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I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING OUR KEY NOTE SPEAKER.
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING STEPHEN DOWNES, WHO WORKS FOR THE NATIONAL SENIOR
RESEARCH COUNSELOR IN CANADA, AND AFFILIATED AT THE INFORMATION OF TECHNOLOGY.
SPECIALIZING ON THE FIELDS OF NEW ONLINE LEARNING, AND PHILOSOPHY.
HE'S BEST KNOWN FOR HIS OLD NEWSLETTER, OL DAILY.
PUBLISHING NUMEROUS ARTICLES ONLINE AND IN PRINT.
INCLUDING FUTURE OF ONLINE LEARNING, LEARNING OBJECTS AND E-LEARNING 2.0.
HE'S A POPULAR SPEAKER APPEARING AT HUNDREDS OF EVENTS OVER THE YEARS.
PRIOR TO JOINING THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA AND PRIOR TO THAT AS A DESIGN SPECIALIST FOR
SENBIONE -- IS THAT CORRECT? AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN BRANDON, MANITOBA,
THIS FALL IN A DECADE OF TEACHING WITH ATHBASKCA UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY .
AND HE'S ON A BLUE JAY FAN AND FOR YOU TO KNOW THEY ON AN EIGHT-GAME WINNING STREAK.
HE FLEW IN AND SAW THE ANGELS PLAY THE MARINERS, AND THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF
HIS VISIT. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE
STEPHEN DOWNES. [APPLAUSE]
>> HI, EVERYBODY, THANK YOU. AND I AM HERE TO REPORT A FAILURE.
I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY, BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, STANDING AT THE BACK AND
WALKING DOWN TO THE FRONT. TRYING NEW EXPERIENCE, RIGHT.
AND THE THEORY IS THAT IF YOU DO THAT, THE APPLAUSE WILL CONTINUE ALL THE WAY -- NOT
SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING, I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR SCHEDULE TO COME SEE THIS TALK.
MY COMPUTER IS STOPPED. I LOVE WHEN I WALK UP HERE -- YOU KNOW WHAT
I DID, AY? YOU SEE I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO PLUG IT IN.
AND SO NOW IT'S OFF. SO -- WE WILL GET IT BACK ON.
I HAVE A PLUG HERE SOMEWHERE. FORTUNATELY IT'S GOT PRETTY GOOD BATTERY LIFE,
SHOULD BE ALL RIGHT. NOW I AM WORRIED I LOST MY PLUG.
BUT THAT'S OKAY. I WILL WORRY ABOUT THAT AFTER.
ALL RIGHT. SO -- AM I USUALLY THIS CONFUSED AT A START OF A
TALK? ALMOST INVARIABLY.
SO FIRST THINGS FIRST, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW. THIS TALK IS BEING RECORDED AND FOR THOSE
OF YOU LISTENING TO THE AUDIO, SOME TIME IN 2246, THIS IS STEPHEN DOWNES, AND I AM SPEAKING
AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AT THE ONLINE TEACHING CONFERENCE, AND 20TH OF JUNE, 2013.
THAT WAS 300 YEARS AGO. LIKE YOU CAN ALWAYS HOPE.
I WILL MINIMIZE THAT. SO LET'S GO NEXT TO FLICKR, NO, TWITTER.
AND THE CONFERENCE HASH TAG IS CCC 013. THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ONLINE.
I KNOW THERE IS PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ONLINE. AND THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ON GOOGLE
HANG-OUT ON AIR, THAT I HAVE SET UP ON MY WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, YOU CAN USE THE HASH TAG, CC C 013, AND YOU
HAVE THIS , PAT SAYING, SHE ROCKS, CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S RETIRING.
AND ONU TELLING US THAT THE TALK IS STARTING -- OR WILL START EVENTUALLY.
SO KEEP THEM CLEAN. BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF I COME BACK HERE
IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TALK AT SOME POINT. I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DO THAT AND CATCH PEOPLE
OFF GUARD. SO THE TITLE OF THE TALK IS "WHAT CONSTITUTES
STUDENT SUCCESS"? AND THAT SOUNDS VERY SCIENTIFIC AND ALL THAT.
THE QUESTION -- THE QUESTION I WANT TO PUT TO YOU TODAY IS ACTUALLY A VERY SIMPLE ONE.
AND TO REFRAME A LITTLE BIT WHAT WE ARE THINKING. AND THE QUESTION IS THIS, WHAT HAPPENS TO
COURSES WHEN THERE ARE NO MORE TESTS? YOU MIGHT BE THINKING THAT'S ABSURD, THAT
IS CRAZY, THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN. BY THE END OF THE TALK, IF NOTHING ELSE, I
HOPE YOU GET THE IDEA THAT'S A REASONABLE POSSIBILITY AND THIS FUTURE, THEREFORE IS
A FUTURE WE NEED TO PLAN FOR. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A VERY LIMITED, IN MY VIEW,
VIEW OF THE COURSE. THE COURSE IS AS THE SLIDE SAYS, A SUPPORT
SYSTEM FOR THE TEST. AND IN THAT MODEL, REALLY WE HAVE TWO CRITERIA
FOR THE SUCCESS OF A COURSE. WHETHER ONLINE OR OFF LINE.
FIRST THE STUDENT HAS TO ACTUALLY FINISH THE COURSE.
IF THE STUDENT DOESN'T FINISH THE COURSE, THAT'S A DROP-OUT, THAT'S A FAILURE.
AND SECONDLY, EVEN IF THEY FINISH THE COURSE, THEY HAVE TO PASS THE TEST.
BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT PASSING THE TEST. AND ALREADY YOU CAN SEE INTUITIVELY THAT'S
A NARROW WAY LOOKING AT THE COURSE. BUT YOU KNOW THAT WAY OF LOOKING AT THE COURSE
REALLY YOU KNOW IT TIES IN DEEPLY TO THIS KIND OF CULTURAL SENSE THAT WE HAVE, NOT JUST
PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES. NOT JUST PEOPLE IN CANADA, BUT PEOPLE GENERALLY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S UNIQUE TO ANY CULTURE. THIS PASSION FOR FINISHING THINGS.
WHEN I GREW UP, AND MAYBE YOUR PARENTS WERE LIKE THIS.
IT WAS ALWAYS, FINISH YOUR SUPPER THERE IS STARVING CHILDREN IN... AND NAME YOUR DESIGNATED
COUNTRY. OR IN THE INFAMOUS WORDS OF YOGI BEAR, IT
OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER. PLAY TO THE LAST INNING, GO TO THE LAST OUT.
YOU HAVE TO PUT IN 60 MINUTES. RIGHT.
AND THINK OF OUR SENSE OF FAILURE. GIVING UP ON A BOOK AS THE STEPHEN KING BOOK,
THE DOME. THE TV VERSION IS COMING OUT.
AND I READ HALF OF THAT BOOK, AND I AM SATISFIED WITH THAT.
OR WALKING OUT OF A MOVIE OR PLAY. BUT IT'S A FUNNY THING.
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT, THAT PICTURE BLEEDS OFF, THE BOTTOM OF THE
SCREEN. AND YOU DON'T GET TO SEE THE REST OF IT.
AND YOU WILL NEVER WILL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES.
YOU WILL NEVER SEE -- WE HAVE THIS PASSION, THIS CULTURAL BIAS FOR
TESTING, DON'T WE. AND NOT JUST TESTING IN EDUCATION, TESTING
IN EVERYTHING. EATING IS OUT-COMES BASED.
YOU HAVE HEARD THE EXPRESSION, THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.
AND WE ARE NOT EXPECTING TO DIG AROUND IN THE PUDDING AND FIND A LOGICAL FORMULA.
THE EATING, YOU FINISH YOUR PUDDING, AND THEN YOU KNOW IT WAS GOOD.
YOU CAN'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME, EVEN IF ARSENIC IS IN.
THE NEED FOR RESOLUTION OF COMPETITION TO DETERMINE WHO IS THE BEST.
BASEBALL, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A PLACE NAMED EDMONTON, AND THAT WORKED OUT FOR ME,
IT WAS AN 18 INNING GAME, IT WOULDN'T STOP. BUT HOCKEY WAS GREAT, WE USED TO HAVE TIES
IN HOCKEY. BUT NO MORE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A SHOOT-OUT.
