Comments on: Continual Learning

By: Lorraine Taylor

Lorraine Taylor — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:12 +0000

A lot of food for thought. I reflected on this in my blog.

agilelearning-lorraine.blogspot.com/2011/01/learning-on-spot.html

By: Clark

Clark — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:34:06 +0000

My reference to ‘no limits’ was really just as a design rubric that says “don’t think about what we can do now, but instead what you might do if you had no limits, total magic, etc”. That’s to break out of premature evaluation, limiting what we might conceive. If we conceive something better, we might be able to do it. That does not mean continual intrusion, or anything else, except to think without preconceived expectations. I can think of many ways in which I wish I could ‘bake in’ some support automatically into my own activities, which drives this. However, it would definitely have to respect preferences on all aspects: devices, degrees of intrusion, information sharing, and more. Thanks for the feedback!

By: Cherie Frame

Cherie Frame — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:02:07 +0000

I would be afraid that if we would set ‘limits’ we miss learning opportunities. If the fear is the overwhelming evidence of material available and that we would not be able to filter all of the information, perhaps that is what the menotr would be responsible for. Also as adult learners, we should be able to reflect and monitor incoming information and be able to filter as we can tolerate the information, reflect and synthesis.

By: NIck Kearney

NIck Kearney — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:36:14 +0000

The assumption is that “no limits” is good. I think that needs a lot of reflection. While the thought experiment may be useful, it may also be useful to remember to put the limits back in.
One of the interesting things about a lot of informal learning is that it happens while you aren’t looking, while you are doing something else. Making it explicit and conscious may affect how it happens or affect performance of a particular task. I am uncertain that having a personal mentor always looking for opportunities to develop me, would be comfortable. It reminds me of Clippy. Like Clippy you can turn it off, or may be set the levels to “respectful” etc. But that is a question of the degree rather than the nature of the service. I am not even sure to what extent those processes ought to be “outsourced”. Maybe we need to be identifying the learning opportunities in a given context ourselves, maybe we need that skill inside the head.
The vision is interesting and as you say the technology is available. But I would suggest the limits of a system of this kind need consideration.