LEARNING, KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE IN GLOBAL ONLINE-UNIVERSITIES: HOW TERMINOLOGY SHAPES

THINKING

A Theoretical Approach to Innovation and Change in Academic Distance Education

Sabine SiemsenDistance University Hagen Germany

Context:

Globally Networked Learning-Processes in Higher Education:

Rethinking and Fusing Terminology and Theories in the Context of Digitalization and

Technology

TERMINOLOGY OF A NEW LEARNING CULTURETHREE TERMS – DIFFRENT CONTEXTS/LEVELS

• Learning• Knowledge• Competence

Theoretical LevelDiscourses

• Bateson‘s Levels of Learning

• Connectivism• Meta-

Communication• Enhancement-

Competence

Technological LevelDigitalization and Tools

• Distance Education• Learning Online• MOOCs/GOAL• (Media?)Competenc

e

Practical Level„Globale Online-

University“

• Acceptance• Learning Level III in

GOAL u. MOOCs• Criteria

Practical Level (II)Methods of Research and

Evaluation

MOOCS: DISRUPTIVE OR SUSTAINING? Sustaining innovations base on existing models or theories that are improved through the innovation. fits to most of the (first and recent) approaches of Online- and/or Blended Learning. Uses technological tools, elements of Online or eLearning, to improve existing settings aim to reach more »customers« respectively potential learners (those who may not participate in

»classical brick and mortal« learning scenarios because of various reasons and therefore profit from the flexibility of online-courses)

Disruptive innovations do not aim to improve traditional settings but to come into an existence as an innovating system of its own. They often are just easier to handle, more cost-efficient, sometimes even of lower quality than established offers. But due to their usability and

attractiveness they succeed very soon to improve and to reach a quality on a higher level than those of the systems being or becoming dispersed.

(compare Donaldson, J. (2013) Massively open: How massive open online courses changed the world)

MOOCS: DISRUPTIVE OR SUSTAINING?MOOCs have the potential to be disruptive They therefore threaten established and traditional models and institutions This leads to searching “solutions” in didactic settings, in the design of learning-environments or platforms, and in various facilities, featured through technology, social media and Web 2.0.

These »solutions« are associated with the illusion to be able to control, transfer or measure learning-processes, knowledge and competences and, that way, provide security against innovations that seem to threaten existing institutions, models and approaches.

FOUR ILLUSIONS IN FORMAL EDUCATION(George Siemens, 2009)

Learning Needs can be defined Learning (success) can be controlled Learning communities (students) are similar (age, grade, knowledge base …) Learning processes are coherent and structured

A CHANGED LEARNING CULTURE

Global Learning Communities (for example MOOCs) imply... changed heterogeneity… changed roles… changed learning environmentsand therefore lead to … changed learning-processes… different definitions (understandings) of learning, knowledge and competence

A CHANGED LEARNING CULTURE

is influenced through and influences …

(Educational)Science(research and discourses), Educational Praxis (didactics, settings, environments), and (Educational)Politics (social and cultural aspects of societey)

and therefore should imply questions like

… do traditional methods of evaluation and research still fit? … does one need new criteria to define objectives, goals, success? … can one even „measure“ those changed and enhanced learning-processes?

Higher Education taking place in global online courses requires Learning III

This learning level can be reached through Enhancement-Competence

The „tool“ to foster Enhancement-Competence is Metacommunication

HYPOTHESES

LEARNING III

BATE

SON‘

S LE

ARNI

NG L

EVEL

S

A NEW LEARNING CULTURE NEEDS LEARNING PROCESSE ON LEVEL III

Each Learning Process is part of a system of interaction (communication)Learning processes of the level III are a kind of synthesis, or fusion

of roles and patterns one has learned to »play« in communication processes and sequences of interaction

They “throw […]unexamined premises open to question and change.” (Bateson, 1972)

LEARNING PROCESSES / CONTEXTS / SETS OF CONTEXTS Learning as a process that enables to remind and to reproduce given content, like for

instance vocabulary or mathematical formula. Learning as a process that enables constant enhancement by reflecting and »rethinking

content« (»content« as term that can include texts as well as any other explanations about »how things work«).

Academic Learning which usually is understood as formal learning that bases on at least a rough common level of basic knowledge that (should) enable(s) a deeper and more sophisticated way to deepen theoretical (and more and more also) practical knowledge within a specific study-field;

Online-Learning as a process that is usually described as being demanding, both in regard to being able to self-control and self-motivate learning-processes as well as to a certain level of »media-competence«.

ENHANCEMENT-COMPETENCE

A NEW LEARNING CULTURE NEEDS CHANGED DEFINITIONS

“We cannot sustain ourselves as learning/knowing beings in the current climate with our current approaches. Networked (social, technological)

approaches scale in line with changes, but require a redesign of how we teach, learn (and see learning), and come to know.” (Siemens, 2007)

Looking at learning-processes and knowledge

requires views from different angles, needs to include contexts (individual, cultural, linguistic, social) and first and fore-most there has to be an awareness of these different

contexts and their influence on definitions and expectations.

Figure 1 Terminology in a New Learning Culture (Source: Authors’ own compilation)

Figure 1 places the term »Competence« in a position where it links learning-processes and existing knowledge (information), knowledge generation. It depicts the interrelationship, building a spiral process instead of well-defined and separated aspects.

THE QUESTION OF COMPETENCE … Various and different definitions So models and criteria of competence also can only work in subject to contexts, and require a critical reflection of underlying aspects.

This may be difficult, but manageable as long as it is possible to define a frame of competence for a specific job, similar to a skillset.

But what about so called »key-competences« such as »social competence«; a Competence that should be transferable to totally different contexts and challenges?

THE QUESTION OF COMPETENCE …Enhancement-Competence

Used in the context of academic learning (in a new learning culture …)to distinguish academic learning from ‘just’ reciting (and believing) given static expert-knowledge,

META-COMMUNICATION

ENHANCEMENT-COMPETENCE AND META-COMMUNICATION

»Meta-Communication is:Highly heterogeneous learner-communities cooperatively redefining and putting in question definitions of Learning and Knowledge, in front of and while participating online-courses; with the purpose to set new commonly found context-markers, to create value by generating knowledge,while efficiently and consciously developing Enhancement-Competence in and for learning networks, including individual, social-cultural and digital-technological net-works«.

MOOCS: DISRUPTIVE OR SUSTAINING? MOOCs are more than just a new concept of Learning Online

MOOCs – respectively GOAL (Global Online Academic Learning) has the potential to change the learning landscape of Higher Education

A global online-university could become a place where academic learning processes in real heterogeneity can lead to individual and social-cultural enhancement.

First steps have already be taken and the question if Global Online Courses succeed being disruptive or ‘just’ lead to sustain traditional systems by adding some online-elements will remain an important task for further research.

The answer will depend on the openness, ability and willingness to become conscious of the impact of the use of terminology and resetting frames and contexts markers.

GLOBAL

ONLINE

UNIVERSITY