Learning in a Time of Abundance: The Community Is the Curriculum

by Dave Cormier

Overview

When enormous amounts of information are available at our fingertips, how do we learn the things we need to know?

In a world overflowing with information, how can we adapt our learning methods to thrive? Dave Cormier, a pioneering figure in digital education, presents a thought-provoking manifesto in Learning in a Time of Abundance. A leading voice in digital learning, Cormier offers a fresh perspective on how we can face the uncertainty of a world where our challenges don't have clear answers amid an overwhelming digital landscape.

Measuring knowledge through memorization and grades made more sense in a world where information was hard to come by. Cormier explores the cultural and teaching changes necessary to adapt in the digital age while emphasizing the importance of understanding how to navigate the vast sea of information we encounter every day, from answering questions like "Should my child play sports that often lead to concussions?" to "How should I chime in on that Facebook conversation on gender identity?" Delving into the history of traditional learning, Cormier addresses the pressing question of how we must transform our learning approaches to thrive in an era of endless information and complex decision making.

This book is a must-read for those seeking guidance on how to adapt when we are overwhelmed by information overload. Whether it's understanding social media influences on children or making impactful decisions as citizens, Cormier empowers readers in the digital age to find their humility, trust effectively, and learn to apply their values in complex situations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421447797
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	01/23/2024
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.76(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dave Cormier (ONTARIO, CA) is a learning specialist at the University of Windsor.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One. Change Has Never Been a Bargain
Chapter Two. Abundance
Chapter Three. How Abundance Is a Problem for Learning
Chapter Four. This Is at Least Partially a Learning Problem
Chapter Five. Societal Implications
Chapter Six. Learning to Confront Uncertainty
Chapter Seven. Practices for an Abundant World
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

This book, shaped with careful precision, chronicles the journey of Dave Cormier and prompts us to question existing teaching and learning norms. It encourages us to learn, unlearn, and relearn, which is a necessary and timely challenge.
—Aras Bozkurt, Anadolu University

This book equips us with the knowledge to navigate learning in our digital society, in very uncertain times. It's an essential guide to deciphering truth in an age of exponential information growth.
—Lawrie Phipps, Keele University

The abundance of content challenges an educational system based on an assumption of scarcity. In this book, Cormier explores the profound implications of abundant content in an accessible and thought-provoking manner. It is essential reading for anyone interested in how education should develop in a digital, networked, and AI-rich society.
—Martin Weller, The Open University

Any book on pedagogy that has a section on how to "Learn to See Who Is Left Behind" is a book that should never be left behind. Dave Cormier's Learning in a Time of Abundance offers insights and provocations on every page. Read it!
—Cathy Davidson, City University of New York, author of The New Education and, with Christina Katopodis, The New College Classroom

Dave Cormier offers an accessible, critical, and timely review of learning in an era of information abundance. It is a provocation to ground education in care and community with guidance to support practitioners. This book will be valuable to anyone working and studying at the intersection of education and technology.
—Beyhan Farhadi, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

In immediate, compelling prose, Cormier urges us to completely rethink our approach to learning and thinking in an age when knowledge is so abundant but uncertainty so high about its veracity or trustworthiness. This book is a bracing, important read for anyone in the practice of education.
—Sarah Cavanagh, author of Mind over Monsters

A lyrical meditation on the impact of information abundance on education, Learning in a Time of Abundance avoids bumper sticker sloganeering, choosing instead to engage with the often surprising implications of our new information environment.
—Mike Caulfield, author of Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions About What to Believe Online

An accessible book with concrete examples of situations that have an abundance of solutions and a parallel abundance of dangers and inequalities. We all struggle with navigating uncertainty. Dave's fresh take on twenty-first-century literacies, and the practices for an abundant world, can help us all rethink our teaching, parenting, and more.
—Maha Bali, The American University in Cairo