Digital Connectedness SOLSTICE Conference Keynote Sue
Beckingham | @suebecks 4-5 June 2015
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Digital Connectedness The exponential growth of social media
and the ubiquitous use of mobile technology has changed the way we
communicate both socially and for many also professionally. Digital
spaces have to some extent removed barriers enabling social
learning that is no longer constrained geographically (spacial
boundaries) or by time-zone differences (temporal boundaries). It
is therefore timely to consider our digital capabilities and how
these can be used to communicate and collaborate; and through
interconnectedness provide opportunities for lifelong and lifewide
learning that extend beyond the formal learning we are all familiar
with. This talk will consider why a professional online presence is
so important; the value of using social media to develop global
personal learning networks; and how through open sharing with our
interconnected networks it is possible to develop our scholarly
practice.
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Neither does any company. Neither does any government. We are
all connected AND dependent on each other. Harold Jarche
Connectedness People need to learn how to connect to new people on
a regular basis. No person has all the knowledge needed to work
completely alone in our connected society.
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Social connectedness how people come together, connect and
interact. Micro-level = family, friends, acquaintances Meso-level =
work, closed online community Macro-level = conferences, open
online community
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Our ancient ancestors built the Library of Alexandria to gather
the worlds knowledge in papyrus scrolls TODAY smartphones turn
every palm into an interconnected knowledge library
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the written word would weaken men's characters... and the
abundance of books is a distraction...
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English coffeehouses in the 17 th century
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Video telephony in the year 2000, as imagined in 1910
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The Notificator Social Networking 1935 style 'To aid persons
who wish to inform friends of their whereabouts.' Image source: The
Guardian
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A futuristic utopia... An outside view... Childhood
memories
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The TRI-function reCORDER A portable sensing, computing and
data communication device 'tri' referring to the device's primary
functions sensing + computing + recording
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Letters, call boxes, phone locks....
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and even then information overload was considered an issue...
What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the
attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates
a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention
efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that
might consume it. Herbert Simon 1971 What information consumes is
rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence
a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need
to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of
information sources that might consume it. Herbert Simon 1971
Smart technology growth Mary Meeker 2015 Internet Trends
Report
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Mary Meeker 2015 Internet Trends Report
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mobile microcoordination checking the time checking where our
children are eta expected time of arrival arranging to meet
checking sport scores planning meals
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perpetual connection email social media reading watching video
podcasts games texting video messaging image sharing social
messaging talking chat WORK SOCIAL
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"Connectedness makes us not only connected, but also it has
created an always-on society that lives in real-time where the line
between the real and virtual worlds blur to the point of oneness."
Brian Solis 2015
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Networks of people are being mediated such that people are
easily able to see who is connected to whom and leverage loose ties
to achieve all sorts of work-related goals. Individual knowledge is
often less important than being connected to the right people.
Danah Boyd 2013 Networks of people are being mediated such that
people are easily able to see who is connected to whom and leverage
loose ties to achieve all sorts of work-related goals. Individual
knowledge is often less important than being connected to the right
people. Danah Boyd 2013
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The evolution of networks from dyads... to triads... to
close-knit networks... and loose-knit networks... to complex
interconnected relationships
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Complex LinkedIn network
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diversity and creativity
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Working cooperatively in well established teams is important
for the exchange of knowledge and for understanding what others
know. However... innovation... arises when new ideas, from people
in different groups and communities, are brought together (Gratton,
2007)
Information overload?..or filter failure? Clay Shirky
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Our attention span (8 seconds) now less than Attention spans -
Microsoft that of a goldfish (9 seconds)
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WHY do we connect digitally?
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People around the globe mostly use digital devices for three
primary purposes: relationship building/maintaining information
gathering entertainment viewing/participation Purpose
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Not so new but still relevant....
