Mathemagenic

Epistemological Foundations for CSCL [via Serious Instructional Technology]

I gave my copy of this article for Geri and more people are interested to have it. It is nice to have printer here.

Geri looks how learning is happening in CoPs and how it could be facilitated. Some citations [as I've heard them]:

Community is defined by its learning curriculum

Metacapabilities are the underlying abilities that are necessary for us to function, underlying core competencies.

People are not comfortable with things changing, but they don't mind with new things getting introduced.

Knowledge is created by challenging schemas.

Discussion

• We do not see the external world directly (that's impossible)
• New information must be dissolved in old experiences (schemata)
• We are not aware of our schemata and do not question the validity of using them.

How CoP can work to challenge and change schemas?

Free discussion: reading -> talk about what you found there -> questioning why we come up with those interpretations

This is something that I definitely had before as part of the adult learning stream, but probably with other names. Also something to do with Vygotsky and double-loop-learning.

Follow-up

• We can use free discussion for our Quaerere discussions. How can we arrange it?
• Geri is learning free discussion as part of her PhD. I want the same.
• In any case - this is something to explore.
• Find something to read from Lave and anthroposophy.

Rosita talks about interorganizational learning. She looks how mechanisms for coordinating between companies work as learning mechanisms and maps that to the type of knowledge (Backler 1995-1999): embodied, encultured, embrained, embedded, encoded. Rosita did very good thing asking for our suggestions for the research directions she might take. Pity that I didn't have much time for it.

We came to the old discussion about the definition of knowledge.

Rachel presents her finished PhD research on dynamics and conditions for mentoring. I hope to have more discussions about her research. She used grounded theory approach, which is something interesting to explore.

Just thought: you can think about mentoring as about "avanced knowledge sharing" combined with facilitation for knowledge creation.

I had my presentation about knowledge workers and blogs. First I presented my PhD research [BTW, I've got it approved last Monday and I will post it here as soon as I get a bit of time to make it shorter] and then talked about my blogging experience with relation to PhD work.

The outcomes are:

• [PhD concept] Most of the PhD questions were on methodological side: One or many factors? Consistent way of measuring? The role of leadership? I know ;) I should also find better word for instruments.
• [blogs] Questions: How do I start one? How we can use blogs for Quaerere work? Individual benefits of blogging  are more or less clear, but what are the group benefits? (I have also answered many others)
• [reading list]
  • S.Pinker, The language instinct [Gerald]
  • M.L.J.Abercrombie, The anatomy of judgment [Geri]
  • David H.Maister, Practice what you preach [Gerald]

We started from short presentations of everyone and expectations round. Many people in the group return to the question of structure and democracy. Down to the earth: do we want to get results or do we care more about process?

• To discuss what we want as a group and how we work together after this meeting finishes
• To carry on with our KMSS discussions
• To get to know each other better
• To find out about each other research - and to see the process
• To develop a functional group (group that being capable of doing something)
• To develop common language
• To find out the way to start group blog that will allow us to discuss deeper theoretical issues
• To discuss how we get write a book together
• To think how we can have international research network
• To learn about other aspects of KM field next to my work and focus
• To use this group as a laboratory for my ideas
• To get feedback on the research
• To get new perspectives for my research from this multidisciplinary and multicultural background
• To improve my English
• To get (future) feedback on my papers
• To get FEEDBACK

I have strange feelings about our work: we try to be organic and not put much structure on our communication, but it doesn't work well. As our face-to-face time is limited, we are struggling to find balance between organic and formal to have some results in the end. I found out that this is our main dilemma (not only for this meeting, but for the group as whole): between steering and organic emergence.

Metaphor: how we deal with planning

Three guys were lost at Amazon river and they had a map to get out of there. Map of another place. But they used it and were able to find the way home [thanks, Geri].

[Context - Quaerere Dialog]

We are started yesterday with heavy dinner discussions about Quaerere group and our plans for these two days. I am lucky to have internet in the room, but the keyboard is French, so I will try to use my computer to make notes and this station to post them...