Relevant resources; Learning

Learning stands at the core of Peers. With Peers, we hope we can improve the quality of search results by creating a dynamic hierarchy of people and content. In a flattened "Web 2.0" world, as we can read in the above articles on organization, this may be very useful. By creating dynamic networks of people and content, users of Peers are able to find not only the information they need within a specific context, but also the experts within that context, who then can be approached for assistance. This is an entirely different notion of learning than traditional learning, which considers learners as "silos", where information enters to be retrieved when needed. Now the silo is the information system, and the learning is networking in this system. Learning is creating (personal) meaning out of this network, which consists of numerous information resources, both in machines as in humans.

In his ground-breaking online article, George Siemens introduces Connectivism, a learning theory that better resembles the learning that happens in the coming century. Stephen Downes, a philosopher and education expert, explains the intertwinement of technology in today's learning, what opportunities this creates, and what should be done about it in e-learning 2.0. He also has a shortlist of tips on "Ten Web 2.0 Things You Can Do in Ten Minutes to Be a More Successful E-learning Professional".

Tacit knowledge is knowledge that people carry in their minds and is, therefore, difficult to access. Often, people are not aware of the knowledge they possess or how it can be valuable to others. Tacit knowledge is considered more valuable because it provides context for people, places, ideas, and experiences. Effective transfer of tacit knowledge generally requires extensive personal contact and trust. Michael Polanyi is an expert in the field of tacit knowledge, and this interesting article treats him and his ideas. Peers is a technology that not only shows information as described in online resources, but links these resources and contributions to the original author, and therefore offering a way to access that tacit knowledge as well.

Lifelong learning is closely related to informal learning. Informal learning becomes more and more relevant, because in information-rich industries, the ability to continuously adapt and learn determines the chance on survival. Because information ecosystems rapidly change, it is increasingly difficult to provide education in the traditional sense, following an industrial workflow and lifecycle. In many domains, the lifecycle of information becomes smaller, and other, more informal and personal approaches toward learning are better suitable. Vicky Swisher in Business Week article: "In 2006 alone, U.S. organizations spent an estimated $129 billion on employee learning, according to the American Society for Training and Development. Despite this investment, the reality is that training and coursework account for only a small percentage—around 10%, according to the CCL studies—of the knowledge that managers and executives need in order to develop critical skills."