George Siemens

Given the nature of conversation to kick off week 3 - i.e. a focus on the international perspective - we may wish to include discussion in our document (or whatever we create) of larger international factors. Grainne's presentation can provide useful insight in this regard. It need not be extensive, but it should re-enforce our Canadian focus.

Many participants have an interest in the development of elearning in their own region/country. I can certainly understand the emphasis in looking beyond our narrow Canadian focus. I think our best service in helping other regions to create their own agenda is to create a well reasoned document addressing the Canadian experience and then allowing others to adopt as they wish (this was briefly mentioned in the forums).

Obviously, confining our view to Canada is short sighted. I find myself spending more time each day interacting with non-Canadians than I do with Canadians. However, as Terry mentioned, our focus here is specifically with a Pan-Canadian model. Hopefully opportunities will arise for interacting with others pursuing a similar approach in their own country.

I've valued the international perspective over the last few weeks...whatever we end up producing here will be more valuable due to international participation...

All this to say thanks to international participants...and please don't abandon the conversation because we are pursuing a Canadian focus this week!! We may yet create something that has a more global reach.

Grainne delivered an excellent presentation today on areas where we need research. (Thanks!)

A comment was made in the discussion area (I forget the exact nature) about how existing research (from related domains) fits into the pedagogical, technological, organizational, socio-cultural, contextual domains.

Do we use and reuse research from related domains effectively? (going back to the 80's now: reduce, reuse, recycle...would it help if I asked Cindi Lauper to sing it?).

I think educational researchers are at the point of acquiescing much of their research agenda to neuroscience and related fields. Understanding how we learn will, as is the case with all good philosophies, move from the realm of speculation and indirect observation into the domain of "what is known" through brain research. We've spent decades philosophizing learning theory. We are, I believe, at a point where our understanding of cognitive functioning will be much more clear. If related disciplines advance this aspect of research, what becomes of educational and ed-tech research? Do we use related fields as the foundation and our work becomes more of determining best approaches to tools/procedures? How do we reflect the work of other disciplines in the formation of an elearning agenda?
George

Hi - a quick thank you for all participants involved in this online conference. Thank you as well for Sylvia (for initiating) and Paul (for moderating).

I found the conversation valuable a valuable learning experience. There is something unique - and still new enough to be exciting - in being able to dialogue with individuals from around the world. One on one distributed communication has been a reality for many of us for decades. Group-based discussions - with an ease of access that includes most people - is something still emerging. We are building our expertise to function in distributed environments. We've had online communities for years. Those of you involved in these early communities probably encountered a fairly small group of devotees. Technology or skill level prohibited most people from participating. Today, a computer and some basic skills open the door to global conversations.

In Knowing Knowledge, I tried to present this emerging potential for global conversations through a change in what it means to know (or in our conception of knowledge). When knowledge is fluid...and a function of connectedness (and thereby networks...which in turn occur in ecologies), we require a new set of skills. These new skills are already evident in many younger people, but they are also being developed by the established workforce. We started our connectivism online conference on Friday - and the types of participants (educators, administrators, etc.) indicate that we are "re-tooling" ourselves. We are beginning to develop the skills and mindsets to be effective today. Organizations like SCoPE are critical in not only hosting knowledge-based discussions...but (perhaps even more importantly) modeling the skills required, and building the "meta-understanding" of connectedness on a large-scale level.

If anyone would like to continue the conversation, feel free to visit the site (wiki, blog, and book download) at www.knowingknowledge.com

Thanks again to everyone for attending!!

George