During an H817open synchronous session on Personal Learning Networks last night I suggested that PLN and social media in general provided an outlet for intellectual personality. Let me develop that thought a bit.
In a blog last year Shankar (2012) suggested that personality was a combination of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual components. Because the intellectual component is typically only visible in problem solving, it is often (wrongly) evaluated through IQ. This may be particularly true when the physical personality is not outgoing, hence intellectual ideas have little likelihood of expression or no obvious forum.
This does not mean that people have nothing sensible to say, merely that they are disempowered by their isolation from expressing their views. In the context of adult entrants to Higher Education, O’Donnell and Tobbell (2007) suggested “Legitimate peripherality entails complex power relations. When peripherality is a position from which an individual can move forwards toward fuller participation, it is an empowered position. When peripherality is a position from which an individual is prevented from fuller participation, it is disempowering.”
My suggestion is that social networks provide a form of empowerment and voice for peripheral participants in education. Historically, this voice was available only to the few through literary salons, debating societies or learned articles in the press. In academia, the voice was available only to those with access to journals. Those on the periphery with something to say might only be able to voice this to a tutor or to a narrow tutor group, for example through discussion of an essay.
The availability of social media and open courses changes all that. Even the most timid lurker on an open course is likely to be able to identify participants or groups with whom s/he senses some common ground. The asynchronous nature of most media means that contributions can be considered in depth before submission, reducing the perceived risk.
In the more robust forum of professional dialogue, social media are similarly empowering. Weller (2012) stated “In terms of intellectual fulfilment, creativity, networking, impact, productivity, and overall benefit to my scholarly life, blogging wins hands down.”
So my suggestion is that social media, in complete contrast to their popular image as trivial gossip, can in fact be a conduit for the untapped intellectual personality of a large group of learners who have previously been disempowered by lack of access to debate or by their own reticence.
O’Donnell, V, and Tobbell, J (2007) ‘THE TRANSITION OF ADULT STUDENTS TO HIGHER EDUCATION: LEGITIMATE PERIPHERAL PARTICIPATION IN A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE?’, Adult Education Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 312-328 [Online]. DOI 10.1177/0741713607302686 (accessed 12/04/13)
Shankar, R. (2012) ‘Vedantic Wednesday: Recipe for your personality!’ Blog posting 14th March, Raj’s Lab [Online]. Available at http://rajshankar.wordpress.com/tag/intellectual-personality/ (accessed 12/04/13)
Weller, M. (2012) ‘The virtues of blogging as Scholarly Activity’ in The Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 April (online). Available from http://chronicle.com/article/The-Virtues-of-Blogging-as/131666/ (accessed 12/04/13)
Hello Guy
I have absolutely no problem with social media as a place in which people with similar interests meet and have productive discussions, but I do have quite a lot of reservations about it as a place in which to ‘change the world’. I agree with Weller to some extent, in terms of the quote you refer to above, but I think that where I engage in academic thinking with peers in a slow, calm, measured fashion, I find myself engaging in a much more emotional, quick-fire way on forums and blogs and I see the former as much more productive in the sense of scholarly thought. In particular, I find myself to be far less inclined to move on to challenge myself in terms of the thoughts that I create on my blog or in forum conversations. See Guy Claxton’s ‘Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind’ for more thoughts in this vein.
I’ve also answered your post on my blog at greater length with the use of a couple of examples, but I won’t impose these on your space! If others find that ideas raised in social media discussion lead them on to the slower, more objective, contemplative and self-critical thought, then fine. But my own personal experience does not indicate that this is the case. It would be an interesting topic for academic investigation.
Pam
Claxton, G. (1997) Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind. London: Fourth Estate
hello Guy,
the blog post you refer to by Shankar draws on different traditions, but it pretty much coincides with the approach of western theorists of education like Bloom and Piaget, and indeed the concept of my own site which got its name from this distinction.