Reflective Post #4: Collective Intelligence and Personal Learning Environments

Collective Intelligence: What it could mean for education

Bullock, Shaun Michael 2011

Bullock’s main emphasis is on the need for education reform and using technology to truly create this reform. He states that it’s difficult for teachers to change education because many of us teach as we were taught because it is where we feel most comfortable. The new technology available to us is what should and will drive educational reform. He completely disagreed with Prensky’s “natives vs. immigrants” debate and believes we all have something to contribute, regardless of our age.

Bullock discussed four different types of true collective intelligence: sharing, cooperation, collective production and collective action (46). These four methods are difficult for teachers to integrate because our focus on individual learning as a goal remains strong. He raises the important question of how we can genuinely and authentically co-construct knowledge and how can we transfer this type of pedagogy to the classroom? He advises that we must take advantage of our “natural human impulse to create and share” (47).

How collective intelligence redefines education

Ilon, Lynn 2011

Ilon’s main emphasis is that education is not changing the way the world is changing. “The logic behind Google, Lines, Wikipedia, etc. is not used as a learning tool,” states Ilon (1). Even though educators may utilize and value these sites, education is not embracing this collective intelligence as a much needed style of learning. Ilon discusses the current style of education: education as managed intelligence, system controlled, expert driven, outcome defined and efficiency constrained.

Ilon sees education as controlled from the top and believes it is rooted in the need for more expertise in math and reading due to the industrial revolution. Education must be controlled in order to maximize societal benefits. Teachers are seen as having a mastery of knowledge and learning grows upon this expertise. The knowledge we convey is fixed. Education’s main concern is lower costs and higher test scores, along with measurable outcomes.

Our current system is inefficient where collective intelligence is more dynamic and more applicable to today’s world. Collective intelligence can handle the rapid change of knowledge. If used properly in schools, Ilon states that the primary goal of education will be learning rather than test scores. She concludes that our new economic system supports the collective intelligence method.

7 things you should know about Personal Learning Environments

Educause, 2009

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) are different from the Learning Management Systems (LMS) that some may view as similar. Where LMS platforms are course centric, PLE platforms are focused on the learner. It is a completely new approach to the idea of how students approach learning. Many universities are incorporating PLEs by having groups of students create a blog, use YouTube or Flickr. Instructors provide the framework for the PLE but try to stay hands-off as much as possible so as not to intrude on the whole point and value to the PLE. Students’ learning possibilities grow immensely when the boundaries of the classroom are removed; they are in charge of their own learning.

A few issues arise when using PLEs, especially in the beginning stages. The lack of continuity for students, along with the vague definition, may prove unsettling to those students who desire more structure. Students will also need self-awareness and time to get used to this new method. It is also difficult for students as most of them are unaware of how they learn best. This is quite a bit of responsibility, especially in the beginning, for a student. This, however, appears to be the future of education and, as the use of PLEs increase, students will become more skilled in it. Educause states that teaching will become “less of a matter of data transmission and more of a collaborative exercise in collection, orchestration, remixing and organization of data” (2).

7^th grade PLE video

Wendy Drexler

The student begins by showing us how she has all of her information organized. She doesn’t exclude the “fun stuff” but has all of her school-specific sites together at the bottom of her screen. She has her own schedule of when she checks her sites each day; she decides when and what she will work on.

Google docs, a blog, websites in social bookmarking, online note-taking and Glogster are some of the online tools she regularly uses. She uses Google docs to share her final presentations and products. Her blog is also used to share but is mostly used for reflections on her work. She uses the online note-taking tool to help her keep track of her research.

She was watching a show on box jellyfish and decided it looked interesting so she researched it. Using Glogster, she created an online poster of her findings. She then emailed a scientist in Australia and the U.S. for peer review of her facts. Skype is also used for peer review and discussion.

The student stated that she really enjoyed learning this way. She enjoyed the freedom that comes with this type of learning. The topic itself is not to be avoided but she can choose how and when she researches. This does provide more responsibility for the student and she stated it’s difficult at times to avoid the social media distractions. She stated that it’s much “cooler” than bookwork and she can do her entire science class without a pencil.

Reflection

While reading through these articles, my emotions ran the gamut from frustration (education is so hard to change) to excitement (that 7^th grader’s PLE blew my mind!) to anger (I taught at an online school and we didn’t even hear of these things) to anticipation (how can I use this in my classroom?). I agreed with Ilon that education hasn’t really changed all that much. Yes, we have new tools and new methods but the underlying method of pedagogy hasn’t changed that much: teachers are the experts, knowledge is static and students are there to learn from us. We have all of this technology at our disposal, and all of the students’ knowledge of the technology, and we are, frankly, wasting it.

The new Common Core standards kept coming into my head, the focus on nonfiction texts and lack of creativity, in particular. If we are not instilling creativity and imagination and collaboration in our students, where will the next generation’s brilliant and innovative ideas come from? By not allowing our students to participate in PLEs and collective intelligence methods, are we stunting their future growth and ability to perform in today’s society? Ilon stated that our economic structure has completely changed; yet our education system has not. Isn’t that worrisome? I feel as though we should be focused on these ideas and constraints instead of worrying so much about test scores.

I found myself thinking of ways I can incorporate these ideas into my 8^th grade math classroom. I think it will be tough because, in mathematics especially, we are definitely expert driven and outcome defined. How can I use PLEs or collective intelligence to study the Pythagorean theorem or area of a triangle? I think it will be tough but definitely worthwhile to explore these new methods of learning.

Two items resonated with me. One, from the Educause article, statement that discussed students’ metacognition skills: students don’t know how they learn best. I have said it a million times if I’ve said it once: students don’t know what they do or don’t know. This self-awareness, of how they learn and what they know, is a skill that many just don’t have. I’m constantly trying to think of ways to help increase this knowledge. I also was struck by how excited Ms. Drexler was in her video when talking about science. She even did a research project just for fun because she thought it was interesting. I can see using PLEs and collective intelligence as a way to inspire this type of interest in learning just for learning’s sake and that will be amazing!