BECAUSE PEOPLE GO TO A HOCKEY GAME AND THEY SEE THIS TIE.
THERE IS THIS CULTURAL DISSONANCE, I CAN'T HANDLE THIS, IT'S A TIE.
TELEVISION. YOU KNOW IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT THE TV SHOW
FINISHES. AND YOU HAVE WATCHED THE WHOLE THING.
IT HAS TO WRAP UP. RIGHT.
AND IT HAS TO HAVE A SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION. IF I SUDDENLY STOPPED THIS TALK AND WALKED
AWAY, YOUR REACTION WOULD BE PUZZLEMENT. BUT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY THAT ON
SOME LEVEL WE CAN UNDERSTAND AND COMPREHEND. THAT'S AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY THAT EATING
IS TO TASTE OF THE FOOD, RATHER THAN SIMPLY CONSUME IT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU FINISH IT. WHAT MATTERS IS THE EXPERIENCE OF EATING IT.
THE IDEA OF EXPERIENCING AN EVENT. RATHER THAN MERELY ATTENDING IT.
I WAS AT THE BASEBALL GAME AS WAS MENTIONED. AND IT WENT INTO EXTRA INNINGS.
SO I SPENT ALL DAY FLYING FROM NEW BRUNSWICK TO CALIFORNIA, FOUR-HOUR TIME DIFFERENCE.
I AM JET LAGGED LIKE CRAZY. I GO TO THE BALL GAME AND SO IT'S THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT FOR ME AND IT GOES TO EXTRA INNINGS. AND OF COURSE I STAYED.
AND WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING, NINTH INNING COMES ALONG, AND THE STADIUM IS MORE THAN
HALF EMPTY. PEOPLE LEFT.
IT WAS OKAY. BECAUSE IT WASN'T ABOUT FINISHING WATCHING
THE BALLGAME. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW AND YOU REALLY APPRECIATE IT AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY HAVE THE GAME, THE GAME IS
ON THE FIELD. BUT WHAT THEY ARE PRESENTING IS THIS TOTAL
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, AND THAT'S WHAT GOING TO THE BASEBALL GAME IS.
THE GRASS. THE POPCORN.
AND ALL OF THAT AND THE SOUNDS. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DIDN'T SEE ALL THE
WAY TO THE END. YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT ON THE RADIO, IF IT REALLY
BOTHERS YOU. BUT THE IDEA IS TO EXPERIENCE THE EVENT.
GO TO THE LIBRARY OR READ THE NEWSPAPER, AND YOU ARE NOT CONSUMED WITH FINISHING.
STARTING AT THE BEGINNING AND FINISHING IT. I HAD THAT AMBITION IN GRADE 5, READ EVERY
BOOK IN THE LIBRARY. I GAVE UP ON THAT IN GRADE 5.
YOU BROWSE; RIGHT. YOU BROWSE THE INTERNET.
CAN YOU IMAGINE READING EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET, AND CLOSE THE COMPUTER, I HAVE READ
THE INTERNET. WHO READS A NEWSPAPER FROM BEGINNING TO END?
NOBODY DOES. SO THERE IS THIS ALTERNATIVE REALITY.
THE COMPLEXITY OF IT ALL. THE COMPLEXITY OF A BALLGAME.
THE COMPLEXITY OF THE NEWS, OF FOOD, OF ANYTHING. THAT TELLS US THAT WE CAN'T HAVE THIS ATTITUDE
OF JUST GOING IN THERE, CONSUMING IT AND FINISHING IT AND TESTING OURSELVES ON IT, WE ARE DONE.
YAY WE WIN. IT JUST DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.
WE CANNOT WATCH EVERYTHING. NOT EVEN A SINGLE GAME.
NOT EVEN IN A SINGLE BOOK. LIKE THEY HAVE THIS PHENOMENA CALLED CLOSE
READING. BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT YOU CAN'T JUST READ A
BOOK. EVEN WHEN YOU READ A BOOK, AND YOU HAVE READ
EVERY SINGLE WORD, YOU HAVE MISSED HALF OF IT.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ ALL THE BOOKS IN THE
LIBRARY. OR ALL THE ARTICLES IN THE "THE NEW YORK TIMES".
OR EVEN EVERYTHING ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB. AND I AM LINKED TO AN ARTICLE, WHY YOU WON'T
FINISH THIS ARTICLE. I FINISHED THE ARTICLE AND AT THE END IT TELLS
ME -- IT'S VERY FUNNY. THE LAST TWO CHARACTERS OF THE ARTICLE ARE
TK, WHICH IS JOURNALISTIC SPEAK FOR TO COME. THE AUTHOR DIDN'T BOTHER FINISHING THE ARTICLE.
BECAUSE NO ONE WILL GET THAT FAR. AND THAT'S SOME STATISTICS OF WEB READING
RIGHT. IS YOUR ARTICLE ON THE WEB A FAILURE BECAUSE
PEOPLE DIDN'T READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END? YOU SEE I DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY.
I USED TO WRITE NEWS ARTICLES A LOT. AND I KNEW SITTING DOWN THAT 90% OF THE READERS,
BECAUSE THEY ARE EVEN WORSE WHEN THEY READ PAPER NEWSPAPERS, THEY WON'T READ THE LAST
PARAGRAPH. SO FOR ME THE ARTICLE WAS A SUCCESS NOT IF
I GOT THEM TO READ TO THE END. BUT IF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH TOLD THEM EVERYTHING
THEY NEEDED TO KNOW. AND THE REST WAS GRAVY.
AND IT RESHAPES AFTER YOU REALIZE THAT 90% OF YOUR JOB IS DONE AFTER THE FIRST 300 WORDS,
AND YOU DON'T SWEAT THE REST OF IT. YOU KNOW IT'S EASY TO SAY THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND THE CHALLENGE -- AND IT IS A CHALLENGE, IS TO SAY, HOW WE LEARN IN THIS ALTERNATIVE
REALITY. IF WE ARE NOT JUST CONSUMING STUFF.
HOW DO WE LEARN? WHAT IS THE STORY HERE?
WE NEED TO HAVE A STORY. WITH A HAPPY ENDING.
OR AT LEAST A SATISFYING ENDING, OR AT LEAST AN ENDING.
AND THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO KNOW, HOW THIS LEARNING HAS BEEN AN SUCCESS.
BECAUSE IF SUCCESS ISN'T GOING TO BE DEFINED AS FINISHING THE COURSE AND PASSING THE TEST.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF SENSE OF WHAT IT IS.
SO LET ME SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT. ALL OF THESE WERE THOUGHTS GOING THROUGH MY
HEAD AND GOING THROUGH GEORGE SEEMONS HEAD AND DAVE CORMAY'S HEAD, ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE,
BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A SINGLE TYPE OF THING. WHEN WE CAME ON THE FIRST MASSIVE ONLINE COURSE,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT IN 2008, HISTORY DID NOT START IN 2011.
AND WHEN WE PUT UP THIS COURSE OUR THOUGHTS WEREN'T ALONG THE LINE, WE NEED TO TEST PEOPLE
AND FIND OUT IF THEY LEARNED WHAT WE KNOW. BECAUSE WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE KNEW.
WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT WE KNOW. WHATEVER THAT MEANS.
AND WE PUT UP THE COURSE AND OUR FIRST INTENT OF PUTTING UP THE COURSE WAS TO EXPLAIN OURSELVES.
BECAUSE WE HAD THIS THEORY OF NETWORK LEARNING. GEORGE GAVE IT A NAME, CALLED IT CONNECTISM.
AND WE FLUSHED IT OUT QUITE A BIT. AND NOBODY GOT IT.
AND THOSE WHO GOT IT DIDN'T BELIEVE IT. SO WE HAD A FOLLOWING OF MAYBE TWO.
SO WE DECIDED TO PUT UP THIS COURSE, AND FIGURE WE WOULD GET 20-25 PEOPLE IN THE COURSE.
