LEARNING TRENDS IN GLOBAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
The emergence of Global Learning Communities is a recent order. The last decade and a half has opened the gateways for free transmission of knowledge and information and consequently, has witnessed a massive re-organization both of knowledge space and the knowledge gatherers. Thanks to the newer technologies that facilitated the speed and space for ‘online learning’, newer patterns of learning communities factored into this open knowledge space. To say that it led to a kind of knowledge explosion will be an inadequate statement. Cross-cultural, multi-dimensional and inter-disciplinary linkages focused on designing and articulating “New Knowledge domains” and concurrent “skill orbits” is on the cast, and passivity in pursuit of knowledge and its management is increasingly deemed as absence of virtue. The reluctance to be a part of the changing knowledge universe is felt as a fight or flight for survival than living. Knowledge managers and thought leaders, are tempted to predict the “half-life” of knowledge, in view of its limited existential life or possibly its metamorphosis in Nano-time packages
The size and scope of “Global Learning Communities” can presently be fitted exactly into the size and scope of the biosphere rather than human colonies only. Learning is no more an orthodox tributary to the flow of life, but an essential undercurrent that moves like a natural physical force. Though its invisible impact is felt in the very DNA of human thought architectures of the current world, a large part of the productive workforce has not become quite sensitive to this impact. The logistics of its process and the result of its impact are too early and too difficult to comprehend presently, either for the ignorance of it or for the fear of its magnitude. In spite of sustained attempts of several “power heads” to throttle the “learning sphere” and to operate their own “control switches”, knowledge and learning per se is bound to outwit their wisdom. The fear of the “partners in governance” who would like to switch on and off the lights of wisdom of the educational corridors would still stay and wonder what went wrong with their strategies and mechanisms. Learning will no remain restricted to the black or multi-coloured letter structures of text books.
Global Learning communities are, by and large, driven by a soul-searching exercise, an exercise to unravel the latent potential of the self. This urge encompasses the individual’s urge to learn and perform, learn and prove, learn and demystify, learn and create, learn and dominate and learn for the joy. It could also include several other longings Learning has become a source for cognitive and fiscal power.. As there are no external forces that compel these communities and control their learning either through time or space, the learning is by far a personalized pursuit motivated by self-indulgence. Fortunately, no tools of assessment and evaluation would restrict, monitor or even mentor such learning and no definitions of success or failure would characterize such learning experiments or experiences. Hence those who seek to enroll themselves in such communities will be born free as “joyful learners”
The new community of “Netizens” are also finding learning from the “net world “a passionate experience and find limitless opportunities for free intercourse with knowledge webs for immediate gratification of their data hungry homes. Perceived threats from “Masters” and possible “shameful experiences “of a formal learning situation will be totally negated in these recast learning atmospheres.
Several characteristics define the behavior of these learning communities:
a. They are barrier free – These communities are not positioned into any structures like the country, state, race, religion, organization, position, financial status, affiliation to organizations and the like. They might fit into the classical saying of Rig Veda “Let noble thoughts come to us from every corner of the world.”
b. They are largely informal – In view of their progression on a high-speed track of knowledge pathways, they become volatile before they get structured into some knowledge hubs. The speed of consumption of these knowledge capsules by its users outwit the speed of their genesis. Hence knowledge gatherers would love to wait at the labour wards of such delivery centers for their immediate processing. Thus, the pathways of their assimilation, acceptance and articulation would be largely informal. I recall fondly the statement of John Chambers, chairman of CISCO, “In the knowledge society, the big won’t beat the small, but the fast will beat the slow.”
c. They are multi-polar – The global learning communities will largely be multi-polar, drawing exclusively positive energy from diverse sources, and articulating their focus in multiple directions. Experimentation and entrepreneurship will characterize the innate urge of these communities. Participatory thinking, creating and re-creating knowledge corridors across the globe for gainful growth, newer visions of cooperation to save time and energy will highlight these new cultures. By necessity, cooperation will replace competition. Shared vision, shared power and shared resources will characterize the learning strategies and outcomes of these societies.
d. They will be knowledge entrepreneurs
These communities will focus on knowledge synthesis and creation of new knowledge. Hence investments of time, energy and sources will refocus on knowledge synthesis and experimentation towards unfathomed oceans of knowledge. Robotics will not be foreseen as a threat but as a value addition to replace human endeavour with the intent to refocus the elitism of the human species. No enterprise on knowledge space will be deemed as irrelevant in so far as they have either a social or a commercial value, and its success and failure would be rated on their own learning curve.
All these and much more are likely to impact the formal structures of learning, however old or branded they are! Time and experience will compel recasting the curricula far sooner than later to make the learners “current “and “competent”.
As usual, the teaching community will find itself much more challenged with this knowledge dynamics and more stress prone to be relevant. Concerted efforts would be required to bridge the gap between the “skill world" and the “learning universe”.
Certifications will continue to have their paper value and learning organizations will have to be ready for this Marathon! No Nostradamus would be required to make these and many more predictions of change!
“Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.”- Augustus Hare
The emergence of Global Learning Communities is a recent order. The last decade and a half has opened the gateways for free transmission of knowledge and information and consequently, has witnessed a massive re-organization both of knowledge space and the knowledge gatherers. Thanks to the newer technologies that facilitated the speed and space for ‘online learning’, newer patterns of learning communities factored into this open knowledge space. To say that it led to a kind of knowledge explosion will be an inadequate statement. Cross-cultural, multi-dimensional and inter-disciplinary linkages focused on designing and articulating “New Knowledge domains” and concurrent “skill orbits” is on the cast, and passivity in pursuit of knowledge and its management is increasingly deemed as absence of virtue. The reluctance to be a part of the changing knowledge universe is felt as a fight or flight for survival than living. Knowledge managers and thought leaders, are tempted to predict the “half-life” of knowledge, in view of its limited existential life or possibly its metamorphosis in Nano-time packages
The size and scope of “Global Learning Communities” can presently be fitted exactly into the size and scope of the biosphere rather than human colonies only. Learning is no more an orthodox tributary to the flow of life, but an essential undercurrent that moves like a natural physical force. Though its invisible impact is felt in the very DNA of human thought architectures of the current world, a large part of the productive workforce has not become quite sensitive to this impact. The logistics of its process and the result of its impact are too early and too difficult to comprehend presently, either for the ignorance of it or for the fear of its magnitude. In spite of sustained attempts of several “power heads” to throttle the “learning sphere” and to operate their own “control switches”, knowledge and learning per se is bound to outwit their wisdom. The fear of the “partners in governance” who would like to switch on and off the lights of wisdom of the educational corridors would still stay and wonder what went wrong with their strategies and mechanisms. Learning will no remain restricted to the black or multi-coloured letter structures of text books.
Global Learning communities are, by and large, driven by a soul-searching exercise, an exercise to unravel the latent potential of the self. This urge encompasses the individual’s urge to learn and perform, learn and prove, learn and demystify, learn and create, learn and dominate and learn for the joy. It could also include several other longings Learning has become a source for cognitive and fiscal power.. As there are no external forces that compel these communities and control their learning either through time or space, the learning is by far a personalized pursuit motivated by self-indulgence. Fortunately, no tools of assessment and evaluation would restrict, monitor or even mentor such learning and no definitions of success or failure would characterize such learning experiments or experiences. Hence those who seek to enroll themselves in such communities will be born free as “joyful learners”
The new community of “Netizens” are also finding learning from the “net world “a passionate experience and find limitless opportunities for free intercourse with knowledge webs for immediate gratification of their data hungry homes. Perceived threats from “Masters” and possible “shameful experiences “of a formal learning situation will be totally negated in these recast learning atmospheres.
Several characteristics define the behavior of these learning communities:
a. They are barrier free – These communities are not positioned into any structures like the country, state, race, religion, organization, position, financial status, affiliation to organizations and the like. They might fit into the classical saying of Rig Veda “Let noble thoughts come to us from every corner of the world.”
b. They are largely informal – In view of their progression on a high-speed track of knowledge pathways, they become volatile before they get structured into some knowledge hubs. The speed of consumption of these knowledge capsules by its users outwit the speed of their genesis. Hence knowledge gatherers would love to wait at the labour wards of such delivery centers for their immediate processing. Thus, the pathways of their assimilation, acceptance and articulation would be largely informal. I recall fondly the statement of John Chambers, chairman of CISCO, “In the knowledge society, the big won’t beat the small, but the fast will beat the slow.”
c. They are multi-polar – The global learning communities will largely be multi-polar, drawing exclusively positive energy from diverse sources, and articulating their focus in multiple directions. Experimentation and entrepreneurship will characterize the innate urge of these communities. Participatory thinking, creating and re-creating knowledge corridors across the globe for gainful growth, newer visions of cooperation to save time and energy will highlight these new cultures. By necessity, cooperation will replace competition. Shared vision, shared power and shared resources will characterize the learning strategies and outcomes of these societies.
d. They will be knowledge entrepreneurs
These communities will focus on knowledge synthesis and creation of new knowledge. Hence investments of time, energy and sources will refocus on knowledge synthesis and experimentation towards unfathomed oceans of knowledge. Robotics will not be foreseen as a threat but as a value addition to replace human endeavour with the intent to refocus the elitism of the human species. No enterprise on knowledge space will be deemed as irrelevant in so far as they have either a social or a commercial value, and its success and failure would be rated on their own learning curve.
All these and much more are likely to impact the formal structures of learning, however old or branded they are! Time and experience will compel recasting the curricula far sooner than later to make the learners “current “and “competent”.
As usual, the teaching community will find itself much more challenged with this knowledge dynamics and more stress prone to be relevant. Concerted efforts would be required to bridge the gap between the “skill world" and the “learning universe”.
Certifications will continue to have their paper value and learning organizations will have to be ready for this Marathon! No Nostradamus would be required to make these and many more predictions of change!
“Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.”- Augustus Hare
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