Mobile Technology in TAFE

Let’s see :

• 2 minds are better than 1
• 20 minds are better than 2
• 200 minds are better than 20
• 2000 minds are better than 200
• and so on

[Image from lynette]

Ok…..then how do we make this happen within our own organizations? Most of us involved with Web 2.0 tools have focused on their use with students while disregarding how powerful and important these same tools are for our organisations. As A.G.Lafley CEO of Proctor & Gamble points out on the front cover of Wikinomics mass collaboration is important because “No company today, no matter how large or how global, can innovate fast enough or big enough by itself”

WITHIN OUR ORGANISATIONS

Exchanging ideas, gaining/retaining knowledge and tapping into collective intelligence for innovation using f2f is not efficient and is an impossible task for larger, geographically dispersed workforces. Blogs, wikis, online forums etc located on the Intranet are a way of harassing the organisation’s collective intelligence (check out how they did this at the BBC).

OUTSIDE OUR ORGANISATIONS

Within our organsiation is really important…outside our organisation is even more important. Read the following 2 examples summarised from Wikinomics (Read the book!!)

Gold Mining using the Internet

Goldcorp, Toronto gold mining firm, took all their geology, data back to 1948, and shared it with the world . Why - their mine was facing closure and their in-house geologists were unable to provide accurate estimates of the location and value of gold deposits. They needed an innovative solution to provide the answers - the idea was to tap the collective intelligence of the global geologist community (more people=greater innovation) by releasing all their proprietary information and offering prize money ($575,000) to people who identified locations gold deposits in their mine. The process shaved years off their exploration time; and transformed Goldcorp into $9 billion company.

R & D on the Internet

Werner Mueller, retired chemist, stumbled on a scientific challenges on the InnoCentive’s web site, one of which was for a pharmaceutical. He came up with a solution to their problem, that the company had not considered. The company was now able to economically produce the pharmaceutical and he won $25,000.

PROBLEM

Most of our staff, especially our managers, would probably think we were aliens or speaking a foreign language…so how do we sell the concept? Any ideas?

[Image from Trev vG]

The number one rule I was told when I first started working (21 year ago - which is amazing as I am 21) was “don’t tell anyone anything about how we do what we do.” This rule was enforced by every biotechnology and aquaculture company I have worked for. The principle - what we are doing is unique, secret and if we share then others will know how to do it.

I have always struggled with this philosophy for many reasons including:

1. There is a big difference in knowing information and transferring the knowledge into doing the skill
2. I have always realised that more people I exchange my thoughts and ideas with the greater my knowledge gain (limiting collaboration limits innovation and knowledge gain)

The trouble is most of the organisations we work for still have this guarded philosophy. I think we should get all our managers to read “Wikinomics - How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything” If you have not checked out this book or “The World is Flat” take the time to do so. Both are excellent and important books for anyone into Web 2.0 to read.

I think that statement by A.G. Lafley (CEO, Proctor and Gamble) on the front cover of Wikinomics says it all

“No company today, no matter how large or how global, can innovate fast enough or big enough itself…..Wikinomics reveals the next historic step - the art and science of mass collaboration where companies open up to the world”

Unfortunately reality is this change in people’s beliefs will take time - realising that mass collaboration increases knowledge gain and helps both individuals and organisations won’t happen overnight.

Marc Prensky believes that key literacy for the 21st Century is computer programming. I actually think Vicki Davis, Julie Lindsay and the groups of teachers they collaborates with have the key - teaching our kids the values and skills to effectively mass collaborate (check out the Horizon project to learn more about their work).

I would really love my kids to be involved in projects like the Horizon project in their schools however the challenge is the teachers need to learn the skills to do so and appreciate the importance of it. Maybe Darren this could be your 6th Reason Why Teachers Should Blog - to appreciate the value of mass collaboration (similar but slightly different from Reason #3 - Blogging allows you to communicate with other teachers which, in turn, allows you to learn from each other as the emphasis is on appreciating the need to teach our kids mass collaboration skills that will aid their future employment).

Final warning to companies

1. Mass collaboration is important for innovation
2. Mass collaborations leads to online communities.
3. Online communities not only exchange their ideas to innovate they share their feelings. Where once, as a consumer we would praise the good or bad about a product/service to our immediate friends and family - we now have a global community of friends. You are now dealing with customers who are part of the global community and who will express their feelings. If your product/service has let a customer down as badly as T-Mobile; it is time to make important changes.