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The Civic Long Tail Social media is creating the conditions for
the emergence of a civic long tail, a mass of loosely connected,
small-scale conversations, campaigns and interest groups, which
might occasionally coalesce to create a mass movement. From now on,
governments everywhere will have to contend and work with this
civic long tail. Leadbetter 2011:10 The Civic Long Tail Social
media is creating the conditions for the emergence of a civic long
tail, a mass of loosely connected, small-scale conversations,
campaigns and interest groups, which might occasionally coalesce to
create a mass movement. From now on, governments everywhere will
have to contend and work with this civic long tail. Leadbetter
2011:10
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Digital Citizen: basic digital skills Digital Worker:
intermediate digital skills Digital Maker: able to build digital
technology Digital Muggle: currently requiring no digital skills
"Every company is a digital company and almost every job is a
digital job" Chris Mairs 2014
http://www.ukdigitalskills.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Binder7-REDUCED2.pdf
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Assessment of digital skill level required for different jobs
skills Chris Mairs 2014 46 % 10%7%
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Nielsen 2015
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By 2020 More than seven billion people and businesses, and at
least 30 billion devices, will be connected to the Internet. With
people, businesses and things communicating, transacting and even
negotiating with each other, a new world comes into being the world
of digital business. Gartner 2014
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Considerations Persistence Online expressions are automatically
recorded and archived Searchability Content in networked publics
can be accessed through search Scalability The potential visibility
of content in networked publics is great Replicability Content made
out of bits can be duplicated Structural affordances of networked
publics Boyd 2011:46 in A Networked Self: Identity, Community and
Culture on Social Network Sites
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Networked Participatory Scholarship The emergent practice of
scholars use of participatory technologies and online social
networks to share, reflect upon, critique, improve, validate and
further their scholarship Veletsianos and Kimmons 2012 Networked
Participatory Scholarship The emergent practice of scholars use of
participatory technologies and online social networks to share,
reflect upon, critique, improve, validate and further their
scholarship Veletsianos and Kimmons 2012 The Digitally Connected
Scholar
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A connected curriculum Fung 2015, UCL
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connected learning
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"Connected learning thrives in a socially meaningful and
knowledge-rich ecology of ongoing participation Online platforms
can make learning resources abundant, accessible, and visible
across all learner settings." The Connected Learning Research
Network and Digital Media & Learning Research Hub "When the
topic is personally interesting and relevant, learners achieve much
higher-order learning outcomes."
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How visible is your learning?
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seeking sensing sharing Adapted from Jarche 2014 is how we
personalize information and use it. Sensing includes reflection and
putting into practice what we have learned. Often it requires
experimentation, as we learn best by doing. is finding things out
and keeping up to date. Building a network of colleagues is helpful
in this regard. It not only allows us to pull information, but also
have it pushed to us by trusted sources. Good curators are valued
members of knowledge includes exchanging resources, ideas, and
experiences with our networks as well as collaborating with our
colleagues. Interconnected networks
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Academic research silos be gone!.... Become more open Dr
@LauraPasquini 2015 network with colleagues solicit feedback and
reflect on your research and teaching reach multiple audiences
cultivate your identity as a scholar become more open Openness is
the practice of sharing resources and materials (e.g., syllabi,
lectures, research papers) in a way that allows others to retain,
reuse, revise, remix and redistribute them.
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Welcome @EricStoller Using Social Media to Listen and Learn
about UK Higher Education Getting Connected
The Lurker to be in a hidden place : to wait in a secret or
hidden place especially in order to do something wrong or harmful
computers : to read messages written by other people on the
Internet in a newsgroup, chat room, etc., without writing any
messages yourself Vicariousness experiences or felt by watching,
hearing about, or reading about someone else rather than by doing
something yourself
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Positive Silent Engagement PSE I would like to argue that
positive silent engagement is not only valuable, but an essential
component of digital connectedness. We learn by listening. It is no
different online
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Global digital connectedness
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https://press.linkedin.com/about-linkedin build connections
group discussions collaboration opportunities share your expertise
Connectedness
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BARRIERS to connecting digitally
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innovators early early late laggards adopters majority majority
Techies Conservatives Pragmatists Visionaries Skeptics "Let's try
it" "Get ahead of the herd" "Stick with the herd" "Hold on there"
"Hmm... no way"
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Digital connectedness takes time, but... What you plant now you
will harvest later Og Mandino
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Why arent more people connected globally? Is it that: devices
are too expensive. service plans are too expensive. mobile networks
are few and far between. content isnt available in the local
language. people aren't sure what value the Internet will bring.
power sources are limited or costly. networks cant support large
amounts of data.
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The NOW of digital connectedness
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The Power of Facebook in the Gihembe Refugee Camp, Rwanda The
camp doesn't have electricity but people use Facebook every day.
Learn more at: www.thesenumbers.orgwww.thesenumbers.org
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http://thesenumbers.org/
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Internet.org is a Facebook-led initiative bringing together
technology leaders, non-profits and local communities to connect
the two thirds of the world that doesn't have Internet access.
Everyone participating in Internet.org has come together to meet
this challenge because they believe in the power of a connected
world.
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Solar-powered high altitude, long endurance aircraft that can
stay aloft for months, can be quickly deployed and deliver reliable
internet connections. Connecting the world by the sky Facebook
Connectivity Lab
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https://twitter.com/internet_org Inventing the future of
connectivity
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Project Loon balloons travel approximately 20 km above the
Earths surface in the stratosphere. Winds in the stratosphere are
stratified, and each layer of wind varies in speed and direction.
Project Loon uses software algorithms to determine where its
balloons need to go, then moves each one into a layer of wind
blowing in the right direction. By moving with the wind, the
balloons can be arranged to form one large communications network.
Google's Project Loon
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Balloon powered internet for everyone
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The first pilot tester to connect to balloon-powered Internet
for the first time in New Zealand
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The FUTURE of digital connectedness
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Sue Beckingham | @suebecks Educational Developer with a
research interest in the use of social media in education. Blog:
http://socialmediaforlearning.com/
http://socialmediaforlearning.com/ LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/suebeckinghamlinkedin.com/in/suebeckingham