Oriol Miralbell's_research » Connectivism

Research Project – a third explanation

Oriol Miralbell — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:34:32 +0000

Here’s the link to the document that explains the research project of my PhD Thesis, on which I’m working since 2 years.
I’ve gathered most empyrical data after an intense fieldwork and I hope to start writing my conclusions the next fall.
This month of August I will write on the methodological arguments, which are the main contribution of my thesis (in my opinion).
You can download the project explanation from this link

Launching the NEW survey of my research

Oriol Miralbell — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:38:02 +0000

After more than two years working on the theoretical framework for my PhD research on “Evaluating Online Social Networks in generating knowledge among tourism professionals”, together with my two directors Dr. Francesc González Reverté and Dr. Jaume Guia, i’ve reached the point to launch the survey which is the first visible part of the epirical study.

I’m happy to be at the point where the first outcomes are visible, after this long period of readings and discussions, of questioning and asking to experts and friends about online social networks as learning environments.
I’m really excited on the possible results of the analysis I will do once I receive the information from you, the experts. At the same time, I fear I won’t ger enough responses from all of you.
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the web 2.0 tools and to have a better picture from this new and still unknown Network Society. I have found in this study one of the most exciting intellectual activities I’ve ever had. It has stressed from me all the rational and intellectual abilities I had, if I ever had one. It has kept me connected to the issue all time I was awakened and sometime in my dreams too.
Thus I want this project to finish with a set of conclusions that can help us all, users, academics, experts and, in general, followers of the web 2.0 and the social media and of e-learning to get more from it.
I’d like to invite you to participate in this survey that is directed to all those professionals, business people, academics, consultants, experts and lovers of tourism, that use online social networks to communicate and learn.

Here’s the link for the survey in SPANISH and here’s it ENGLISH.

I want to thank you in advance for your help by answering to this survey, that will take you only 15 minutes of your time.
I WISH YOU A PEACEFUL XMAS TIME AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

CCK09 Eluminate session on Nov, 19

Oriol Miralbell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:13:40 +0000

The great Eluminate session today with George Siemens shed some light into my doubts, but it also raised lots of questions that will require long tinking before putting them in order.
The session was the most active and participative I’ve seen in Eluminate thanks to George’s moderation and the dynamics he cretated on people inviting to write on the board, and raising questions directly to the audience.
The participation was, sometimes, chaotic, but it also showed what our technologies are still missing. I felt that in F2F collective sessions we have natural skills in identifying the origin of the messages, and we can concentrate in what we have interest on, whilst we can ignorate what we don’t want to listen to. In a digital synchronous session this is much more difficult.
The voice and the spoken language are an environment where we feel comfortable and we can even pay attention to two messages that are give simultaneously, even if we don’t get all of them. On the opporite side, I feel that our vision focuses and concnmtrates more in one direction and we miss all those messages that are out of scope. This doesn’t happen with oral communication.
On the other hand, vision and sound lets us idntify what and when things are happening. In a social event we learn that there exist protocols and latent rythms that we have to follow. In a session running only with sound and chatting, even with collaboration board, like Eluminate, these protocols and rhythms are less evident.
For the first time, after e-lecturing for several years, I felt that IT have to provide much more instruments to build rules and protocols similar to the ones developped in presential meetings, if we like to collaborate simultaneously on a digitla way.
Most of the issues raised by George where reinforcing my questions and also did the many messages wtitten by the other participants on the board or in the chat area.
We were dicussing about methodological concepts for teaching and collaborative learning, whilst the problems that emerged in the discussion where more practical and empyrical. It was a great feeling beeing in such a metaphor of collaborative learning experiment.
Thanks to George Siemens and to the rest of the moderators, and to all the coursemates.

Las organizaciones abiertas y la generación de conocimiento

Oriol Miralbell — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:12:18 +0000

Parece mentira que aún con la cantidad de redes y contactos lejanos que la gente tiene en Internet, se siga pensando que las organizaciones de cualquier tipo pueden generar conocimiento y ganar competitividad de igual manera.

El otro día, des de la web de CitiLab en Cornellà presentaban la entrevista a David Starck, profesor y experto en innovación en las organizaciones. David Stark, tiene en alguno de sus artículos referencias a la importancia de que las organizaciones deben ser abiertas para innovar. También afirma que a veces funcionan mejor las colaboraciones transversales que las jerárquicas y si son de departamentos diferentes, pueden complemenbar su conocimiento para generar nuevo.
Aunque en la entrevista que le han hecho en CitiLab de Cornellà (http://es.citilab.eu/actualidad/opinion/stark) el título diga: “En realidad no son los individuos los que innovan, sino las organizaciones”, els siempre entiende que han de ser grupos abiertos los que generen conocimiento. Parece lógico, que en un sector compuesto mayoritariamente por empresas pequeñas y medianas (con poco más de 15 personas), como es el turismo (del cual me ocupo en mi investigación) resulta a menudo difícil generar conocimiento colectivamente dentro de estructuras tan herméticas. Sin embargo si las empresas colaboran en los procesos de producción o en la cadena de valor, entonces la generación de conocimiento es más posible a través de la interacción.

