Paths to Knowledge 2.0 (PtK), is a web based, free to use, social learning application.
The overall PtK objective is to allow anyone to create and share learning maps, like the one illustrated below, to facilitate the use of visitor created, and external, web content, for learning in a real-time, highly interactive, social environment.
The project is currently in the Concept Development stage.
Project Goal: "Map the internet for learning."
One of many possible PtK Learning Map designs:
Each colored dot represents a link to web content and is referred to as a "Learning Node". The suggested learning path is highlighted in yellow. The other paths are alternate suggestions the learner can explore.
PtK will assist with the organization of visitor created and external web content into pathed links a visitor can follow to achieve specific learning goals.
Goals can be broad, encompassing thousands of steps, or very specific with just a few steps that support just-in-time learning.
Nodes, paths, and sections of paths are all reusable and can be copied or linked to in other paths.
Web 2.0 real-time collaboration tools, like Google Wave, will be available for co-creation, communications, help, and socializing.
The project team is working on setting up the PtK 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, but it will be a few months before we obtain 501(c)3 IRS status. In the meantime, with only a few noted exceptions, all content is copyleft under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License (see the bottom of the page).
Show Core Participants
At this time, PtK is a concept being developed by a few people that work for various organizations. The core participants are:
Wilton Jones, President, HyperWindows Inc. a Colorado web applications corporation
Ann Miller, Director, Unlimited Learning, a Colorado 501(c)3 non-profit adult learning center
Leecy Wise, Reconnection Company - Four Corners Professional Development Resource Center, a Colorado Company
Susan Jones, CIO, HyperWindows Inc. a Colorado web applications corporation
Contact for information or to become involved: Wilton Jones
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What (The main steps a visitor using the system might see.)
This video illustrates what a visitor following a learning path, would see.
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Why (Background, Book List, Research Links):
The internet is a vast and ever expanding store of information. However,
as Albert Einstein said: "Information is not knowledge." In order for a
person to use just the smallest fraction of the available information,
both on and off of the internet, they have to find, assimilate, and
transform what they find into knowledge and skills.
People learn in logical learning steps and they learn best in social
environments. Sometimes the process is linear, but most often it is a
structured pattern, learning something here, something else there,
assimilating, combining, and filtering the information as they progress.
People use the internet to acquire vast quantities of information every
day. Sometimes the information they find is just data. Sometimes it is
used to learn something, perhaps as simple as getting directions,
preparing for an entrance exam, or learning to use a complex 3D drawing
program.
Once information has been found and used, people move on, and
the next person trying to learn the same thing has to start over,
searching, looking, trying to find the best places, the best way, all
over again.
PtK will allow people to easily record and edit their
explorations, creating learning maps in the process, adding notes and comments to content, and creating content where necessary, all for
others to use.
(Three video clips within this video are copyright, all rights reserved, by Dr. Michael Wesch, and used with his permission.)
Show Project Book List
"Crowdsourcing", Jeff Howe, Crown Business, 2008
"Here Comes Everybody", Clay Shirky, Penguin Books, 2008
"How Computer Games Help Children Learn", David Williamson Shaffer, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
"Long Tail, The", Chris Anderson, Hyperion, 2006
"Outliers", Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown, 2008
"Producing Open Source Software", Karl Fogel, O'Reilly, 2006
"Rethinking Education In The Age Of Technology", Allan Collins & Richard Halverson, Teachers College Press, 2009
"Tipping Point, The", Malcolm Gladwell, Back Bay Books, 2000
"Twitter Power", Joel Comm, Wiley, 2009
"Wealth of Networks, The", Yochai Benkler, Yale University Press, 2006
"What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy", James Paul Gee, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007
"Wikinomics" Expanded Edition, Don Tapscott, Portfolio, 2008
"Wikipedia Revolution, The", Andrew Lih, Hyperion, 2009
"Wisdom Of Crowds, The", James Surowiecki, Anchor Books, 2004
"World Is Open, The", Curtis J. Bonk, Jossey-Bass, 2009
Project Research Links
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Who will build all of these paths, nodes, and content?
Anyone. Teachers, students, schools, anyone can create paths, create content, link to, edit and enhance existing path networks and content, and assist others, all while learning. Creating, or improving, a path is one of the best ways to learn something. Helping others is one way to use, and become more proficient with personal knowledge and skills.
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PtK will enable people to easily:
Record and edit their explorations.
Add comments and notes to existing paths and to the web pages visited.
Create new content using the both embedded and external application tools.
Create and edit paths that link system and/or internet content, and links to other related paths or sections of related paths.
Reuse content, paths, and parts of paths created by others.
Record their searches and the pages visited while automatically building paths for them, then allow them to edit the recorded paths.
Keep their paths personal or share them with others.
In addition to modifying content anyone can add comments and notes to any public path and the pages accessed by the learning nodes without actually
having to modifying the
original path
and content. It's a lot like adding a sticky note to a web page. Other learners following the same path can see the note if they
wish.
Visitors can choose to see notes added by others, or
to hide them.
A date slider will allow anyone to view a map as it
was at a point in the past. This will allow teachers and
others to find a path, note the current date, and have
their students use that version of the path for
assignments.
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Social Interaction:
The heart of PtK will be the extensive, real-time, interactive, Web 2.0
social network available to visitors, registered learners, path authors, and content contributors. Google Wave is being considered as the
foundation for PtK social interaction as it seems to cover most of the interaction and collaboration requirements.
People are social learners and socially motivated creators. According to Andrew Meltzoff, social interaction is one of the
most powerful catalysts for learning. It's also the most powerful catalyst for creation and self development as experienced in the
workplace and in schools everywhere. PtK enables authors and learners to engage in both synchronous and asynchronous discussions, form and
interact with working and learning groups, get advice, find a tutor or mentor, or find help at any time by simply clicking a button.
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Conclusion:
The internet exists. Information is being added at a rate equivalent to the contents of over 518,000 Libraries of Congress every year, according
to Michael Wesch. According to Eric Schmidt, the amount of information generated every two days is the same as all of the information created
by humankind from the beginning of recorded history until the end of 2003.
The information needed to learn most general topics and many specialized topics is available, or soon will be. The technology to support
many of the PtK functions exists
today and much of it is free or open source. It just has to be put together using proven co-contribution and crowdsourcing techniques.
PtK is about people helping people to map the internet for learning in order to become self-motivated, self-directed, life-long
learners contributing to the education of people everywhere.
