Collective human activity and education

Connectivism
‘Education is a powerful tool in the global educational environment and the Internet has enabled a new era in human collective activity’.
Firsts lets deconstruct the statement for discussion:
Education, Global environment, Internet, Human collective activity:

Education
Informal learning and prior learning are now seen as valuable additions to formal learning and there is a connectionism of ideas and learning from many different fields as people research information from many different areas. Education is now life long, life-wide, networked and cross-discipline. Education is akin to the getting of knowledge and knowledge is seen as power. Knowledge then leads to creativity and innovation.
Education has been the power tool of the elite and rich in the past. It has also been the mode for propaganda and advertising. The catchcry to all social evils, AIDS, teenage pregnancy; drug and alcohol addiction, etc has been that we need to educate people so they will make the ‘right’ choices.
So it would be nice to have choice over content and process of learning.

Global environment
Globalisation is promoted as valuing diversity of people, culture and religion and a way to equalize resources. This is meant to be achieved through free trade.
The decision to think and act globally however was a forced decision based on economic greed. Wealthy third world countries and their large corporations saw the possibility to acquire cheap, sometimes free supplies and resources, cheap labour and lower operating costs. There were plenty of positives to cite for the third world nations who were getting some gains. In a free trade environment however, the third world countries are the inevitable losers. This has sparked violent demonstrations at the G8 conferences where such decisions are promulgated. This is power by stealth.
Globalisation happened before we could say yes or make any decisions to control it. As we travel more, have cheap available communication. Globalisation is here to stay and we are best to learn how to handle it.
Globalisation is part of the environmental lobby; to think globally, act locally. Some of the world’s issues, like global warming, International law, United Nations, nuclear war require global thinking.
Globalisation is counter to nationalism. There are still many people who are proud of their culture and nations but nationalism is seen as potentially threatening as in previous wars.
Internet
Social Issues:
The collective knowledge within the Internet virtual space is rich because of the diversity of opinion. It has created a system of self-organization of diverse people. Communication, communities, networking and connectivity are made easier with the Internet.
Economic Issues
The learning organization of seamless home, work and relaxation based learning drives economic principles and action. Most corporations and businesses need to have dot.com facilities to be competitive. Online consumerism and marketing is the main reason the Internet can continue to operate. It may not remain a free service for much longer.


Axis of evil issues
The Internet can also bring terrorism, pornography, paedophilia, and websites on how to suicide, be anorexic, make a bomb etc freely, quickly and easily into our homes. Like every human activity, the Internet makes evil happen just as much as good things.

Education resources
Learning and knowledge can exist in non -human places, like virtual space, computer data banks, Internet resources. Artificial intelligence is an issue for the future. The Information Highway requires techniques on how to find information rather than rote memory. Learning theories are now challenged due to the Internet resource. Thinking has changed to reflect multi-modal, non-linear technology advances.
Human collective activity
Humans have collectively destroyed a lot of the environment, each other and the future. Where can we find some good in collective activity?
Vygotsky saw collective activity as the basis for education. He framed socio-cultural-historical learning as collective knowledge passed on in a collective fashion. The Internet and globalisation can achieve learning of the complexity of human knowledge as if the Internet was the Zone of Proximal Development and collective knowledge is stored there. Scaffolding is provided by search engines and motivation comes from need. Vygotsky saw this as part of Marxist philosophy. The Internet is seen as the missive regarding democracy. Learning is more likely to occur through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks. Technology is able to do most of the basic functions so that the collective human endeavour can exercise creativity and innovation. This is supported by the Internet technology and is understood in terms of the new pedagogies.
Now lets meta-analyse this quote- take a birds eye view of what it is really saying.
A new era of human connectivity has occurred. It was due to a number of technological inventions, like the telephone, air travel, news reporting, satellite navigation and import/export businesses to name a few. There are multiple drivers towards a globalized view of the world but the Internet has accelerated the process. The Internet is designed with a completely different approach to traditional thinking. It embodies multi-media, multi-modal, multi-directional thinking. Education on how to use this technology and education as a tool for networked connectivity has become a central issue to this medium.
Summary
Education is the key to understanding processes in technology and the Internet. Reciprocally the Internet and technology have enhanced Education. One of the aspects of education and technology has been the ability to see the world as shrinking, accessible across time and space. A globalised community that values the diversity of people but capitalises on this diversity to create a system of co-operation and collective human endeavour is seen as the hope for the future.

Bibliography
Poell, R & van Moorsel M (2007) The learning network theory: its contribution to our understanding of work based learning projects and learning climate, The University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands http://webdoc.ubn.kun.nl/mono/p/poell_r/learneth.pdf
Accessed Googlesearch 1/4/2007
Siemens, George (2005), Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
(2005) Connectivism: Learning as Network-Creation http://www.learningcircuits.org/2005/nov2005/seimens.htm
Wiley, D. A and Edwards, E. K. (2002). ‘Online self-organizing social systems: The decentralized future of online learning’. http://wiley.ed.usu.edu/docs/ososs.pdf.