From Studyplace

Contents 1 Overview 2 Rationale 2.1 Underlying Theory 2.2 Networks and the Internet 2.3 Educational Theory 2.3.1 Learning is personal 2.3.2 Learning is social 3 State of p2p 3.1 p2p outside of learning/ed 3.2 applied to education 4 Potential for expansion

Overview

Peer-to-peer (p2p) learning describes formal systems of learning and study that occur outside of traditional institutions of education (i.e. schools). It's different than self-study, because it values inter-personal interaction, and does envision a positive role for "experts". While the idea of p2p is not new, the Internet and new digital tools make it feasible on a large scale for the first time.

This article explores some of the rationale both from both a moral/ethical as well as learning efficiency point of view.

Rationale

Underlying Theory

• Berlin, negative freedom
• Dewey ("aims in education")
• Illich (deschooling, conviviality)
• Ranciere (assumption of equality)
• McClintock, "Place for study"

Networks and the Internet

• Stallman, FSF
• Barlow/EFF (maybe)
• p2p (Benkler, Bauwens, Suoranta)
• "commons"
• lower transaction costs (Benkler)
• networks (Castells)
• dispersed knowledge (Sunstein)

Educational Theory

Learning is personal

the case for self-directed learning and digital resources

• motivation, self-directed
• digital resources/hypertext
• cases, anchors, and exploration (Bransford, Brown, Kinzer)

Learning is social

aka why digital resources are not enough

• Vygotsky
• J.S. Brown
• Lave & Wenger

State of p2p

p2p outside of learning/ed

• free software
• file sharing
• how p2p computing works

applied to education

• skype
• wikiversity
• contrast to open courseworks
• StudyPlace
• OLPC

Potential for expansion

what we envision...