The fourth paradigm

Back in November of 2005, I presented a brief history of the great e-learning paradigm wars. As I saw it there were three 'big ideas' in e-learning, each of which seemed to function independently (for no good reason) of the others:

• the first, and the dominant, being the use of computers to deliver interactive, self-study lessons (aka CBT in a web browser);
• the second, the use of the Internet as a channel for the delivery of distance learning courses, employing a variety of types of online learning materials, supported by online tutors and encouraging collaboration between learners;
• and the third, the delivery of short, live online events using virtual classroom software.

For a while I felt smugly self-satisfied with this analysis, as it seemed to encompass all the current offerings to the learning public currently being made by professional trainers and educators. That was my mistake, because the fourth big idea for e-learning has emerged without any intervention from the so-called professionals. It has evolved as a natural function of improved tools for online collaboration and the increasing self-confidence of Internet users. The fourth e-learning paradigm is learners doing it for themselves.

I say 'learners' but it's hard to identify them as such - they don't wear school uniforms and sit neatly in rows behind their desks. Learners in this context are just people looking to get things done and using their initiative to overcome any obstacles in the way (like being short of information or not knowing how to go about doing something). They can do this because they have been empowered by software tools that are incredibly easy to use yet awe-inspiring in their potential. First port of call is of course Google - not a new phenomenon, but one that plays an increasingly important role in everyday life. You will buy books, watch TV documentaries, consult with experts, even go on training courses, but only if you can't find what you need on Google.

But Google's not enough, because with Google you're still essentially a passive recipient; you are not in a position to challenge or debate. More importantly, you don't have the opportunity to publish your own thoughts and opinions, to become a provider as well as a recipient. With the new tools, everyone's a publisher, everyone's a teacher. As we enter 2006, there are something like 30 million blogs like this one, with more than 30 thousand being discovered daily. Blogs allow people like you and me to publish our thoughts and experiences to whoever will take notice. They allow us to make contact with others who are facing similar challenges and who may be able to provide us with help. They expose us to the broadest possible range of views and perspectives, often in stark contrast to the 'official view' or the hysterical outpourings of the mass media.

If you don't like the views of the establishment, publish your own. Join forces with your peers to create and continually enhance your own online learning materials. And with wikis and other content management tools, you'll not be needing the help of any technical experts. If you have more questions than answers, then simply Ask Yahoo! or submit a query to one of the thousands of forums addressing every topic imaginable.

The fourth paradigm represents the ultimate learner-centred approach: learners identify their own needs, work out how best to meet these, implement their own training plan and then evaluate their own results. What they don't do is wait for teachers and trainers to do this for them. This approach is not completely learner-centred because teachers still play an important role - it's just that those teachers are just other learners, trading their expertise for yours.

The fourth paradigm is, of course, simply another manifestation of informal learning, the way that 80% or more of all learning has always been achieved. What's different is the scale of the operation: the pool of over a billion potential teachers and learners; the seemingly limitless supply of learning materials in the form of web pages, blog postings and podcasts. If, as learning professionals, we feel under threat then we are missing the point; we cannot hope to be everyone's teacher - there simply isn't the time. If as learning professionals we can relax our hold on the reins, then the fourth paradigm represents our best chance yet of exploiting the skills and knowledge resident in our organisations and of creating sustainable learning cultures. And that's not a bad way to start 2006.