Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Diplomado de Actualización en Lingüística

Aplicada

Teemu Arina And The Future Of

Learning

Cervantes Rojas Alejandra

Enero , 2009.
 Teemu Arina And The Future Of
Learning

This is a review about an interview with a Finnish educational scholar called

Teemu Arina who works in the development of social
software (software that allows users to interact or
share data e.g. myspace, wikis, blogs, etc.). According
to Teemu Arina this kind of
software promotes social exchange
of ideas and knowledge among its
users and it is this interaction,
Teemu Arina
which helps to come up with
informal learning. Working in a wiki

Teemu Arina says you can develop an environment which promotes this
interchange of ideas but you cannot tell individuals what to do
in it since that would end up with the informality. He mentions
as well that you can take this informal educational
environment wherever you go thanks to mobile devices which
allow us to have portable information anywhere we happen to
be.

For example, these two girls may feel like going to a

museum and being in there they find they do not know
anything about surrealism but they want to know more
and have their portable devices with themso they decide
to do some research and find out more. This is informal
learning full of context and through mobile devices.
“When we see mobile technologies, social technologies
and physical spaces intersecting very well, I think that’s
when we see what true learning is all about.” (Arina, 2007)

It´s according to Arina the increase of informal learning environments, places

where people can go, share and interchange ideas, the answer for future
learning. “We are going back to the ancient times of platonic-style
conversations, which means having conversations with people who help you
come out with ideas by asking the right questions.” (Arina, 2007) He also
mentions and point out some of the main issues for those who are appealed to
this kind of learning.
 • Increase the accidental interaction to pursue idea’s interchange.
• Help students find their motivations to be at school and work on what they
are interested in.
• The role of the teacher is to model and demonstrate.
• The role of the student is to reflect and practice.
• Teacher should more than manage, lead a class.

While watching this interview I went trough a lot of feelings and reflections. At
the very beginning I disagreed because I thought that Arina was only thinking
in using mobile devices and great contexts to learn and that he had forgotten
this social interaction that’s needed to develop one’s mind, but as I continued
watchingI could see he considered all.

I definitely agree with the description he makes about the way some learners
feel while going through school, “…people who are just there, not really
interested in what they are doing but just considering the school system an
interruption of their lives in order to get what they really want.” and of course
it’s something that hurts my teacher’s ego but what he says is true. I think, we
as teachers should have a passion not only for our teaching but also for our
learning and for this connection we can make in the interchange of ideas with
students. In my opinion technology is now a great tool that can help us to
shorten the distant between the learner and the information as well as the way
and usage they give to devices and new technologies.