ideas: Learning Technology

Learning Technology in the Information Age - Online Training Course for Developers: by Dan Appleman @ pluralsight

Dan Appleman: Kibitzing and Commentary » Blog Archive » The Most Common Question
Beginner’s don’t need learning resources – they need learning strategies.

A very interesting and provocative class / presentation.
It is almost a blueprint how to arrange an online school,
including training sites such as pluralsight itself!

It is introducing idea that due to "Information Revolution" (internet technology):
anyone can communicate with any other number of other people, 
and get access to all human knowledge, for free and instantly.

And the result is:

• Knowledge is "free" ("fundamentals", just search for it?)
• Information is "free" ("specific technologies", just search for it)
• Skills (ability to solve problems effectively) is NOT free (yet)
• Innovation is based on expertise, in Knowledge, Information and Skills

The presentation author has a specific, and useful view on technology:
where it is practical to invest time in learning, since technology gets obsolete,
and as mentioned information and "knowledge" is free or cheap?

He also introduces learning "branches"

• Technology
• Business and Finance
• Leadership and Management

In the "information age," usual problem is not availability of information, but filtering relevant information, and that is where training can help.

According to the author, the traditional schools provide "one stop shop" for:

• Fundamentals
• Information 
• Skills (labs, equipment)
• Curation (pre-selecting curriculum)
• Support (teachers, student study groups, exams as deadlines, etc)
• Certification (diploma)
• Expertise

While there are alternatives for each of mentioned aspects of school, most people don't take them in account when trying to learn something. And that is a problem. 

• Books may be considered a "curation" of relevant information about a subject: what to learn, in what order, what to exclude. Good curation can drastically reduce time and cost of learning. 
• Online classes are almost a video representation of a book. 
• Web, blogs, search, product documentation, may be good sources of specific information, but is very unreliable for complete picture of a technology. 
• Schools are good for teaching fundamentals and not so good for up-to-date product information. They could be very expensive.
• New technology is best learned from experts (i.e. conferences, classes etc.)

Learning requires practice to gain skills, the most useful result of learning, by using the information.

• Learn by solving real problems. 
• If you can't find problems, solve somebody else's problems found on online forums. 
• Open source projects are great way to practice and learn

Gaining "expertise" is not most efficient way to get usable skills, but it also could be effective by focusing the knowledge by solving tough problems. 

Certificates could be a measure of competence, if done right. Its value greatly depends on who issues it. Requirements of certifications could also be a source of curation info (what is relevant to know in the domain)

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