What I learned from eLearning Guild #DevLearn Conference 2013

eLearning Guild DevLearn Conference #devlearn wrapped a couple of weeks ago. While I wasn't there, considering that we are in an instant-sharing world, this physical absence was not a deterrent to my learning.

Besides all twitter users of #devlearn, I would especially like to acknowledge the following people who became the biggest source for my learning via the backchannel:

1. David Kelly for curating various backchannel resources
2. Cammy Bean for her liveblogged notes
3. Clark Quinn for his mindmaps
4. Bianca Woods for livetweeting and blogging the entire experience

Here is what I learned from the keynote sessions at #devlearn:

Keynotes at Devlearn 2013:

1) Unlocking Cool, Jeremy Gutsche, Author and Founder, TrendHunter.com

• Anything that's mainstream or popular is not cool anymore.
• Spot new opportunities and reinvent.
• Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
• Embrace change and focus in.
• Failure and customer obsession are areas where you need to be revolutionary.
• Make cultural connections.

2) The Real Power of Games for Learning, Ian Bogost, Author and Founding Partner, Persuasive Games

• Games Design vs. Gamification via Nancy Proctor

- Complexity vs. simplicity
- Context vs. isolation
- Conditions vs. authority
- Transformation vs. engagement
- Discourse vs. quantification
- Understanding vs. compliance
- Relationship vs. reward

Read Cammy Bean's live blogging notes from this session here.

3) The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You … and Your Learners,  Eli Pariser, Author and CEO, Upworthy

• There is no standard Google anymore. Everything is personalized.
• Filter bubbles  - you don't know what you are not seeing. There are bigger unknowns.
• There is an invisible algorithmic editing of the web.
• Filters don't allow us to challenge our thinking and keep us away from diversity.
• We need to burst these filter bubbles and perhaps build better filters.
• Filters should allow us to see other points of view even if they make us uncomfortable.

See Eli Pariser: Beware online “filter bubbles” TED Talk

4) HackLab: Pursuing Progress Through Deviation, Joe Gerstandt and Jason Lauritsen, Talent Anarchy

• Innovation isn't about big changes. Small improvements and experiments lead to innovation.
• The changes that matter don’t happen overnight, they are the result of a lot of small, meaningful changes (hacks) over time.
• You need curiosity, experimentation and courage to be a hacker.
• Ask: Is it awesome? If the answer is Yes, then leave it alone. If the answer is No, then ask "how could it be better?" Pull it apart, then hack. Then ask: is it awesome.

If you are interested to learn more, check out the handouts and other conference resources that are available here.