AND WE GOT 2200 PEOPLE IN THE COURSE AND MOOC WAS BORN MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE.
AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THIS COURSE WAS TO PUT UP A COURSE THAT FOLLOWED
AND SATISFIED THE PRINCIPLES OF CONNECTISM. SO WHAT WE CONSIDERED SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE,
WAS GOING TO BE BASED ON WHATEVER SUCCESS WAS FROM A CONNECTIVIST POINT OF VIEW AND
LEARNING. AND THAT'S WHAT I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN
THIS TALK. AND THE JOURNALIST IN ME SAYS, THAT WAS THE
NUT PARAGRAPH. AND YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHAT IS THE NUT
PARAGRAPH? IT'S WHAT THIS TALK IS ABOUT IN A NUTSHELL.
AND IF YOU HAVE MADE IT TO THE NUT PARAGRAPH OF THE STORY, YOU ARE WITH ABOUT 50% OF THE
READERS WHO DON'T EVEN MAKE IT PAST OF THE OPENING INTRODUCTION.
SO WHAT ARE MOOCS? BECAUSE I KNOW -- BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET AWAY
FROM THEM THESE DAYS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WHAT A MOOC IS, HERE'S MY TAKE.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM COURSE ERA AND EVERYBODY, MY TAKE.
THE MOOC IS MASSIVE, NOT AS A SUCCESS TERM. BECAUSE LET'S OF THINGS ARE MASSIVE BUT NOT
MOOCS. IT'S MASSIVE IN THE SENSE THAT YOU HAVE BUILT
IT IN SUCH A WAY AHEAD OF TIME THAT IT COULD SUPPORT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
NOW TO ME WHAT THAT MEANS, YOU HAVE BUILT TO ACCORDING TO NETWORK PRINCIPLES.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF A MOOC IN TERMS OF A BROADCAST.
BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THIS WHOLE CONSUME THE INFORMATION THING.
BUT SIMPLY BROADCASTING TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE DOESN'T MAKE IT MASSIVE.
IT MEANS YOU HAVE BROADCAST IT TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IT'S A COURSE. RIGHT.
IT'S NOT L. A. LAW OR LAW AND ORDER; RIGHT. WE EXPECT SOME INTERACTION.
WE EXPECT SOME LEARNING TO TAKE PLACE. WE EXPECT IT TO BE MORE THAN JUST A BROADCAST.
SO THE MECHANISM, THE DESIGN OF THE COURSE HAS TO BE TO SUPPORT THIS MASSIVE LEVEL.
NOT SIMPLY OF RECEIVING CONTENT, BUT THIS MASSIVE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT.
I COULD TALK ABOUT THE REST OF THE DAY HOW YOU DO THAT.
BUT THEY WON'T LET ME DO THAT. IT HAS TO BE OPEN.
AND MANY OF THE NEW MOOCS HAVEN'T REALLY COMPREHENDED THIS PRINCIPLE.
SO LET ME TELL YOU WHAT OPEN IS, AND THEY WILL TELL YOU WHY I AM WRONG.
OPEN MEANS IT'S FREE. OPEN MEANS THERE ARE NOT BARRIERS TO GETTING
INTO THE THING. THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU SIGN UP.
IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU TELL THEM YOUR BLOOD TYPE AND YOUR MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME.
YOU DON'T NEED TO GIVE THEM A CREDIT CARD NUMBER.
OPEN MEANS FREE AND LIBERAL. NOT JUST SEEING THE STUFF, BUT TO TAKE THE
STUFF AND DO STUFF WITH IT, MESS IT AROUND AND MIX IT UP AND SO ON.
IT NEEDS TO BE ONLINE. IT'S FUNNY, I AM READING PEOPLE LIKE MICHAEL
FELTSTEIN AND OTHERS, HOW YOUR MASSIVE ONLINE COURSE DOESN'T NEED TO BE ONLINE.
AND THERE IS A WHOLE PHENOMENA OUT THERE, THIS THING CALLED THE RAT MOOC, THAT YOU TREAT
THE MOOC NOT AS A COURSE BUT A TEXT COURSE, AND YOU WRAP THE COURSE AROUND THE MOOC.
IF YOU DO THAT, IT'S NO LONGER A MOOC. IT'S A COURSE WITH ELECTRONIC READING MATERIAL.
AND FINALLY IT MEANS TO BE ACTUALLY BE A COURSE. AND THAT TURNS OUT SURPRISINGLY AGAIN TO BE
IMPORTANT. BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE MASSIVE ONLINE COMMUNITIES,
AND MASSIVE ONLINE GAMES AND WEBSITES AND VIDEO COLLECTIONS.
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE A COURSE. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS, HAS A START POINT,
HAS AN END POINT AND HAS STUFF IN THE MIDDLE. AND USUALLY ABOUT SOME SUBJECT, TOPIC OR THEME.
IT HAS SOME KIND OF INTERACTION. SOME KIND OF DEVELOPMENT OR PROGRESS OCCURRING
INSIDE OF IT. IT NEEDS TO BE ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
WHEN WE DESIGNED OUR COURSE, THESE ARE THE BASIC PRINCIPLES WE USED.
THAT'S WHY IT BECAME TO BE CALLED A MOOC. WE DIDN'T MAKE UP THE NAME, THE NAME WAS MADE
UP BY DAVE CORNAY AND BRIAN ALEXANDER. SINCE THEN THE BIG ELITE UNIVERSITIES HAVE
TAKEN NOTICE OF. THEY HAVE.
OPENNESS ISN'T REALLY IN THEIR CULTURE, BUT THEY TRIED.
AND SO THEY GATHERED COLLECTIONS OF RESOURCES, CENTRALIZED THEM, YOU GO TO COURSE ERA AND
YOU GO TO (INAUDIBLE), AND HAVE MASSIVE, LIKE TED TALK, AND EVERYONE IS LISTENING TO THE
TED TALK. SO YOU HAVE WHAT THEY CALL THE GREATEST PROFESSORS
IN THE WORLD. IF YOU ASK ME, I WONDER WHO IS KEEPING SCORE
HERE? OH, IT'S THEM -- OKAY.
AND THEN ESPECIALLY THE STANFORD A-I COURSE HAD QUIZZES AND THINGS WITH AUTOMATED GRADING.
AND THESE ARE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE AND PRETTY SOPHISTICATED TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY.
BUT VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE WERE DOING, MOOCS THE CONNECTIVIST WAY, WHERE THE LEARNING
IS BASED ON COMMUNITY, AND CONVERSATION AND SHARING OF CULTURE AND IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY ARE AS WE SAY DISTRIBUTED. THIS TURNS OUT TO BE A REALLY IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY THAT.
THAT'S A COURSE. YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE THAT'S A COURSE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT GEORGE AND I BUILT AT THE START OF OUR CCK 08 COURSE.
THE DIAGRAM ITSELF WAS CREATED BY A STUDENT IN THE COURSE.
WHO BEING COMPLETELY LOST HAD NO IDEA WHERE ANYTHING WAS, AND THAT'S WHAT CAME OUT OF
IT. KIND OF LOOKS LIKE YOUR CAMPUS, DOESN'T IT.
SORRY, I COULDN'T RESIST THAT. STANDING IN THE BRIGHT SUN, WHY IS THE AUDITORIUM?
WHY ISN'T THERE A BIG "H" ON THIS BUILDING. MY DESIGN SUGGESTION THAT I MADE WITHIN FIVE
MINUTES OF BEING HERE. I AM TOLD YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT BUT I COULDN'T
HELP IT. THE IDEA IS IN CONTRAST WITH THE COURSE, YOU
BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING, AND MOVE THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL ELEMENT AND FINISH AT THE END AND
DO A TEST. WE JUST KIND OF PUT STUFF OUT THERE AND SET
UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF LINKS IN BETWEEN IT. AND THAT COURSE ISN'T ON A SINGLE WEBSITE.
WE DID SET UP AN MOODLE, LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THE LEFT STUFF IN THE SQUARE.
AND SET UP A WIKIPEDIA AND STUDENT PAGE, AND THE STUDENTS SET UP THREE SECOND LIFE COMMUNITIES,
IT WAS 2008 AND SECOND LIFE WAS STILL A THING. TWEETER FEEDS.
