A collaborative epiphany…
by Deirdre ~ November 6th, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized.Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a webinar Informal Learning Spaces on Campus presented by David Zaiser. It was especially interesting because I had just recently watched Dr. M. Wesch’s inspiring podcast The Future of Education. What the two presentations have in common is a focus on student-centred learning and the strong role collaboration has to play in learning.
I have a keen interest in Learning Commons, mostly because I work at the BCIT Learning Commons. The dual rise of Web 2.0 and the Commons phenomena always intrigued me. It is only this term, due to a Directed Study on Learning Commons and Libr 559M that I have realized collaboration and digital information are the common factors between the two. The Learning Commons is all about providing spaces and services that enable collaborative learning and that allow students to access and manipulate digital information. Social media is all about collaborating to create and share digital information.
Now that this epiphany has occurred it just seems to be hammered home again and again – as in the two presentations this week.
And to close I will show you some pictures of our lovely BCIT Learning Commons…
November 6th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I think collaboration and the digital environment are what make learning commons so successful these days. I don’t know if learning commons would have been viewed as anything more than just a space to ‘hang out and do homework or study’, if the digital age had not taken off as it has. As humans it is arguably part of our nature to collaborate and work with others, but the shift to doing this in a digital environment is partly why learning commons have become so successful. Learning commons do offer a space to hang out and do homework, but if you look around to any of the learning commons you have been to, the majority of students are doing their homework with computers and collaborating in both a physical and digital environment. Learning commons have become necessary to provide spaces for students to hang out, study, collaborate, as well as work digitally.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Hi Deirdre and Roen,
I have always thought that there is a natural affinity (continuity even) between learning commons, collaborative spaces and social media. The emphasis in all three is the idea of working and learning together. And that’s a wonderful, good thing.
Dean