Ian Watson will be joining the eLearning Alliance at our Learning Essentials Conference on 31st October which we're holding at West Lothian College.  During his session, Ian will look at the increasing role social media is playing in learning, and how it is being used to share knowledge and build networks.

Ian is Knowledge Media Programme Manager with the  Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services, and has a background in the legal and technical aspects of sharing knowledge and information.  Ians current interests include the use of social media to support and enhance learning, and it's this topic which he will explore with us at Learning Essentials.

Continuous learning is less about courses and more about people sharing knowledge, experience, ideas and resources as part of the daily workflow.  Ian will discuss this aspect of learning, and how social media can play an important role in enabling us to find, share and build on existing knowledge.

Ians session will look at the emerging role of personal learning networks and environments, drawing on the work of Jane Hart, Jay Cross and Harold Jarche, and look at how we can build networks using, for example, Twitter or LinkedIn which allow us to tap into the experience of seasoned experts who are more than willing to share.  These networks will not replace formal courses but they can make them more effective.

Learning Essentials 2014 takes place at West Lothian College on 31st October.  The cost for Alliance Members to attend the days event is only £99.

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