George Siemens - Collected Quotes

"An ecology provides the special formations needed by organizations. Ecologies are: loose, free, dynamic, adaptable, messy, and chaotic. Innovation does not arise through hierarchies. As a function of creativity, innovation requires trust, openness, and a spirit of experimentation - where random ideas and thoughts can collide for re-creation." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Change pressures arise from different sectors of a system. At times it is mandated from the top of a hierarchy, other times it forms from participants at a grass-roots level. Some changes are absorbed by the organization without significant impact on, or alterations of, existing methods. In other cases, change takes root. It causes the formation of new methods (how things are done and what is possible) within the organization." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Complexity and diversity results in specialized nodes (a single entity can no longer know all required elements). The act of knowledge growth and learning involves connected specialized nodes." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Connections create structures. Structures do not create (though they may facilitate) connections. Our approaches today reflect this error in thinking. We have tried to do the wrong thing first with knowledge. We determine that we will have a certification before we determine what it is that we want to certify. We need to enable the growth of connections and observe the structures that emerge." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Context is not as simple as being in a different space [...] context includes elements like our emotions, recent experiences, beliefs, and the surrounding environment - each element possesses attributes, that when considered in a certain light, informs what is possible in the discussion." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Knowledge flow can be likened to a river that meanders through the ecology of an organization. In certain areas, the river pools and in other areas it ebbs. The health of the learning ecology of the organization depends on effective nurturing of flow." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Learning is a multi-faceted, integrated process where changes with any one element alters the larger network. Knowledge is subject to the nuances of complex, adaptive systems." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Hierarchy adapts knowledge to the organization; a network adapts the organization to the knowledge." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Learning is the process of creating networks. Nodes are external entities which we can use to form a network. Or nodes may be people, organizations, libraries, web sites, books, journals, database, or any other source of information. The act of learning (things become a bit tricky here) is one of creating an external network of nodes - where we connect and form information and knowledge sources. The learning that happens in our heads is an internal network (neural). Learning networks can then be perceived as structures that we create in order to stay current and continually acquire, experience, create, and connect new knowledge (external). And learning networks can be perceived as structures that exist within our minds (internal) in connecting and creating patterns of understanding." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Nodes and connectors comprise the structure of a network. In contrast, an ecology is a living organism. It influences the formation of the network itself." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"Our pre-conceived structures of interpreting knowledge sometimes interfere with new knowledge." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)

"When we focus on designing ecologies in which people can forage for knowledge, we are less concerned about communicating the minutiae of changing knowledge. Instead, we are creating the conduit through which knowledge will flow." (George Siemens, "Knowing Knowledge", 2006)