On the Horizon

The 2009 Horizon Report, the annual report on the state of play of learning technology, predicts that there will be three key horizons of important development in the near future. In the executive summary the report authors suggest there are six technology groups we should watch:

In the first adoption horizon we find mobiles and cloud computing, both of which are already well established on many campuses — and still more organizations have plans in place to make use of these technologies in the coming months. Institutions at the leading edge of technology adoption are also already applying the two clusters of technologies we have placed on the mid-term horizon, geo-everything and the personal web. All four topics on the first two horizons are already in common use in other sectors, including entertainment, commerce, and the world of work. The two technologies placed on the far-term horizon, semantic-aware applications and smart objects, are not yet commonly found in an educational context, although research is being conducted in both areas and the rate of development seems to indicate that these topics are well worth watching.


This is much in keeping with the views of many leading experts in the fields of e-learning and m-learning, so it comes as no surprise. I even suggested something very similar in my recent blog post entitled e-Learning 3.0. What is important though, is that we appear to be moving more quickly toward the use of personal web type learning environments, where the use of mobile, handheld and semantically enabled 'smart' technologies will play an increasingly important role in all sectors of education. We will now wait to see 'when', not 'if', these applications become mainstream in education.


Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.


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Beyond Control?

A recent ALT Conference ran under the banner of 'Beyond Control', and I remember writing the editorial for the research proceedings along the lines that the net generation (whoever they are) has been operating largely outside the boundaries of instutional technology provision for some time. More and more students own their own laptops and mobile phones, and they do not take kindly to being told how they should use the Internet. Last week's e-learning conference in Plymouth had a similar title 'Crossing Boundaries' which also elicited a similar set of themed papers on student activities that are conducted largely outside of institutional boundaries. One of my recent publications dealing with this subject is a chapter that appears in the book 'Effective Blended Learning Practices' Edited by Elizabeth Stacey and Phillipa Gerbic. There is limited access to it on Google Books, but it's another of those overpriced IGI Global books I'm afraid. At £135.50 I don't expect many to buy it, but there are some valuable chapters contained therein and I would like to share one or two of those ideas with you here. In my chapter I critically review some of the recent uses of the Learning Management System (LMS) in universities and ask who the systems have been designed for. Is it the institution or the student? Here's an abstract:

The Learning Management System is not always popular with students, for a number of reasons. Students report that they experience difficulties with technical issues (Weller et al, 2005), lack of familiarity with the system (McGill & Hobbs, 2007), and discussion overload (Kear & Heap, 2007), and this is not an exhaustive list. Furthermore, the LMS is facing competition for student ‘online time’ from a more attractive and rapidly growing rival – social networking. Where the LMS invariably has the appearance of an institutional system – branded logo, controlled log-in and passwords, uninspiring topography and bland presentation – the more popular social networking tools ..... are more colourful and attractive, can be more or less tailored to personal preferences, and are beyond the control and surveillance of the university.


The point I wish to underline is the institution imposes the LMS on staff and students with little consultation with the true stakeholders. This leads me to believe that the LMS is primarily there for the benefit of the institution rather than for the student. It is there to impose control, but the battle for control is being lost, because...


...today’s generation of students expect and seek out highly interactive experiences, involving muti-tasking, self-selection of learning material and fast-moving engagement with their enviroment which centres upon play, user-generation of content and collaboration. We might conclude that the insitutional LMS is simply failing to keep pace which the new demands from the network generation, so students are migrating to social networking sites to supplement their on-line experiences.


The institutional LMS is failing because its design curtails creativity and constrains students (and tutors) to think in a particular way. There is no latitude for informal learning either, because this is not what an LMS does. So students are populating social networking and Web 2.0 tools in greater numbers every week, and all of their activities are beyond the reach of the institution. Universities can if they wish, ban access to Facebook, YouTube and other popular sites across their networks, but students will still find ways to continue to gossip, share images, tag and otherwise interact beyond the control of the institute. They will do it because they enjoy it, and because it also provides something that the institutional LMS can never do: Social networks provide a place where students can relax, have fun and chat with friends who are inside and outside of the university they are studying in. My conclusion?


It is highly likely that a compromise will be required if blended technology supported learning is to improve its track record. Future deployments of online learning environments are likely to have elements of both systems within the architecture of the LMS.


