Some thoughts about Learning aware environments

Reference: Nicolas Balacheff, Learning aware environments, eAgenda 2006 European Forum, Castelldefels, Spain, 24 October 2006
 

Could we “introduce learning in every human activity”? From a non-English speaking perspective this question may sound strangely. Isn’t it the case that learning is present everywhere and at every moment in our life?  This is a matter of survival. Learning is a competence shared by all living organisms. Learning is life-long; it starts with our first breath and continues until the very last one. However there is something specific to human-beings, which is that not only do they learn to survive in their biosphere, but also they have to learn to survive in a noosphere that humanity is continuously building, renewing, transforming. The noosphere is made tangible by human artefacts, but essentially by language. Learning in the noosphere is so complex that specific strategies have been developed to support it, namely teaching (or education, instruction, training, coaching, etc.).

At this point it is interesting to come back to the origin of “learning” and “teaching” in the English language. Both words have a German origin, tracing back respectively to “læran” and “tæcan” in Old English. While the latter meant “to show” or “to persuade”, the former was preferred to mean “to teach” or “to guide”. Then, could we suggest that the English word learning has a teaching connotation, and that as a result the meaning of  the question is: “can we introduce læran in every human activity?”, what introduces the idea of environments with “teaching” capabilities.
 

Designing environments likely to stimulate and support learning outside formal education and training —or situations mimicking these—was in most cases out of reach until the emergence of the digital technology which bridges the biosphere, where our bodies and activities are developing, and the noosphere where minds and intellectual constructs are developing. While language and the related symbolic technology (writing and reading) were the privileged tools to support learning, digital technologies go beyond by producing highly interactive simulations and virtual worlds. But more significant is the development of augmented reality, the systematic embedding of sensors and system on ship in all artefacts which open the possibility of a “merge” of both spheres. Here is the challenge of ambient computing.

Just as the rest of our environment, modern digital technologies cannot support learning if they have not been designed on purpose by incorporating teaching (coaching, instructing, scaffolding, or else) features. This is the challenge of designing, implementing and understanding learning aware environments. They are environments which have the capacity to recognize and capture relevant events from observing the human activity, the ability to understand the learning needs and then to provide the adequate feedback in whatever form. This is a scientific and technological challenge for ambient computing and research on cognitive systems. This is also a political challenge because the full development of learning aware environment will not be possible without addressing ethical (protecting the individuals and the communities) and economical problems (accepting that knowing is a universal right).

Ambient learning

Retrieved from the TEL opinion blog, January the 4th, 2007

"Ambient learning", in the TEL context, comes in general as part of expressions like "Ambient learning environment" (eg Gomez and al. 2004) or "Ambient learning technologies" (e.g. Lonsdale and Vavoula 2004). It refers to "devices and systems that enable active, responsive environments that play a part in the learning process". The expression is reminiscent of "ambient intelligence", an ICT conceptual construct referring to "devices [which] work in concert to support people in carrying out their everyday life activities, tasks and rituals in easy, natural way using information and intelligence that is hidden in the network connecting these devices" (Wikipedia ). Moreover, "As these devices grow smaller, more connected and more integrated into our environment, the technology disappears into our surroundings until only the user interface remains perceivable by users." (ibid.).  Richard Noss in the late 80s coined the expression "ambient learning culture", but the connotation seems to be different. The quotation and its textual context is:

It should be clear that the computer is being cast in a rather special relationship to the learning process, not simply as another concrete embodiment of an abstract mathematical concept. As Dörfler (1986) argues, the distinction between concrete and abstract is artificial in any case, since it presupposes that there exists an a priori union of actions and operations which is fractured in the course of learning. The key idea is that of focusing attention on the important relationships involved, a role in which [...] the computer is rather well cast; but not without the conscious intervention of educators, and the careful development of an ambient learning culture." (Noss 1988 p.263).

By "ambient learning culture" Noss means that one, in such a culture, would engage in learning in any occasion, everywhere, at any time; while in "ambient learning environment", it is the environment which is supposed to stimulate and support learning; an environment which might be naturally tutoring... Again, for the non-native English speaker, there may be some teaching in this meaning of learning. Then, how to translate that correctly in other languages than English? and, more important, what is the conceptual rational of this expression?

  Dorfler, W.: 1986, 'The cognitive distance between material actions and mathematical operations', in Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp.141-146). London Gomes A., Mendes A.-J., Marcelino M.J. (2004)  Avaliação e evolução de um ambiente de suporte à aprendizagem de programação. Actas do VII Congresso Ibero-Americano de Informática Educativa, Monterrey, México, Outubro de 2004   Lonsdale P., Vavoula G. (2004) Research into current technology that could be applied to the design of learning spaces. Report prepared for JISC project eSpaces   Noss R. (1988) The computer has a cultural influence in mathematical learning (pp. 251-268) in Bishop A. (ed.) Mathematics education and culture. Dordrecht: Kluwer pub.