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Instructor-led, classroom-based learning is the most common type of learning that most of us have experienced throughout our lives. However, new modalities of learning are being rapidly enabled as technology advancement allow large amounts of learning resources to be more easily and readily available. These new modalities of learning fueled by Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 is what is driving what is now referred to Learning 2.0.

Technology advancements are enabling Learning 2.0 to provide a fundamental shift in learning methodology that places the learner in the center of learning and allows the learner to control the learning process.

Learning 2.0 augments the conventional methods of learning through access to a rich set of Enterprise 2.0 tools that continue to evolve and change the way we experience learning. For many companies, the shift to Learning 2.0 involves a major culture shift in how people learn through a new and powerful set of technologies. Let’s take a look at how the evolution of how smartphones have enabled learning to occur anywhere and anytime. A user can quickly watch a YouTube video, read a blog, connect with others on a social network, lookup something on Wikipedia, or find information using intelligent search.

The culture shift is already happening in many companies, universities and even in K12 schools. This shift involves fundamental changes in the behavior and thinking for both the instructor and the learner. Here are some examples of these key shifts that are enabling and accelerating new models of learning:

• We are all Contributors:  Anyone with expertise and domain knowledge can create learning experiences for others to benefit from.
• The Anytime Phenomena:  There is an expectation that learning resources are available when the learner needs them as opposed to some scheduled time – new delivery mechanisms are providing on-demand access on a 24/7 basis.
• Blended Learning:  Learners are becoming more accustomed to a blended approach that combines classroom, online, experiential, social, etc. ranging from informal to formal delivery
• Available Anywhere:  Collaboration and sharing is no longer inhibited by physical location as content is made available online.

Some of the learning models that are gaining more popularity as a result of the E2.0 emergence include:

• Informal – this type of learning occurs through normal day-to-day interaction with co-workers and colleagues. This type of informal learning is in some realms called “Peer Mentoring.” For example, teams are informally sharing knowledge through the use of a collaborative workspace such as a wiki.
• Social – the use of social profiles and networks allow consumers and producers of learning to connect; interacting with a trusted social connection is a powerful means to find domain knowledge experts.
• Collaborative – the ability for a wide spectrum of people (i.e., from a few to thousands) to work together in a collaborative fashion. A great example is SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/) that houses almost ¼ million open source projects. Many companies are gaining a competitive business advantage through the use of internal open source projects and the advent of communities of practices to harness collective intelligence.
• Experiential – The ability to learn through a set of experiences that lead to or enforce learning. Experiences include simulations, group work, games, etc. Check out Innov8 from IBM (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/index.html)

Listed below are some of the E2.0 features and functionality that are supporting Learning 2.0.

• Blogs
• Video/Audio Podcasts
• Communities of Practice
• Collaborative Workspaces
• Knowledge Portals
• Wikis
• Enterprise Search

In summary, Learning 2.0 is placing the learner in control and at the center of how, when and what they learn through a blended model that is powered by the advancements in Enterprise 2.0.