream

There is a great discussion going on regarding the meaning/value of learning 2.0. Learning 2.0 is a derivative of Web 2.0 which is a loose term for many new collaborative and learner directed technologies that put the power of the web into the hands of non technical users. George Siemens at connectivism blog laments the term 2.0 because the way we learn (our brains) hasn't changed and because the terminology may put off those outside the industry. I agree with George that our brains haven't changed the way we learn, however, the technologies we use and the expectation for how and when we learn is changing at a break neck pace. Learning 2.0 is simply a way to identify the place that we are in relation to where we have been. Personally I don't use any term to describe learning technology to business people. I just explain the technology interms of the goals they want to achieve ie. better, faster, more productive.

It's not enough to go to school and get a degree, or get training to learn a skill, or take an e-learning module to satisfy a requirement. The reason is that none of those things makes a difference in performance or the way we work. Doing those things is just a necessary part of business. Learning 2.0 on the other hand is about enabling learners to become more self directed and provide the resources and environment for them to LEARN. That is different and hence the need for 2.0.

Brent Schlenker at corporate e-learning development explains the prevailing culture in many organizations in regards to currrent views on training.

So Learning1.0 activities will still exist (classrooms, click2death CBT, etc.) because they do serve a purpose. It saves tons of money for big companies when regulations or certification requirements demand that employees are “trained” in a certain area. $10,000 bucks gets you a 1 hour click-next web course with a nice, neat multiple choice test connected to the LMS that spits out a report to “prove” that your employees have been “trained”. How beautiful is that. The CEO and share holders love it…it’s CHEAP, workers spend less time away from their job, and a big red checkmark on the Sr. Manager’s todo list. eLearning, or Learning1.0, is a no-brainer especially when the people writing the check don’t actually care that anyone REALLY learned…but gosh darn they sure were trained well.

True learning is messy, complicated, frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive. But that’s not what this post is about. Because Learning1.0 still exists (the above example is only one reason why) Learning2.0 simply supports what happens “after class”: How the learner actually participates in the learning process creating meaning. Learning2.0 finally addresses the messiness, and chaos, of informal collaborative learning. In my opinion Learning2.0 is more like a combination of informal learning concepts and web2.0 tools…this includes online gaming, and delivery via mobile devices.

ISDers and Learning pros don’t like the new technologies because they are un-managable by a central system and its difficult to build a nice neat little process by which we create the course/learning. And that’s the point…we no longer hold the golden keys. Our new job is to create the flexible learning environments that support the learners participation in the process. Web2.0 supplies the technologies and tools, and supports the new learning culture that is forming on its own. Its important to realize that this is major shift. Evolving existing eLearning courses into reusable learning objects is not that Revolution that is required for the learning community to keep up with the rapid technology and cultural changes. Reusable learning objects are still considered viable by the community because you can still wrap them up into little packages, track, and manage all of the processes around them. This is NOT learning2.0. Learning2.0 adresses the messy realities of learning and is really just our way of staying relevant as the culture and technologies move forward.

Brent's posting acknowledges the cultural reality that exists in many companies. I think their are small pockets of innovation in educational institutions and some in the corporate segment but over all there is very little change. This means that people like you and me have to sell learning 2.0 in terms of dollars and performance metrics. Want a better sales person? Give them access to better information. Let the ones with potential learn from the best and give the best the ability to share their secrets so the company can win big. Every one wins.

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