Developing the architecture of a large-scale informal e-learning

network

Clive Holtham, Director of Learning Laboratory, Cass Business School, The

City University (London)

Non Profit eLearning Network

• Initiated at Cass Business School in 2004/5• Started January 2008• Focus: improving management and leadership in

the charity sector• Must meet diverse needs in sector, particularly hard

to reach groups• Sector spends too little on management training• Cost and access are key barriers to conventional

education (whether physical or distance)• Scale up to 15,000 users and beyond

15th January 2008

The proposal

• 2.7m euro programme (2008-2011)

• Improve access and effective use of the wealth of material already created

• Develop online communities to accelerate management learning

• Develop specific content to fill gaps

•

• No re-invention of the wheel

• No expensive, risky technology

Prototyping• 4 events: RNIB,

Hereford, Preston, Isleworth

• LISTEN

• PILOT

• LISTEN

• ADAPT

Content of management includes

• planning and managing work• financial management• how to increase resources and fundraising• human resources• governance• influencing policy and practice at regional and

national level • volunteering • problem-solving• decision-making

A tension?

• “The logic of education systems should be reversed so that the system conforms to the learner, rather than the learner to the system.” Futurelab 2006

• But being developed by a conventional university

Informal Learning: Ivan Illich 1971

1.) Reference Services to Educational Objects—which facilitate access to things or processes used for formal learning……

2.) Skill Exchanges—which permit persons to list their skills, the conditions under which they are willing to serve as models for others who want to learn these skills, and the addresses at which they can be reached.

3.) Peer Matching—a communication network which permits persons to describe the learning activity in which they wish to engage, in the hope of finding a partner for the inquiry.

4.) Reference Services to Educators-at-large—who can be listed in a directory giving the addresses and self-descriptions of professionals, para-professionals, and free-lancers, along with conditions of access to their services. Such educators, as we will see, could be chosen by polling or consulting their former clients.

Formal v informal education

• Education System– Sectors– Institutions– Courses– Curricula– Modules– Cohorts– Certification– Massive regulation

• Technologies and services to support this

• Informal Learning– Community/work

based– Need/interest driven– Informal groups– No certification– No pre-requisites– Unregulated

• Increasingly on the generic web

Choices Appropriate learning Environments

Skills and Knowledge Feedback

http://www.nestafuturelab.org/research/personalisation/report_01.htm

The Idea of the PLE…

http://www.cetis.ac.uk/members/ple/resources/edf.ppt

Principles

• Based on communities of practice• Just-in-time dimension• User-generated content is at least as

important as academic/expert generated comment

• Adapt to user needs and expectations, not just develop at start and then leave alone

• Relevant to technology etc of 2011 as much as that of 2008

Architecture: key dimensions

1. Flexibility for the unknown

2. The open source/proprietary balance

3. "Political" acceptability of architecture to influencers

4. Ability to deliver an intuitive interface to thousands of basic users

5. The skills mix needed by the Project Team and volunteers

Content Management System

• Key target group: hard-to reach, less digitally literate

• Consistent interface and interoperability vital

• Open-source preference

• Rapid development & prototyping vital

• Wiki-enabling and Workflow required

Use what is there: Wiki & Open Courseware

• Imagine a world in which every single person is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing. – – Terry Foote, Wikipedia

How can we promote engagement and fun in informal learning, about serious topics?

• User contributions and interactivity?• Games?

– Serious?– Alternate Reality?

• Digital storytelling?• ...all of the above?

Information

Generic, existing resources; no membership

#1 Informal

Three zones of management learning

Study

Specific to cohorts and high interaction with

experts

Problem-Solving

Expert and member-generated

material and communities

#3 Formal#2 Semi-formal

Basic Skills

Navigation

Archives

FAQ

Glossaries

#1 Informal

Processes for management learning

Courses

Modules

Events

Coaching

Networks

Communities

SIGs

Events

#3 Formal#2 Semi-formal

#3: Formal

Study

Specific to cohorts and high interaction with

experts

#2: Semi-formal

Problem-Solving

Expert and member-generated material and

communities

#1: Informal

Information

Generic, existing resources; no membership

Process Content Process Content Process Content

Navigation Public web Organise New expertcontent

Long courses Advanceddiagnostics

Portal Search Engines Structure User-generatedcontent

Short courses

Training/Awareness

Wikipedia StimulateBasicdiagnostics

Tutoring

Confidence Blogs Catalyse

NewsletterNoticeboardSurveysKnowledge bankPodcastsE-eventsWebinars

ResearchSupervision

Judgement in value and validity

Digitised books Promote

E-news Enthuse

e- teaching e-coaching

e-mentoring

Custom blogs

Custom wikisOpenCourseware

Human network

Onlinediscussions

Editors

Mentors

Topic wikis

Conclusion

• Future: Accreditation?

• Discussion

• Contact

• sf329@city.ac.uk