This document discusses the need for new learning models to address complex problems, knowledge problems, and social problems. Traditional educational practices focused on knowledge transmission are limited in scope and missing the point. Networks are increasingly influential models for understanding the world. Recognition of complexity and networks underpinning attributes of social science and education. The world's knowledge needs to be made more relatable through open, accessible, distributed, scalable, social, networked resources. Our education system faces information that is open, accessible, distributed, scalable, social, networked, self-organized, adaptive, global, and multimedia-based. Social data from physical objects like sensors will soon surpass web data. New learning models are needed to address these trends.

1. Setting the context: why we need
new learning models
George Siemens, PhD
October 16, 2012

2. Complex problems

3. Knowledge problems

4. Social problems

5. “…the fundamental task of education is to
enculturate youth into this knowledge-
creating civilization and to help them find a
place in it…traditional educational practices –
with its emphasis on knowledge transmission
– as well as newer constructivist methods
both appear to be limited in scope if not
entirely missing the point”
Scardamalia and Bereiter (2006, Cambridge Handbook of Learning Sciences)

6. The growing influence of networks as a
model for understanding the world…

7. Political blogosphere, 2004 Blue Brain
3D File Manager
Hierarchy Edge Bundles http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/

9. Recognition of complexity and
networks as underpinning attributes
of social, science, education

10. http://drunks-and-lampposts.com/2012/06/13/graphing-the-history-of-philosophy/

11. http://drunks-and-lampposts.com/2012/06/13/graphing-the-history-of-philosophy/

12. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004803

13. Making the world’s knowledge
relatable

14. http://linkeddata.org/

16. Wellman (2002)

17. http://research.uow.edu.au/learningnetworks/seeing/snapp/index.html

18. Weak ties
Empirical evidence that the stronger the tie
connecting two individuals, the more similar they
are, in various ways
Mark Granovetter (1973)

19. Our education system faces information that is:
Open
Accessible
Distributed
Scalable
Social
Networked
Self-organized
Adaptive
Global
Multimedia-based

20. “The world is one big data problem”
Gilad Elbaz

21. “Social data is set to be surpassed in the data
economy, though, by data published by
physical, real-world objects like sensors, smart
grids and connected devices.”
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/china_moves_to_dominate_the_next_stage_of_the_we
b_internet_of_things.php

22. Externalization of thought and
concepts

23. …so that it can be
analyzed, interpreted, tested, evaluate
d

24. MOOCs
Massive (maybe)
Open (sort of)
Online (yep)
Course (sort of)

25. A bit of (recent) history:
2007:
- David Wiley: open wiki-based course
- Alec Couros: Social media and Open Education
2008:
- CCK08
- Slew of other open courses
2011:
- Stanford AI births Coursera and Udacity

26. Phil Hill, 2012

28. gsiemens @
gmail
Twitter
Skype
FB
Wherever
www.elearnspace.org
www.connectivism.ca
www.learninganalytics.net