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Feat of Clay

The fact that many A list celebrities are now jumping on the band wagon and using Twitter for shameless self-promotion may just signal the start of the demise of Twitter. You can spot them a mile off - they are the ones who have hundreds of thousands of followers, but they are following ... yep, no-one. According to Everitt Rogers, all innovations and ideas tend to follow an adoption cycle that starts with the innovators, gradually reaching a critical mass through the early adoptors and then the early majority. It begins to run downhill when the late majority adopt it and it is no longer new and exciting, and everyone has it. Once it has sufficiently penetrated into society, telling signs are for example, that the technology begins to appear for sale in the Argos catalogue. Yesterday the BBC Technology News pages carried the headline 'Can Twitter survive the Hype-Cycle? In a tacit homage to Gartner's theory, it's an interesting piece which asks some serious questions about the future of the microblogging tool.

Well, Twitter won't be appearing in any store catalogues, but it might just be reaching its zenith in terms of use and popularity. Over at e-Learning Stuff, James Clay has pulled off no mean feat of insight by identifying 10 reasons why Twitter will eventually wither and die, and interestingly none of them are to do with the invasion of the likes of Oprah (an anagram of Harpo) and Ashton Kutcher (supply your own anagram) - although he does make reference to false celebrities. In amongst all the hyperbole about Twitter, it is refreshing to hear a counterpoint, even if it may read uncomfortably for some.

Although I enjoy using Twitter, and have tried out some nice little ideas about how to harness its potential in my own classrooms (see for example my earlier post entitled Teaching with Twitter), it may just, I fear, begin to go the way of some other social software tools. Yesterday I closed down my Bebo account, having failed to use it for more than 86 weeks. I currently use my Facebook account about once every 2 weeks and came perilously close yesterday to closing that down too, in a judicious spate of spring cleaning. As the late, great George Harrison once said: 'All things must pass'.

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Breaking eggs

One of my recent book chapters starts with the statement 'You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.' It's my opening gambit in a chapter called 'Destructive Creativity on the Social Web' in which I discuss the volatile and contentious nature of wiki content generation. I argue that wiki content generation is both creative and destructive, and you need both to ensure quality. My chapter appears in an edited volume by Stylianos Hatzipanagos and Steven Warburton on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies. The book is a weighty tome of almost 600 pages, and contains 32 chapters by some of the leading thinkers of educational Web 2.0: Terry Anderson, Grainne Conole, Jon Dron, Marc Eisenstadt, Mark Lee, Andrew Ravenscroft, Martin Weller, Scott Wilson, the list goes on to more than 80 contributors. The list of reviewers is also a 'Who's Who' of the e-learning luminati. Stylianos and Steve really are to be congratulated for putting together such an impressive line-up of chapters, reviewers and editors.

The book covers a lot of ground including the use of blogs and wikis in education, social structures, knowledge media, information literacies, ambient pedagogies, social presence and interactivity. It is a solid reference manual for best practice of social software tools in teaching and learning. There are some good reads within it, but you probably wouldn't want to purchase a copy at £183.95. As is the case with all IGI Reference books it is very overpriced. Now I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but if the price doesn't put you off in this credit crunch economy, you may be unimpressed by the bland and somewhat dour jacket. I received my copy free as a thankyou for sitting on the Editorial Advisory Board, so I am priviledged to get full access. I note with interest that within a few short days of the book being released, it was already available in part on Google Books, so you can at least sample some of the contents. Here's the abstract for my chapter, which discusses wiki cultures and Darwikianism (the survival of the fittest - or most accurate - wiki pages):

The use of group oriented software, or groupware, encourages students to generate their own content and can foster supportive and dynamic communties of learning. One form of open architecture groupware known as the Wiki is freely available online in several versions, and enables tutors to quickly set up online spaces which can be edited by students, at any time and from any location. Online social spaces of this nature can be used to encourage creative writing and to engage students in critical discourse through focused discussion, but Wikis also have disruptive potential and can cause dissent and disharmony within the group. This chapter aims to highlight some uses of the wiki as a social writing tool, reporting on student perceptions of the limitations and benefits. The chapter also focuses on the tension between creative and destructive uses of wikis in mainstream higher education. The use of interview data gathered from a study conducted with a group of student teachers in 2007 is included to support the key messages of this chapter.