DELICIOUS GROUPS AND ALL OF THAT SO OUR COURSE DIDN'T EXIST IN ONE PLACE.
IT EXISTED, WELL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE, IT EXISTED AT SEVEN OR EIGHT DIFFERENT PLACES.
BY THE END OF THE COURSE, THERE WAS A MINIMUM OF 180 SEPARATE PLACES.
THE IDEA IS THAT THE COURSE IS DISTRIBUTED ALL OVER THE WEB, IN BLOGGER BLOGS AND POSTS
AND ALL DIFFERENT AUTHORING SYSTEMS, AND WHAT WE DID IS CONNECT THEM ALL TOGETHER.
YOU MIGHT ASK WHY DID WE DO THAT? WE ARE FOLLOWING THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES.
AND I HAVE A LONG, TALK ABOUT THESE PRINCIPLES. BECAUSE THEY WILL DRAG ME OFF THE STAGE -- NO,
DIVERSITY. SO THE MAIN DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR THE MOOC
ARE AS FOLLOWS, DESIGN, AND DIVERSITY AND OPENNESS AND INTERACTIVITY.
JUST FOR FUN, LATER ON IF YOU ARE TALKING TO SOMEONE FROM COURSE ERA, ASK THEY FIT THESE
PRINCIPLES. AUTONOMY.
THIS MEANS THAT THE LEARNERS OR STUDENTS OR PARTICIPANT, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM
IS SELF-MOTIVATED, SELF-DIRECTED. HAVE THEIR OWN OBJECTIVE AND OWN PURPOSE AND
CHOOSES THEIR OWN TECHNOLOGY AND MAKES THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
GOING INTO THE COURSE OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY THEY
WANTED IN ORDER TO TAKE THE COURSE. RATHER THAN MAKE THEM COME TO US.
WE WOULD DESIGN A COURSE THAT WENT TO THEM. THAT TURNED OUT TO BE RADICAL AND SUBVERSIVE
AND NOT REALLY FOLLOWED A WHOLE LOT. BUT THE STUDENTS REALLY LIKED IT.
DIVERSITY. YOU KNOW THERE IS THE STEREOTYPICAL NOTION
WHERE CULTURAL GROUPS, AND LINGUISTIC GROUPS AND ETC.
BUT WE TOOK DIVERSITY REALLY SERIOUSLY. IT'S A VALUE AND ASSET FOR REASONS I WILL
TALK ABOUT LATER ON. WE THINK OF DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE
THAT PEOPLE USED. WE DIDN'T HAVE A SET LANGUAGE IN THE COURSE.
GEORGE AND I WOULD SPEAK IN ENGLISH, BUT PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE COURSE
COULD USE WHAT LANGUAGE THEY WANTED. WHY NOT.
THERE WAS GOOGLE TRANSLATE, AND IF PEOPLE WANTED TO FOLLOW THE COURSE IN SPANISH, TWO
OF THE THREE SECOND-LIFE GROUPS WERE SPANISH GROUP.
THEN THEY CAN, IT'S GREAT. PEOPLE COULD USE DIFFERENT LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES.
AGAIN AS BEFORE THEY HAD DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES, AND DIFFERENT PURPOSES.
SOME PEOPLE WERE JUST INTERESTED IN SAMPLING. SOME PEOPLE LOG ON TO OUR COURSE WITH THE
PURPOSE TO CRITICIZE GEORGE AND MYSELF AND CALL US TECH-O COMMUNISTS.
AND AS ODD THAT IS, THAT'S A PURPOSE FOR JOINING THE COURSE.
KIND OF HARD TO DEAL WITH, BUT IT'S WHAT COMES UNDER DIVERSITY AND IT'S ALL GOOD.
OPENNESS. IT ISN'T JUST A SLOGAN.
WHAT IT MEANT WAS THE PRACTICAL CHALLENGE TO BE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES WE USED IN THE
COURSE WERE OPEN RESOURCES. SO WHEN YOU CLICKED ON THE LINK TO THE RESOURCE,
YOU GOT THE RESOURCE. AND NOT A PRESCRIPTION FORM OR REDIRECT OR
WHATEVER. SO WE BASED OUR COURSE NOT ON US BUILDING
A WHOLE BUNCH OF CONTENT AHEAD OF TIME AND SENDING IT UP THE TYPICAL WAY.
WE SAID THERE IS ALL KINDS OF MATERIAL OUT THERE, ON THE INTERNET, ON OUR TOPIC.
IT'S WHAT THEY CALLED OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES. A LOT OF IT IS FREELY LICENSED SO PEOPLE CAN
USE IT AND REUSE IT. SO WE WILL BASE OUR COURSE AROUND THAT.
OUR COURSE CONSISTED TO LINKING TO OPEN COURSES ON THE INTERNET.
AND YOU SAY, THAT'S COMPLICATED WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
WELL MAINLY BECAUSE WE HAD NO BUDGET. SO WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO CREATE RESOURCES
FOR THE COURSE. AND IN SO DOING WE SAVED OURSELVES 50,000
TO $100,000, AND WE DIDN'T NEED TO ANYWAYS. AND AS INSTRUCTORS IN THE COURSE, WE DIDN'T
WANT TO CHOOSE ALL THE RESOURCES. SO WE HAD THE PARTICIPANTS BRING IN THEIR
OWN RESOURCES OR CREATE THEM. THE IDEA WAS, ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE CAN GET
THEIR HANDS ON AND LINK IN THE COURSE, THAT OTHER PEOPLE COULD LOOK AT.
THAT COUNTED AS A COURSE RESOURCE. OUR COURSE WAS SET UP LIKE A LIBRARY OR NEWSPAPER
OR BASEBALL GAME THAN A BOOK. INTERACTIVITY, I WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE CONCEPT HERE, THE MANNER IN WHICH THE COURSE IS CONSTRUCTED, THAT THE KNOWLEDGE
IS HERE THAN IN SOMEONE'S HEAD. THAT WASN'T THE MODEL.
THE MODEL IS THAT EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND THEY INTERACT TOGETHER AND
THAT IS WHAT PRODUCES THE LEARNING. IT'S A DIFFERENT MODEL OF LEARNING, AND I
WILL TALK ABOUT THAT THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS TALK.
DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME BUT SHOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE IT.
SO THE PETIGOGY WAS NOT THE STANDARD. THIS IS WHAT WE TOLD PEOPLE TO DO IN THE COURSE.
FIRST AGGREGATE. GO OUT INTO THE WORLD, FINE STUFF THAT IS
RELEVANT TO WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. AND BRING IT BACK IN.
THAT'S AGGREGATE. OR TO PRODUCE STUFF, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT AND
WE WILL BRING IN THE CONTENT. KIND OF LIKE USING THE TWITTER HASH TAG, I
DON'T HAVE TIME TO CHECK IT, BUT SORRY I WILL BE READING THEM.
ALL OF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS TALK. IF I HAD MORE TIME OR A SECOND SCREEN, WE
WOULD BE WATCHING IT. WHERE ALL OF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING.
AND THEN THE COURSE MANAGER BRINGS TOGETHER ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.
AGGREGATING. REMIXING.
TAKE THIS AND TAKE THIS AND JOIN IT TOGETHER. THE WHOLE IDEA OF REMIXING IS SELECTING AND
ASSOCIATING. REPURPOSING.
IT'S A PROCESS OF TRANSLATION. IT'S A PROCESS OF TAKING STUFF WRITTEN IN
GIBBERISH, AND TRANSLATING INTO WORDS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
IT'S A PROCESS OF LOCALIZATION. IT'S A PROCESS OF CULTURALIZATION.
OF MAKING THINGS YOUR OWN. AND THEN FEEDING FORWARD.
IT'S A PROCESS OF SHARING. AND THE SHARING TURNS OUT TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT
SOMEONE IS LISTENING. KIND OF LIKE THE HEISENBURG PRINCIPLE APPLIED
TO EDUCATION. THINK ABOUT HOW YOU LEARN IN YOUR JOB RIGHT
NOW. YOU ALL WORK AS EDUCATORS OR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGISTS
OR WHATEVER, YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL CAREERS. AND YOU NEED BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF YOUR
DISCIPLINE, YOU NEED TO LEARN STUFF ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS.
