I'm having an absolute blast learning about social software through the Five Weeks to a Social Library course. Although I'm not one of the participants, it really doesn't matter, because all of the materials are archived. It "feels" real-time, with Power Point presentations simultaneously running with audio discussions and online chatting. 
As Stephen Downes puts it, this is "E-Learning 2.0." And what is most fascinating is that it is deeply intertwined with Web 2.0 technologies. Moreover, in the world of e-learning, the closest thing to a social network is a community of practice, where it is characterized by "a shared domain of interest" where "members interact and learn together" and "develop a shared repertoire of resources." But not only is it user-centred and based on collective intelligence, it's also convenient. What better way to learn than in the comfort of my desk, mug of coffee in hand, sitting back, and relaxing to the rhythm of expert opinion?
Hey, Allan. Glad you like 5Weeks. Please feel free to stop by and comment on the blogs section or add stuff to the Wiki. We built the course for everyone!
ReplyDelete(one of the 5Week organizers)
Hi Allan,
ReplyDeleteDid you notice in the Downes' post he mentions the author I had told you about? Etienne Wenger?
In any case, I've been watching on the "Five Weeks" site for the presentations and agree with you. It's great seeing what the U.S. librarians are doing to explore social software.
My feeling is that the U.S. librarians are at the cutting edge on these topics, especially blogs and wikis. Sigh
Dean