Does e-learning 3.0 require mindset 3.0?

Steve Wheeler published a post about the new concept of e-Learning 3.0. He described four key drivers that will enable this change:

  1. Distributed computing
  2. Extended smart mobile technology
  3. Collaborative intelligent filtering
  4. 3D visualization and interaction

While he may be correct in technical terms, the question remains, will it be used. I am afraid that a new divide will be opened. A divide between the people who want to collaborate and who want to use mobile technology, etc. to learn, and the people who consider learning to be (hard) work interfering with their leisure time. I am afraid that updating e-Learning 2.0 to the next version does require also an upgrade of the previous mindset of the potential users to mindset 3.0, with its prominent features:

  1. Curiosity
  2. Eagerness to learn
  3. Desire for collaboration
  4. Embracing of change
  5. Fondness of individual thinking

If these features are not widely available, a few (10/100?) million people globally will race ahead towards e-Learning 4.0 while the majority maunders behind. To upgrade the mindset will be a major task to be carried out by schools, parents, and society as a whole.
 

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An "upgrade of the previous mindset of the potential users" ? Isn't this cart before the horse, requiring users to change in order to get with the latest technological wizzery?

If e-learning 2/3/4.0 doesn't demonstrably tackle problems at the top of the to-do list for major organisations and people they are trying to serve (eg academic students or enterprise staff), surely no one will have the time to get to grips with #4 on that list especially, regardless of any other fondness, eagerness, or desires...?

History tells us something: we had management 1.0, “command & control”.
Over the centuries, people developed, became knowledgeable; we entered the information & knowledge era. We still have management 1.0 and it does not work.

In other words: we had low productivity but high motivation.
Today, the technological wizzery leads to better productivity but everyone is demotivated, … don’t want to play the game anymore (Gallup surveys). Isn’t this the proof for a divide somewhere ?

"To upgrade the mindset will be a major task to be carried out by schools, parents, and society as a whole."...
Yes,,, though another way of looking at it is that your average 3 year old very much fits the following:
1. Curiosity
2. Eagerness to learn

4. Embracing of change
5. Fondness of individual thinking

(I've omitted 3, as a lot aren't really good at collaboration yet ...) Perhaps we just need to help them learn

3. Desire for collaboration

And not forget 1,2,4&5.

Thank you Emma, important comment. I do agree, just looking at my two kids, I can see your point. But looking at adults, I often get the feeling they don't have this mindset anymore (I am exaggerating). Did they downgrade? What made them do that? Parents, educational system, employers, non-employers, development of the brain, ...? Might be an interesting research topic.

Thank you for your comments. You have raised some valuable points.

  1. Emma pointed out, that children have most of the features of mindset 3.0 already.The only lack is in the ability to collaborate, as social skills are still in development. Important point for parents and the educational system. This raises the question why is it different for adults.
  2. cynan_sez remarked An "upgrade of the previous mindset of the potential users" ? Isn't this cart before the horse, requiring users to change in order to get with the latest technological wizzery? I don't see it this way. My premise is that learning and being able to learn is a very high value for the individual and and society as a whole, if it wants to progress. "Mindset 3.0" is required for an active, selfguided learner independend of the technology being used. The emphasis is on selfguided. My critique of the original post by Steve Wheeler is that in order to realize the potential of e-Learning 3.0 the mindset has to change in a way that learning is fun, is part of work and leisure time for the majority and not just for a relatively small group. This probably will dissolve the boundery between work and leisure time.
  3. Rene interestingly pointed out that this is not just an issue of technology or e-Learning, but can be seen in other areas like management as well. New developments are actually demotivating, if the environment does not change as well. The development and use of an optimal environment for self-guided learning of the individual and subsequent empowerment of the individual are seen as senseless and demotivatiing if the new competencies can not be put to use. A consequence could be that we not only need "mindset 3.0" in order to be motivated to use e-Learning 3.0, but we also need employer 3.0, company 3.0, enterprice 3.0, society 3.0,  ... for the learner to put his competencies to work and to feel appreciated in doing so. This is  important as it is not just a mindset 3.0 that is required as I originally thought, but also the environment must be in favor of people with this mindset.

More food for thought! Thank you so far!

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