RIGHT. THERE ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW.
THE TOPIC WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS CONFERENCE, ALMOST DIDN'T EXIST LAST YEAR.
SO HOW DO YOU LEARN? WELL, PROBABLY YOU DON'T TAKE COURSES.
PROBABLY YOU PUT YOURSELF INTO A NETWORK OR YOU ARE ALREADY IN A NETWORK, AND YOU CONNECT
WITH OTHER PEOPLE. ARE YOU RUNNING TO A PROBLEM IN THE COURSE?
YOU DON'T TAKE A COURSE, YOU PHONE SOMEBODY UP AND ASK THEM, HOW DO YOU WORK THROUGH THIS;
RIGHT. THAT'S THE MODEL WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO CREATE.
WE ARE THINKING OF LEARNING NOT AS A STATIC EVENT THAT STARTS AND FINISHES AND THEN YOU
ARE DONE AND YOU TAKE A TEST. BUT LEARNING FROM THIS MODEL OF THIS ON-GOING
PROCESS. THIS ON- GOING ITERATIVE, YOU DO IT AND DO
IT AGAIN, AND IN THIS NETWORK OF COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
IT'S NOT A CONSUMPTIVE PROCESS AND NOT WHAT PALO PREMIER WOULD CALL A BANKING PROCESS,
BUT INTERACTIVE IMMERSIVE PROCESS. IT'S A REFLECTIVE PROCESS.
IT'S NOT JUST DOING MINDLESS DOING. BUT IT'S DOING AND THINKING ABOUT IT.
DOING AND THINKING ABOUT IT. I HAVE A THEORY OF EDUCATION, A THEORY OF
LEARNING. IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE CALLED A THEORY, BECAUSE
IT'S WAY TOO SIMPLE. AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT MINE IN ANY CASE.
BUT HERE IS WHAT THE THEORY IS. TO TEACH IS TO MODEL AND DEMONSTRATE.
TO LEARN IS TO PRACTICE AND REFLECT. WHAT MAKES THIS SIMPLE THEORY WORK IS THE
FACT THAT WHERE THIS LEARNING IS HAPPENING IS HAPPENING INSIDE A NETWORK.
AND YOU ARE UNDERTAKING THESE NETWORK ACTIVITIES OF AGGREIVATING AND REMIXING AND FEEDING FORWARD.
THE MOOC, PROPERLY SO-CALLED IS ONE-HALF OF A TWO-SIDED EQUATION.
THE MOOC IS REALLY THE MODELING AND DEMONSTRATING PART.
AND THE LEARNING IS THE PRACTICING AND REFLECTING PART.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT WERE GEORGE AND I TRYING TO DO WITH OUR ORIGINAL CCK08 MOOC
AND THE REST OF THE MOOCS. WE WERE NOT TRYING TO SUM UP SOME KNOWLEDGE
IN NICE, NEAT PACKAGES THAT WE WOULD DELIVER TO THE GRATEFUL MASSES.
RATHER, WE DIDN'T KNOW ANYWAYS, AND WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IN THIS MOOC WAS MODEL OUR PROCESS.
TO MODEL OUR THINKING. IF WE WERE PHYSICISTS AND WANTED TO OFFER
A COURSE, INSTEAD OF GETTING UP AND LECTURING ABOUT PHYSICS, WE WOULD SHOW PEOPLE DOING
PHYSICS OR OURSELVES DOING PHYSICS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT COVERAGE OF CHRIS
HATFIELD, HE WAS A CANADIAN ASTRONAUT, HE MODELED AND DEMONSTRATED THE PROCESS OF BEING
AN ASTRONAUT. HE TOOK PICTURES FROM SPACE, HE TOOK A WASH
CLOTH. AND WHAT HAPPENS TO WATER IN A WASH CLOTH
WHEN YOU WRING IT OUT IN SPACE, TURNS OUT THAT THE WATER GETS ALL OVER YOUR HANDS.
IT DOESN'T DRIP OBVIOUSLY. ALL KINDS OF STUFF LIKE THAT WAS JUST AMAZING.
SO THE TEACHING PART IS TO MODEL AND DEMONSTRATE YOUR ACTUAL PROCESS.
AND THE LEARNING PART IS TO LOOK AT THIS AND TRY DO IT YOURSELF.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THIS IS IN FACT HOW YOU LEARN, MOSTLY, ISN'T IT.
AND IF IT ISN'T, ASK YOURSELF, WELL, IS THE SPEAKER WRONG?
BECAUSE I MIGHT BE. OR MAYBE I SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW I AM LEARNING
AND MAYBE I CAN IMPROVE IT. ONE OR THE OTHER MUST BE THE CASE.
NOW WHY DO IT THAT WAY? WELL, IT BEGINS WITH WHAT KNOWLEDGE IS AND
WHAT LEARNING IS. AND IT'S FUNNY, WE ALMOST SLEEP WALK THROUGH
LIFE. WE SLEEP THROUGH THIS DESIRE TO FINISH THINGS
AND THIS REALITY. WE SLEEP WALK THROUGH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
KNOWLEDGE IS. AND WE THINK WE KNOW WHAT KNOWLEDGE IS.
KIND OF WATCHING A BASEBALL GAME, NOBODY THERE -- I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK WITH THE PICTURE.
IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK WITH THE PICTURE. WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
IS KNOWLEDGE A BUNCH OF SENTENCES LIKE PARIS IS THE CAPITAL OF FRANCE.
AND BARACK OBAMA IS THE PRESIDENT. AND THAT'S A BROWN BAG.
IS THAT KNOWLEDGE ? APPARENTLY NOT.
WHAT IS IT? RIGHT NOW THROUGH THIS WHOLE POST-MODERNIST
AGE. WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS FUNDAMENTAL RESHAPING
AND REUNDERSTANDING, SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY OF OUR VERY IDEA OF WHAT KNOWLEDGE IS.
AND THE CONNECTIST APPROACH AND THE MOOC APPROACH IS A REFLECTION OF THIS.
THE OLD NOTION OF KNOWLEDGE, THE ONE WE ARE MOVING AWAY FROM IS THIS IDEA OF KNOWLEDGE
AS FACT BASED. NOT TO SAY THERE ARE NO FACTS.
THERE ARE FACTS AND THEY ARE USEFUL THINGS. IF I WALK INTO THAT WALL, I WILL GET A BROKEN
NOSE AND THAT'S A FACT AND USEFUL TO KNOW IT.
BUT KNOWLEDGE IS NOT JUST FACTS. THE PICTURE OF UNIVERSALS.
IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING YOU ARE ABLE TO DESCRIBE WHAT IS UNIVERSALLY TRUE OF IT.
WE KNOW ABOUT GRAVITY, BECAUSE WE HAVE PRINCIPLES OF GRAVITY.
FORCE EQUAL MASS TIMES ACCELERATION. THAT'S AN ITEM OF KNOWLEDGE, AND CATEGORYISM,
THAT'S A DUCK, THAT'S A MOOSE, AND THAT'S A GOOSE -- TRY DOING THAT ON THE FLY.
EVERYTHING IS NEATLY SLICED AND DICED. EVERYTHING PROCEEDS ACCORDING TO UNIVERSAL
PRINCIPLES AND KNOWLEDGE IS SIMPLY KNOWING WHAT EVERYTHING IS AND DOES ALL THE TIME.
AND WE HAVE LEARNED SINCE THEN THAT THE WORLD DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.
TAKE THE WEATHER FOR EXAMPLE. THE WEATHER DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.
THE WEATHER IS A COMPLEX SYSTEM. IF THERE IS A RAINSTORM OR NOT A RAINSTORM
OVER A CITY AT A GIVEN POINT. THERE IS NO ONE REASON THAT WAS THE CASE.
A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT REASONS THAT CONVERGED TOGETHER IN UNPREDICTABLE WAYS THAT RESULTED
IN THAT WEATHER PATTERN. UNIVERSAL BEHAVIOR.
