According to Wikipedia, experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. I guess I’m stating the obvious here, but it seems to me social media is all about experiential learning.
I got to thinking about this recently during the initiation phase of using my new Blackberry. I mentioned in a previous post that I expectantly opened my new BB looking through the box to find the ususal little instruction pamphlets that used to come with every device, appliance and do-it-yourself project that I’ve ever seen. But not the BB.
There is lots of info and learning on the RIM website about the BB, so they don’t leave you high and dry, but, I think RIM is really expecting that most people will understand how to work with their new Blackberry Bold without having lots of instruction and guides. We seem to be moving away from relying on external sources of learning and instruction and instead are hurtling into learning as we go. I think RIM assumes a certain level of learning when they deliver their BB to you, based on presumed previous experience with similar devices.
The implication then, on a broader basis, is that in order to understand the next new thing, you need to understand and be able to work with the one before. So in the case of social media for example, if you aren’t engaged with social media or other technologies soon, it will become harder and harder to pick up as things move so rapidly forward. In other words, if you snooze…. you lose.
So what to do about the fairly large population of people who will be left behind if they don’t engage soon in technology and new applications? The bulk of them are probably over 45ish and see no particular value either professionally or personally to engage in social media, and maybe they are right, for the time being. The problem is that they will be left way,way behind in another 5 years, when applications and technologies have morphed into something else again. At that point social media or whatever it is called by then will probably be an integral part of all of our job functions and day-to-day activities, so if the older crowd isn’t savvy about how to use them, they put themselves in peril of being marginalized and non-competitive.
I would hope (but am not optimistic) that educational institutions, government agencies and employers are thinking about the future of the whole work force and will recognize the value of encouraging and educating the older crowd to learn new things and grow their skills and abilities to match the needs of the market. Of course, the mid-lifers must also recognize the need to change and adapt or risk being moved to the sidelines as an observer instead of a participant.
What are your thoughts?
According to a recent study completed by Cisco Systems, the use of video is going to be the driving factor in broadband growth over the next few years. More and more people are turning to video to reach out, in Cisco’s words for “visual networking” purposes to send messages and to add impact and interest to their blogs, marketing messages, websites etc.
I was fortunate enough to be able to access a Flip Camera at work – they are a small and very easy to use camcorder - basically just press a button and go! The big advantage of course is you can whip out your flip anywhere and take video, which means that those formal kind of “button down”, rehearsed executive videos will become a thing of the past and we’ll all be able to take oodles of family videos wherever and whenever we want.
Flips are relatively inexpensive for a camcorder running at about $150 at Best Buy. Mine has about 60 minutes of recording time and can quickly and easily be recharged or downloaded using a laptop.
Using a flip is a shift from the standard way of developing corporate messaging however and it takes a little getting used to. Now when developing a corporate message as a video you must be able to think visually – taking into account everything from picking the best location for a video, considering lighting and audio and developing a script with language that sounds natural for speaking instead of reading. It is a much more interactive experience with immediate feedback which is good and there is usually a great “blooper reel” at the end of every shoot!
So if you are looking for a cool gift for someone special, try out the flip. You can learn a little more about it here:
Now that the social media class is nearly at an end, I suggest we all meet here for a class reunion. I think this might be Curacao but I am happy to go elsewhere where there is a beach and warm breezes.
Have you made winter vacation plans to some exotic and warm place? Can I come? Will you be twittering and facebooking on the beach while sipping from a tall drink with a small umbrella in it?
Christmas came early for me as I received my first blackberry bold on Friday. It was on my desk when I returned from a meeting and it was exciting to open it up and see how it worked.
I guess RIM assumes everyone knows how to use it, so the box came with no instructions. In my excitement I didn’t think to look at their website for instructions so I just turned it on hoping for enlightenment. It didn’t come.
It asked me for my new password, so I entered one and then we just sat looking at one another. Finally a kindly colleague dropped by and showed me the very simple ropes. I am now texting and reading messages almost like a pro ( kind of) thanks to her. Now, I am just like Rick Mercer in this video…..hey where’s my helmet?
Back in the mid 90’s, Clayton Christianson, a Harvard Business School professor wrote a book entitled The Innovator’s Dilemma in which he coined the term Disruptive Innovation. He defined disruptive innovation as any new technology that unexpectedly replaces an existing one.
Characteristics include:
- initially a limited audience
- may not at first have a defined purpose
- may not always work well, in need of upgrades and changes
- may not have a friendly user interface ( at least at the beginning)
Most of social media seems to meet these criteria as it initially was limited to a few people and no one was quite sure what it all was for and why. As time goes on of course, more and more people are twittering, facebooking and blogging so the tools are becoming more sophisiticated and easier to use.
So what’s next? Will there be a disruptive innovation that displaces Twitter for ex? Is My Space now passe? Foursquare seems to be a new contender. Foursquare is a location based social networking app with a game component. Basically you let your friends know where you are by “checking in” and you give them a little message about what you are doing, with whom or other events happening or about to happen. Everytime you check in you get points and if you check in from new places you receive more points – no prize at the end, just whoever has the most points, has the most points. If you check in enough from one place you can become the Mayor of that specific place There is also a badge system for the number of times you’ve checked in, from what exotic locations etc etc.
So is mobile social networking like Foursqure the next step or is there another new application out there waiting? What have you heard?
Six Pixels of Seperation- Martin Waxman’s blog
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- Altitude: Brand Elevation through Social Media
- Brian Beehler’s blog
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