Part II: Popping the lid off of #msloc430

The Winter quarter session of the course I teach – MSLOC 430, which explores enterprise social networks (ESNs) and their impact on work and learning – ended a month ago. It was my first attempt to pop the lid off of the course by designing some ways in which both the enrolled, on-site graduate students and any “open learners” might engage in exploring a few common questions.

The questions centered on this: How might we innovate use of ESNs and extended, open networks for both work and learning?

Our approach was an attempt to bridge two worlds: Those who are experimenting with new models of working (i.e., working-out-loud, open design, idea management) and those who are experimenting with new models of learning (personal learning networks, MOOCs, Community of Inquiry). What might happen if we started thinking about how these models might come together?

Let me first share a short summary of outcomes from the Winter class session. Then a bit about Part II – an upcoming working-out-loud week.

Much of the initial approach for the Winter session is explained in detail in the outline of topics for the open section of #msloc430 which ran for six weeks in February and March. We produced two documents of resources:

• Technology, Networks and Communities in the Service of Learning
• Technology, Networks and Communities in the Service of Work

We conducted a wide-ranging discussion on innovations and learning via a Twitter chat and several brainstorming discussions in our Google Community:

• Might connectivist MOOCs within an organization eventually encourage the development of Communities of Practice?
• What features in enterprise social network systems might support better development of personal learning networks?
• Might crowdsourcing and idea management lead to development of Communities of Practice

These are big topics. And really we are just beginning to brainstorm. Free from a lot of judgment on ideas. But looking for sparks of inspiration that might lead us to build something new and try it out.

The Spring class session (of enrolled students in the MSLOC program) began almost almost 3 weeks ago. I’ve proposed to the students the idea of doing a working-out-loud week May 4-10. The dates coincide with when the class of 20 students will be on-campus for 2 1/2 full days of face-to-face activities (May 7-9). So we will have a good opportunity to build in some working-out-loud time into the class sessions.

The questions we will explore are the same as in Winter. How might we innovate, by thinking more creatively about how we integrate different models of networked work and learning?

If you want to join us, follow the #msloc430 Twitter hashtag.