Social networks and the future of collaborative learning

Last week IBM announced their plans to launch a range of social software tools for the corporate market called Lotus Connections. It seems the same technology that underpins the success of MySpace and Facebook will soon become a tool for L&D professionals to use for learning programs and knowledge sharing within their organizations. 

The New York Times sums up the product as such: “Lotus Connections has five components — activities, communities, dogear (a bookmarking system), profiles and blogs — aimed at helping experts within a company connect and build new relationships based on their individual needs. This is the first business-grade application that will bring the tools teenagers use into the corporate world, knitting together blogs, feeds, communities, networking tools like profiles, and bookmarks into one easy to use package. The tools will be available on one platform, thus facilitating better collaboration between remote teams and networks based around shared interests and skill-sets.” 

 So what might this mean for e-learning designers? Essentially it’s an opportunity to adapt our methods to develop learning programs that give new people entering the workforce the business-grade equivalent of the tools and experiences they already use and like for finding information and learning new things. Interesting times ahead. 

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The Future of computing…and perhaps online learning.

Each year, Technology Entertainment Design (TED) hosts a series of fascinating seminars. Thankfully, the TED team has decided to stream these presentations to a wider audience off their website.  The cast of speakers over the past three years is amazing and their presentations are full of ideas to spark your thinking about learning and development. 

Highly recommended is Jeff Han, a research scientist for New York
University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. In this talk, he demonstrates his intuitive, “interface-free” touch-driven computer screen, which can be manipulated intuitively with the fingertips.

This is the learning interface we all dream about.  

And while you’re on site, check out Bono discussing our moral obligation (and economic incentive) to help lift Africa out of poverty. Powerful and passionate as ever.

TED Talks 

Don’t click it!

Try to break a habit of a digital lifetime and work through this fascinating interface design without ever clicking your mouse. It’s learn by un-doing and a terrific way of shifting your mindset about how a learning interface can work.

Take on last click at dontclick it….   www.dontclick.it