SCIENTISTS HAVE TRIED FOR YEAR, BUT NO UNIVERSAL BEHAVIOR.
OTHERWISE EVERYONE WOULD BEHAVE THE SAME AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
THE NEW MODEL OF KNOWLEDGE IS KNOWLEDGE OF SIMILARITIES, KNOWLEDGE OF PATTERNS.
IT'S WHAT I CALL -- AND MAYBE I SHOULDN'T SAY WHAT I CALL, BUT THAT'S A DEAD GIVE AWAY.
KNOWLEDGE AS RECOGNITION. THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING.
THINK ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT THE SAME AS KNOWLEDGE AS REMEMBERING.
YOU CAN REMEMBER THAT PARIS IS THE CAPITAL OF FRANCE.
BUT KNOWING PARIS IF YOU GET THERE, YOU RECOGNIZE, OH, YEAH I AM IN PARIS.
IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF EPISTEAMIC REALITY. AND THE BASIS OF THAT IS THAT KNOWLEDGE DEFINED
ON THIS NEW MODEL ISN'T A COLLECTION OF SENTENCES. THAT'S THE OLD THEORY.
IT'S THE BRAIN-WRITING THEORY. YOU LEARN, YOU COLLECT A WHOLE BUNCH OF SENTENCES
LIKE YOU WOULD A COLLECTION OF WHAT YOU KNOW. IT'S THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT IS IN YOUR MIND.
WHAT A SOCIETY KNOWS LITERALLY IS THE SET OF CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY
AND THE ARTIFACTS CREATED BY THE PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY.
IT'S THAT PATTERN THAT CONSTITUTES KNOWLEDGE. NOT A COLLECTION, NOT A PILE.
BUT A PATTERN. WE SOMETIMES SAY THE KNOWLEDGE IS IN THE NETWORK.
BUT IT WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE TO SAY, THE KNOWLEDGE IS THE NETWORK.
WHEN WE SET UP OUR CONNECTIVIST COURSE, WE SET UP THIS WHOLE GREAT WEB, THIS WHOLE GREAT
NETWORK. THE KNOWLEDGE WASN'T IN THE CONTENTS THAT
WE CONTAINED IN THAT NETWORK, THE KNOWLEDGE WAS THAT NETWORK ITSELF.
AND SO PEOPLE WOULD STUDY THE COURSE, NOT BY LOOKING AT THE CONTENTS.
BUT RATHER IMMERSING THEMSELVES AND EXPERIENCING THE NETWORK.
HOW DOES THIS CREATE KNOWLEDGE? WELL, THERE IS A MECHANISM OR PHENOMENA CALLED
EMERGENCE. AND THE IDEA HERE IS FROM MANY SMALL, INTERRELATED
ORGANIZED ENTITIES, A PATTERN CAN EMERGE. THINK OF YOUR TELEVISION, AND FOR THOSE WITH
VIDEO SCREENS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TELEVISION. TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING.
AND ALL OF THESE ARE COMPRISED BY THE PIXELS ON THE SCREEN.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO SCREEN, YOU DON'T SEE A BUNCH OF PIXELS, THOUGH THAT'S
WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT. YOU SEE SOMEBODY'S FACE.
YOU SEE RICHARD NIXON, AND YOU KNOW THAT RICHARD NIXON ISN'T REALLY ON YOUR TELEVISION.
WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS AN ORGANIZATION OF PIXELS.
AND YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU RECOGNIZE, YEAH, THAT'S RICHARD NIXON.
AND THESE ARE THE TWO SIDES OF THE NEW EPISIOLOGY. ONE IS ORGANIZATION, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND,
YOU NEED A RECEIVERER RECEIVER TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
WHEN WE SHAPE A PATTERN SUCH THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT A BUNCH OF PIXELS, YOU GO, THAT'S
RICHARD NIXON. A PATTERN IN OUR NEURO NETWORK IS ACTIVATED
WHEN WE ARE PRESENTED WITH THE PHENOMENA. THAT'S A HARD CONCEPT.
THIS MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER. THAT MESS IN THE UPPER RIGHT, NOT THE PERSON,
THAT'S HOPFIELD, THAT NET BESIDE HIM, THAT'S YOUR BRAIN.
IT'S A SIMPLIFIED REPRESENTATION OF YOUR BRAIN, OBVIOUSLY.
IT'S NOT LITERALLY YOUR BRAIN, OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE DEAD, BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN IS ON THE
SCREEN. YOUR BRAIN IS CONSISTED OF ELECTRIC NEURONS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TREE, THE CONNECTIONS I ILLUSTRATE D IN RED FIRE UP AND SO YOU HAVE
A PATTERN OF NEURONS FIRING. JUST LIKE A PATTERN OF PIXELS ON YOUR TV,
A PATTERN OF NEURONS IN YOUR HEAD FIRE UP. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT TREE, THAT PATTERN IS,
WHEN THAT PATTERN FIRES UP, THAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF SEEING A TREE.
YOU HAVE A CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF SEEING A TREE.
WHAT THAT IS, IS THAT PATTERN OF NEURONS FIRING. THIS IS WELL ESTABLISHED, I AM NOT MAKING
THIS UP. I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THIS UP, BECAUSE THEN
I WOULD BE FAMOUS. WHAT IS REALLY INTERESTING, WE USE THE SAME
NEURO-NET FOR MULTIPLE PERCEPTIONS. AND THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET REALLY CONFUSED.
SAY WE HAVE THE TREE THERE THAT WE SAW, AND THAT'S THE RED THINGS.
AND THEN THE PUPPY THAT EVERYONE GOES AWW. THAT'S THAT SET OF AWW-NEURONS FIRING IN YOUR
HEAD. AND THAT'S THE
GREEN. AND THEN OVER THERE THE COUCH AND THAT FIRES
OFF A DIFFERENT SET OF NEURONS. YOU LOOK AT THESE AND RECOGNIZE THEM, THE
REASON YOU RECOGNIZE THEM BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN TREES AND PUPPIES AND COUCHES BEFORE,
AND EACH ONE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A DISTINCTIVE PATTERN AND THAT'S
KNOWING WHAT A TREE IS. KNOWING WHAT A PUPPY IS.
NOW TRADITIONAL THEORY CAN'T REALLY COMPREHEND TO KNOW WHAT IT IS OF WHAT A PUPPY IS.
YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF LEGS, A PUPPY IS FOUR-LEGGED EXCEPT WHEN THEY ARE NOT.
YOU CAN GET IN TROUBLE. WHAT ABOUT THE VAGUENESS OF THE NUMBER OF
17, AND ONE, ONE PUPPY OR COUCH OR TREE. YOU NEED THESE COMPLEX REPRESENTATIONS TO
COME UP WITH THE WHOLE CONCEPT. WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR CONCEPT OF A TREE IS
RELATED TO ONE, AND RELATED TO YOUR CONCEPT OF A PUPPY.
WHICH MEANS NEXT TIME YOU SEE A PUPPY, YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT TREES.
TRY TESTING FOR THAT. IN FACT THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TESTING YOU ABOUT
PUPPIES MAKES NO SENSE IF PART OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PUPPIES IS EMBEDDED IN HOW YOU REACT
TO TREES. BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT WILL NEVER BE
ON THE TEST. BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, TAKE A PUPPY.
TAKE A TREE. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.
PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE IS THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NEURONS IN OUR HEAD.
PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE IS THE ORGANIZATION OF ARTIFACTS INCLUDING PEOPLE IN SOCIETY.
AND AGAIN THERE IS A WHOLE WEALTH OF SCIENCE UNDERLYING THIS.
DESCRIBING THE MATHEMATICS IN GRAPH THEORY. DESCRIBING HOW YOU CAN BUILD THESE WITH COMPUTERS,
WHICH IS THE THEORY OF CONNECTATISM. AND SOCIAL NETWORK THEORY .
SO THE HUMAN MIND CAN COME TO KNOW THE -- THE SOCIETY CAN COME TO KNOW, ANY NETWORK CAN
COME TO KNOW. SO WHAT IS OUR PEDAGOGY?
HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT IT? IT'S BASED ON THIS PRINCIPLE.