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Reflections on a great event

For me, it's time to start reflecting on this year's Plymouth e-Learning Conference. I'm incredibly tired and slept like a brick last night, but I awakened very satisfied at the level of success we achieved with this year's conference. With 218 delegates registered from 17 different countries, I think it is safe to say that PeLC has staked its claim on the international e-learning conference map. When I have trawled around a little over the next few days, I will compile a showcase of all those pictures, blogs and other web artefacts related to the conference.

The conference theme worked well I think. Crossing Boundaries certainly lived up to its promise, and clearly resonated with most of those present at the event. The choice of keynote speakers was also spot on. Mike Blamires set the scene perfectly with his Day 1 presentation on educational boundaries entitled 'Children grow to fill the spaces we create for them' and managed to engage all of his audience through interactive workshop style activities and rich feedback. Here is the link to the video of Mike Blamires keynote speech with a welcome from Michael Totterdell, Pro-vice Chancellor of the University of Plymouth.

Graham Attwell spoke on Day 2 in his normal controversial and anarchic style and challenged the audience to re-evaluate what they considered to be best practice in education. Here is the video of his keynote speech, complete with questions from the audience. Both keynote speakers promoted much debate from those present during ensuing sessions, and also evoked a storm of tweets from inside and outside the venue. At one point on Firday morning #pelc09 trended on Twitter at No 3, and some reports say it even reached as high as No. 2 for a short while at least.

The catering was praised too - the Devon Cream tea went down well as usual and the local produce buffets were very good. Only the quality of the coffee was criticised and even then only in a good humoured way. But I take these criticisms seriously and I will see what I can do about that next year at PeLC 2010, I promise.

The venue was appreciated by just about everyone - the Roland Levinsky building is a masterpiece of engineering and design, and with its contemporary art gallery attached and open to all, provided some welcome distractions just when they were needed. Technically there were some issues, but as with all conferences of a technical nature we became something of a hostage to fortune, and I know things will be better next year.

The quality of the 80 papers and workshops was high - everyone I spoke to remarked that the presentations were engaging, rooted in sound theory and offering excellent case studies and research data in support. State of the art demonstrations such as the 3D Visual Immersion Cinema were very well received prompting some delegates to discuss their experiences for hours afterwards. The crowning glory for some, experience wise at least, was the choice of the National Marine Aquarium as our conference dinner venue. A splendid spectacle it was, with stunning views of the huge aquarium tanks containing sharks, sea turtles and other aquatic life, and the food and service were most excellent too.

As conference chair I would like to thank all those who took part, either as presenters or simply attendees at the conference. I would also like to thank my admin, technical and reception support teams, and the student ambassadors who played such a key role in the success of PeLC09. The review panel who did a tremendous job sorting through and selecting the best papers from all those that were submitted deserve a vote of thanks, as do the organising committee who worked hard to ensure the event was successful. A special big up for our designer Mark Lyndon whose stunning images graced our publicity materials and website - thanks Mark. Lastly, a special mention for my co-chair Mark Townsend, who will be leaving us this year and for whom this will be his last conference. We will all miss you greatly Mark, and we wish you every success in the next chapter of your career. Here's to PeLC 2010 - Learning without Limits! See you in Plymouth on April 8-9, 2010.

My PeLC picture collection

James Clay's PeLC picture collection

Peter Micheuz's PeLC picture collection

Three chord wonder

Thanks to an invitation from Thomas Bernhardt over at Educamp in Bremen, I actually managed to present my Edupunk talk earlier today. Using Skype, I presented a 20 minute talk which covered the history and philosophy of Edupunk, it's analogies to the Punk Rock culture of the 1970s, and a few comments on corporate profiteering, the state of institutional VLEs and the 'Do It Yourself' approach to teaching and learning.

There were some very incisive questions from those present in Germany, and some equally delving questions and comments from others listening and viewing from elsewhere in the world across the live streaming media links. One interesting comment was that Edupunk seems to be all about taking part rather than excellence. I agree - all you needed to be a punk rocker was attitude, and if necessary, the ability to play three chords on a guitar. Edupunk encourages learners to take part - and contribute something, even if it is wrong. I pointed out that at one point, 30 years ago, I only knew 3 chords myself. Now I know several more, and play in a more sophisticated manner than I did when I was in my teens and early twenties. The same applies to learners. They learn to participate, and eventually can become quite proficient in learning within collaborative environments. They just need to be given the opportunities to gain confidence and make mistakes without being penalised. Traditional education doesn't offer enough of these opportunities.