Hoy, a través de Twitter, Dolors Reig anunciaba su post en el blog El Caparazón (altamente recomendable) bajo el lema: “Empresa abierta como condición necesaria para el aprendizaje también abierto”. Para mí éste es el paso más difícil para las organizaciones. abrirse a sus proveedores, su competencia, sus clientes, su entorno, en general. Dolors hace referencia a un estudio de Deloitte sobre “más de 400 empresas, incluyendo algunas en la lista Fortune 100″ muy interesante donde se ve el interés de las empresas por potenciar las comunidades en su interior.

Aunque como dice ella respecto a los resultados (respuestasde las más de 400 empresas) del estudio de Deloitte,

Aprendizaje, Conocimiento, parecen no aparecer todavía, posiblemente por falta todavía de aplicaciones empresariales adecuadas, en el marco de la web social. Los PLEs, cuyo desarrollo en entornos verticales preveo importante en 2010, pueden cambiar el panorama, aproximarlo un poco más a la idea del Aprendizaje abierto. Empresa abierta como condición necesaria para el aprendizaje también abierto.

Está claro que hay trabajo para convencer a las empresas en que el aprendizaje forma parte del proceso de innovación tal como Wenger, Starck, etc. ya han afirmado. Importante tarea, pues, el difundirlo.

Se genera conocimiento colectivo entre las empresas turísticas?

Oriol Miralbell — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:33:54 +0000

Este es parte de un post hecho en mi blog de la COMUNIDAD HOSTELTUR, una comunidad muy activa e interesante del scetro turístico. Hago mención aquí de este post porqué está generando un debate muy interesante en dicha comunidad. Podeis leer más en: Se genera conocimiento colectivo entre las empresas turísticas?

Llevo unos años trabajando en ello pero no había realizado ninguna pregunta abierta a la comunidad Hosteltur. Creeis que entre las empresas turísticas se genera conocimiento de forma colectiva?

Me explico: las comunidades de práctica son concidas por su importancia a la hora de generar conocimiento de forma colaborativa. Dichas comunidades pueden existir por muchos motivos, sin embargo las dinámicas que se generan, si funcionan de manera normal, suponen unas condiciones de colaboración ideales para la generación colaborativa de conocimiento.

Continuar leyendo aquí

Leadership for connective knowledge?

Oriol Miralbell — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:18:51 +0000

I’m working in my PhD research and after two years of rambling through the immense world of scientific and academic literature dealing with Social Networks, Knowledge Management, Virtual Communities and Informations Systems, I discovered last year the CCK08 course which impressed me so much that I’ve decided to follow it this year again. I must give up that this is something completely different of the course last year,and it’s because of the people taking part on it. The act different, react differenr. In other words we all are different, which makes connective leanring something unique depending on the moment it’s done and the group.

I’m working on a model that wants to understand what factors inmpacta positively in generating knowledge in a virtual community that uses online social apps to communicate. My research wants to study a specific VC, that is a VC on Tourism Professionals,. because this is an Industry where professionals seldomexchange knowledge and thus where innovation is scarce among the small and middle sized companies, qhch are de huge majority of the industry. Only big oturism companies (groups or chains) are using internal knwoeldge management tools and innovate.

So I decided that Connective learning could be also a way to learn outside the classroom. Professionals could use it and I wwanted to see if these professionals use Connective leraning as means to generate knwoeldge, or at least if they are aware (or recognize) that they’re using connective knowldge inside their VC.

I asked to Stephen Downes on the factors that would be determinant to consider that a VC is achieving a coonnective learning. A sort of success factors for connective leanring communities. I must thank Stephen for his quick and generous answer. The fundamental factors like Autonomy, Diversity, Openness and INteractions / connectivity have been integrated in my analysis model tha I will use ion a survey to the members of these VCs.

Todau, though I got a mail from another participant to the CCK08 last year (Dolors Reig) and great expert in participatory communities of knowledge who sent me her feedback to my research proposal and suggested two new issues to be considered in my research: Find relations in benefits for thr organization vs. benefits to the individual; and the second: learning vs. knowledge sharing. I will have to work on those comcepts to integrate them in my model.

Finally I knew over Twitter about the Post of Prof. Valdis krebs about the Connections of the Chicago 2016 Commitee and the reasons of the failure. And after thinking his conclusions (he could proove after a SNA, that there were two different clsuters with different interests) that this showed a lack of leadership in the Chicago Commitee which probably influences he decision of the CIO.

So it comes to my mind a questions: do connective learning communities leed any kind of leadership? What do you think?

Sorry for making it so long.

Starting a new project

Oriol Miralbell — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:40:29 +0000

This site is intended to be an instrument of communication in my academic research. Actually I’m working on my PhD Thesis and after two years of readings and observations I’m at the point of finishing the queationnaire for the survey I want to launch in the coming weeks.

Parallel to this research I’m following the CCK09 course that George Siemens and Stephen Downes are coordinating over the Internet. I strongly recommend this course to all rthose qho are interested in e-learning, knowledge sharing and connective or cooperative learning.

I hope and wish that this site becomes a forum for debate and knowledge generation.