WHEN I ASK ABOUT LEARNING. YOU KNOW WHAT LEARNING IS.
TO LEARN IS TO ACQUIRE A CERTAIN NETWORK STATE, NOT A CERTAIN NETWORK STATE BUT ONE APPROPRIATE
TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT. WHAT IS A LEARNING THEORY?
IT'S THE STORY OF HOW THOSE CONNECTIONS ARE FORMED BETWEEN THOSE INDIVIDUAL NEURONS.
THAT'S ONE THING ABOUT THE APPROACH THAT GEORGE AND I TAKE.
WE DON'T TREAT LEARNING AS A BLACK BOX. WE DON'T TREAT LEARNING AS A MAGICAL PHRASE,
LIKE MAKING MEANING. LEARNING IS A CONCRETE PHYSICAL PROCESS THAT
OCCURS ACCORDING TO PHYSICAL, OBSERVAL RULES. YOU CAN SEE THEM IN OPERATION IN SOCIETY AND
IN OPERATION IN THE HUMAN BRAIN. THERE ARE DOZENS AND HUNDREDS OF LEARNING
THEORIES, DESCRIBING DIFFERENT WAYS THAT CONNECTIONS CAN FORM BETWEEN NEURONS.
HERE IS THREE. HEBBIAN ASSOCIATION, IN THE SLOGAN, WHAT FIRES
TOGETHER, IS WIRED TOGETHER. I KNOW.
BUT YOU TAKE TWO NEURONS AND IF THEY ARE ACTIVATED AT THE SAME TIME AND A SYNAPSE FORMS BETWEEN
THEM. LIKES ATTRACT LIKES.
IT'S A PRINCIPLE THAT KNOW IN YOUR OWN LIVES. BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER.
THAT'S A LEARNING THEORY. AND ANOTHER CALLED BACK PROPAGATION, AND LOTS
OF CRITICISMS OF IT -- OOPS, I FORGOT MY SCREEN IS TOUCH SENSITIVE.
SO BACK PROPAGATION IS THE IDEA YOU HAVE NEURONS WIRED A CERTAIN WAY, AND YOU PUT IN INPUT
AND AGGREGATE AND FORWARD, AND ONCE YOU GET THE OUTPUT, THERE IS A PUSH BACK.
WAS IT THE APPROPRIATE OUTPUT? IF SO, GREAT.
IF NOT, YOU FEED THE SIGNAL BACK THROUGH THE NETWORK, SO THE ERROR IS PROPAGATED AND THIS
IS A REPRESENTATION OF FEEDBACK, AND WE KNOW AS EDUCATORS HOW IMPORTANT FEEDBACK IS.
BUT WHY IT'S IMPORTANT? BOLTZ MAN MECHANISMS IS REPRESENTED, AND LIKE
CREATING CONNECTIVITY AND THE POND SETTLES AND THEN FLAT AGAIN.
THAT PROCESS IS THE EVENING OUT OF THE ENERGY OF THE POND TO ITS MOST STABLE STATE.
SAME KIND OF THING CAN HAPPEN IN A NETWORK. BECAUSE A NETWORK, ESPECIALLY A NEURO-NETWORK
IS A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL POTENTIALS BETWEEN NEURONS.
SHAKE THEM UP, GIVE THEM A CRAZY EXPERIENCE. REALLY DISTURBS YOU, YOU CAN'T GET OVER IT.
AND OVER TIME YOU HAVE LEARNED WHAT LESSON YOU LEARNED FROM IT.
BOLTZMAN I CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, AND THEY DRAG ME OFF -- NO, LEARN THIS.
THIS TAKES US DOWN TO THE DOWNS THEORY OF PEDAGOGY IS LEARNING OUR SOCIAL MODEL, WE INTERACT
WITH EACH OTHER, WE IMMERSE OURSELVES TO GET EXPERIENCE AND FORM A NEURO-NETWORK.
WE USE A PHYSICAL NETWORK TO CREATE A NEURO NETWORK.
WE NEED TO THINK OF LEARNING MORE AS EXERCISING AS THE ACQUISITION OF FACTS.
WE ARE BUILDING CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR NEURONS IN THE SAME KIND OF WAY THAT WE ARE BUILDING
MUSCLES IN OUR ARMS OR LEGS. IT'S NOT A ONE-TIME THING, BUT YOU NEED TO
DO IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND WE ASK WHAT IS IT TO FINISH EXERCISING?
WELL, THE QUESTION DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE. THE EXERCISING IS FINISHED WHEN YOU HAVE STOPPED.
SORRY, THAT WAS GRAMMATICALLY BACKWARDS. THE EXERCISE IS FINISHED WHEN YOU STOP.
NOW THE QUESTION THAT I STARTED THIS PRESENTATION WAS, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED?
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE LEARNING HAS HAPPENED? HOW DO DID YOU KNOW YOU HAVE GROWN THAT KIND
OF CONNECTIONS IN YOUR MIND? WELL, WE RECOGNIZE OUR LEARNING BY OUR PERFORMANCE
IN THE NETWORK. YOU CAN SORT OF SEE, THIS KIND OF MIRRORING
BACK AND FORTH. IT'S NOT A DIRECT MIRRORING, THAT'S A BIT
OF MUCH TO HOPE FOR. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT THIS MIRRORING IS HAPPENING. THE NETWORK TEACHES YOU, AND YOU INTERACT
WITH THE NETWORK. HOW DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE CAN PLAY BASEBALL?
PUT THEM ON THE FIELD AND HAVE THEM THROW A BALL.
IF THEY THROW THE BALL TWO FEET, THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T LEARN HOW TO PLAY BASEBALL.
BUT IF THEY CANNOT ONLY THROW AND BAT THE BALL AND TALK TO OTHER BASEBALL PLAYERS, AND
USE THE WORDS PROPERLY. THEY DON'T SAY WE ARE GOING INTO OVERTIME,
BUT PLAYING EXTRA INNINGS. THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW THEY HAVE LEARNED THE
GAME. SO THE IDEA OF A MOOC IS IN THIS CASE TO CREATE
A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT , A NETWORK-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE PERSON IS IN THE CENTER,
CONNECTED TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF DISTRIBUTED RESOURCES.
AND TO CREATE ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICES AND INTERACTIONS IN THAT NETWORK.
THAT'S THE PROCESS OF LEARNING. BUT THAT'S ALSO THE PROCESS OF THE EVALUATION
OF LEARNING. THAT'S WHAT WE BUILT.
I BUILT AN APPLICATION CALLED GRASSHOPPER IN ORDER TO CREATE THAT KIND OF LEARNING NETWORK.
SO BECAUSE I AM ALMOST AT THE POINT, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO DRAG ME OFF THE STAGE.
I DON'T WANT TO GO, BUT THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE ME.
WHAT CONSTITUTES SUCCESS IN A NETWORK? OH, HERE'S MICHAEL ROTH TEACHING A COURSE,
HE'S PRESIDENT OF WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. AND ONCE HE ACTUALLY TAPS INTO THE COURSE,
THE FIRST REACTION, I WAS ASTONISHED OF THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY.
AND LOOKING AT IT, ALL OF THESE LANGUAGES AND BOSTON -- HOW DOES BOSTON GET IN THERE.
WHICH OF THESE THINGS DOES NOT BELONG. YOU KNOW THIS WHOLE ASSOCIATION AND YOU CAN
SEE -- NO, BOSTON DOESN'T BELONG THERE. BUT THE INTERESTING THING IS HIS EXPERIENCE
ISN'T OF, OH, YES WE DELIVERED CONTENT SUCCESSFULLY. THAT'S HOW I KNEW IT WAS WORKING.
HIS RESPONSE, HIS IMMEDIATE UNDERSTANDING THAT HIS COURSE WAS A SUCCESS, WHEN HE SAW
THIS FULLY FUNCTIONING NETWORK HAPPENING OUT THERE.
SO WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS? FIRST, ACTUALLY BEING IN A NETWORK.
THAT'S A CONDITION OF SUCCESS. THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE LEARNING
IS SUCCESSFUL, THAT YOUR COURSE IS SUCCESSFUL. YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A NETWORK.