Another comment opened up a discussion on creativity and destructiveness and the notion of 'anarchy'. Here is a recent article we published on the destructive creativity of Web 2.0. My take on this is that Edupunk is not a destructive kind of anarchy. That kind is where 'smashing the system' is replaced by nothing better. No, Edupunk promises to do for education what Punk did for music. Punk gave the British music industry a much need shot in the arm and saved it from stagnation. I also said that sometimes you need to be destructive in order to be creative. Writing contributions to a wiki takes on this form. When you have posted a wiki contribution, it is no longer your own, but becomes the property of the user group - and they are then at liberty to do what they want with it. Edit it, add to it, or even delete it completely.

I very much enjoyed participating in Educamp. Skype worked well, and those participating were as equally passionate about learning as me. Thanks Thomas for the invitation!

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Opening the gates

One of my recent publications is entitled: 'E's of Access: e-Learning and Widening Participation in Education. It turns up in an edited volume on Participation and Inclusion in Education, and I was asked by the editors to write a reflective author piece at the end. I would like to share it with you:

I have been priviledged to be an eye-witness to the rapid evolution of new learning technologies over the past thiry years, and have watched as we have been ushered into the Information Age. Throughout my career I have taken on the role of change agent - it has been my job to introduce emerging digital technologies into the classroom and to train teachers to get the best out of them. It now appears that just about everything found within the classroom can be delivered or managed through digital technology. However, this has come at a price.

I was there when the first personal computers were introduced into schools, and heard some teachers express their fears about being 'replaced'. To assuage their fears I remember quoting the celebrated science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, who declared 'Any teacher who can be replaced by a computer ... should be.' It hit home, and the teachers realized that computers were there to support them, not supplant them. I believe also that this was the first time I myself began clearly to appreciate that learning technologies (what we also refer to as information and communication technologies or ICTs) were merly tools to enable and facilitate learning. They are very sophisticated and powerful tools, but still tools nevertheless. I was also there when the World Wide Web was birthed, and watched as it quickly became the 'killer application' that would replace many other well-established learning resources. Now I am witnessing the deep and far-reaching impact of mobile and wireless technologies, social networking services and classroom-based technologies such as the interactive whiteboard. As I observe, I notice that professional practice, teacher roles and student experiences are all being transformed.

These changes are all-pervasive and, to many teachers, just as disconcerting as the time the first computers were introduced into the classroom. When I first entered the world of learning technologies, I knew very little, and my learning curve was steep. I felt like an outsider looking in, and worked hard to 'learn my trade'. Thirty years on, the learning curve is still rising, and I find that I have to run hard in order to keep up with the pace of the change. I am expected to, because I am an ICT specialist, an insider. This leads to a number of problems, one of which is my need to continually update myself on 'what is new'. Because I am now 'inside' I often risk losing sight of the 'big picture' as I focus on new technologies. I constantly have to remind myself that ICTs are still only tools and that the 'learning' comes before 'technology' for a very good reason. They are tools that have inherent advantages and disadvantages, and they still have the power to exclude or include. They are tools that evoke a number of emotional responses from students and staff alike, some positive and some less so.

ICTs are tools for learning and for teaching, tools that enable better communication, quicker access to resources and, ultimately, tools that have the potential to include everyone in the wonderful experience of learning something new. Although I am now an insider, I know that there are many who feel themselves to be outsiders. Whatever the 'e' stands for in e-learning, it certainly stands for 'eclectic' for there have never been so many methods of delivery available to the teacher as there are today. If there is a strap line to my chapter, it is this: as well as the power to widen participation, e-learning has the potential to marginalize some students and teachers, and it is the wise practitioner who realizes this and manages to use technology appropriately.

Wheeler, S. (2009) 'E's of Access: e-Learning and widening participation in education. In S. Gibson and J. Haynes (Eds.) Perspectives on Participation and Inclusion: Engaging Education. London: Continuum. pp 134-146.

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