IT'S NOT YOU VERSUS THE REST OF THE WORLD. BUT BEING ABLE TO PLACE YOURSELF WITHIN THE
CONTEXT OF OTHER PEOPLE AND THE CONTEXT OF OTHER THINGS HAPPENING.
SECOND SET OF CONDITIONS OF SUCCESS, WELL I DREW THIS FROM GOOGLE.
AND YOU CAN TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT. BUT GOOGLE LOOKS AT NETWORK METRICS.
AND AGAIN THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT TALK ABOUT THIS BUT GENERATED AWARENESS, INCREASING SALES,
DRIVING LOYALTY, ALL OF THAT. I AM NOT BIG ON THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND I RECOGNIZE THAT SUCCESS IN A NETWORK WILL HAVE TANGIBLE OUTPUTS.
THAT WE CAN OBSERVE AND WE CAN KNOW. THEY MIGHT NOT BE MEASURABLE OUTPUTS OR DIRECTLY
RELATED TO THE CONTENT IN THE NETWORK. I AM SOMETIMES ASKED WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SOMEONE'S
SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION WAS. AND MY FIRST RESPONSE IS HE DIDN'T GO TO JAIL.
THAT'S GOOD. STILL ALIVE.
HE'S MANAGED NOT TO WALK IN FRONT OF A TRAIN OR GET INTO A CAR ACCIDENT OR WHATEVER.
DIDN'T TAKE A BAD COMBINATION OF DRUGS, THAT'S SUCCESSFUL.
YES, BUT DID HE LEARN CALCULUS? BUT IN THE GRANDSCHEME OF THINGS, BEING ALIVE
AND OUT OF JAIL, THESE ARE SUCCESSFUL. SO THERE ARE METRICS AND THEY ARE HARD TO
GET AT AND NOT LINED UP. AWARENESS.
YOU DO AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN AND GET AWARENESS. THAT'S NOT A CONTENT THING.
BUT THERE IS MORE. SUPPORT.
THAT'S WHEN YOU BEGIN TO FEEL THAT YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS LEARNING ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS.
WHEN YOU ARE GETTING NOT JUST THE METRICS. PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST FOLLOWING YOUR BLOG.
BUT WHEN YOU RUN INTO TROUBLE, YOU KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE TO HELP YOU.
THIS WHOLE SENSE OF NOT BEING ALONE IN THE WORLD.
ONE OF THE VERY FIRST REACTIONS TO INTERNET LEARNING.
I REMEMBER IT AS CLEAR AS DAY. CLAIR BROOKS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 1995.
SHE DID A VIDEO PRESENTATION. AND SHE WAS COMPLETELY AMAZED AT THESE FARMERS
OUT IN THE OUT -BACK IN AUSTRALIA WHO WERE INDIVIDUALLY EACH VERY INTERESTED IN KNITTING.
MAKES NO SENSE, UNTIL YOU REALIZE AUSTRALIA, AND SHEEP AND FARMERS, KNITTING, IT ALL COMES
TOGETHER. BUT THE THING IS THAT EACH OF THEM THOUGHT
HE WAS THE ONLY RUGGED THE FARMER OUT THERE INTERESTED IN KNITTING.
UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ONLINE AND FORMED A KNITTING COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THEY REALIZED THE SENSE OF SUPPORT AND REINFORCEMENT.
IT'S INTERESTING, SUPPORT IS A TANGIBLE THING THAT WE ALL KNOW EXISTS.
IT'S HARD TO NAIL DOWN AND MEASURE, ISN'T IT.
IT'S NOT A MEASURING KIND OF THING. IT'S A RECOGNITION KIND OF THING.
NETWORK PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS A HARD ONE TO NAIL DOWN.
BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. I SEE SOMEONE IS LISTENING TO THE LIVE STREAMING
VERSION OF THIS TALK -- (LAUGHTER) THAT'S FUNNY.
I WOULD LAUGH MORE EXCEPT I HAVE DONE THAT WHILE GIVING THE TALK.
OH, IT JUST MESSES WITH YOU. WHAT IS THE REAL TALK HERE -- ANYHOW.
THE NETWORK PERSPECTIVE IS THIS, UNDERSTANDING TO HAVE A VARIETY OF INPUTS.
IN THIS DIAGRAM IT'S PROJECT DENSITY AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND COMPLEXITY, LANGUAGE, ETC.
IT'S A SET OF INPUTS TO A SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING PROJECT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE COMPLEXITY OF OUTPUT. SO YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE OBJECTIVE.
AND I AM SURE YOU ALL KNOW THE FEELING OF WORKING WITH DIFFERING AND POSSIBLY CONFLICTING
OBJECTIVES. HERE WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY AS ONE OUTCOME
AND POPULARITY AS ANOTHER. THEY OFTEN GO AGAINST EACH OTHER.
ASK ANYONE IN SOURCE PROGRAMMING. YOU KNOW IT WOULD BE SO COOL, BUT NO ONE WOULD
LIKE IT. SO WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THIS ENVIRONMENT
WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO COMPREHEND AND UNDERSTAND IN KIND OF AN INTUITIVE RECOGNITION KIND OF
WAY THESE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, THESE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES.
THAT'S A SIGN YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE SUBJECT FROM A NETWORK PERSPECTIVE.
AND THAT'S A CONDITION OF SUCCESS FROM THE COURSE.
THAT COMPREHENSION OF UNDERSTANDING. AND THEN MAYBE EVEN INNOVATION.
BECAUSE THE WHOLE PRINCIPLE OF THE THEORY LEARNING ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE PROPAGATION
OF THE IDEA FROM ONE PERSON TO THE NEXT TO THE NEXT.
WHEN A NETWORK LEARNS, WHAT IT LEARNS OR NOT THE CONTENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL NEURONS.
THAT WOULD BE ABSURD. THAT WOULD MEAN ALL A HUMAN CAN LEARN ELECTRICAL
CHEMICAL TECHNICALITIES. AND THAT WON'T TELL YOU WHAT PARIS IS.
WHEN A NETWORK LEARNS IT'S THE EMERGENT PATTERN FROM THIS INTERACTION.
IT'S SOMETHING NEW. WHEN A GROUP OF US GETS TOGETHER, LIKE ALL
OF US IN THIS CONFERENCE GETS TOGETHER. WE KNOW LEARNING HAS HAPPENED NOT WHEN YOU
REMEMBER WHAT THE KEYNOTE SAID. BECAUSE I GUARANTEE YOU, YOU WILL WALK OUT
THAT ROOM, YOU WILL GO -- I WOULD LOVE TO GET THE SLIDES BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER A
WORD OF WHAT HE SAID. AND THAT'S OKAY.
BECAUSE THE LEARNING ISN'T YOU REMEMBERING WHAT I SAID.
THE LEARNING IS WHAT NEW COMES OUT OF THE INTERACTION OF ALL OF YOU.
AND NONE OF US KNOWS YET WHAT THAT LEARNING WILL BE.
BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT WON'T HAPPEN FOR ALL OF YOU.
BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS, YOU WILL RECOGNIZE IT. AND YOU WILL HAVE THAT AH-MOMENT, OH, YEAH,
I GET IT. AND YOU WILL KNOW AT THAT POINT THAT THIS
EXPERIENCE, THIS CONFERENCE HAS BEEN A SUCCESS. BUT IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS, IF YOU CONCENTRATE
ON TRYING TO MEMORIZE THE STUFF THAT WAS SAID. YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO GET THAT AH-MOMENT.
BUT IF YOU TAKE THAT CONTENT, YOU WORK WITH IT AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN AND REMIX IT AND INTERACT,
YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET THAT aH-MOMENT. MY SLIDES FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT LATER, BECAUSE
YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING I SAID. WILL BE FOUND LATER TODAY OR TOMORROW AT MY
WEBSITE WHICH IS: WWW.DOWNES.CA. AND YOU WILL ALSO GET THE AUDIO RECORDING
THAT HOPEFULLY WORKED. AND THE LINK TO THE YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT HOPEFULLY
WORKED. THAT'S IT.
I GUESS I DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO FINISH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, STEPHEN.