He came like a thief in the night. Stealthily, furtively, he crept in. With nobody watching he grabbed it, clutched at it with all his might, cradled it close to his chest and shuffled away.
This picture of learners who do not actively post, but passively consume, is one that I think is prevalent with some folk. I’m not minded to give in to it – I think that this is an opportunity to reclaim the term. That’s an idea that is at the edge of my mind a lot at the moment. Lurking there, some might say. I’ll say more soon, but in the meantime here’s a couple of my sketches.
The idea of theft, and the thrill of the clandestine taking, is part of the fun of lerking. I just mused, reflecting on your post, on another layer, how the furtiveness–no one even knows I was here!–can be a way to assert that I’m personally directing my learning, following the urgings of my own mind, not following a herd or being fed something in a group.
Oh, that is a nice thought. The anarchist lurker. Directing their own learning according to their rules. Active learning, but looking passive from some perspectives.
I’ve thought a lot about this over the past few years and it I think passive learning may be related to agency and empowerment and a misunderstanding of the learning process. If learners don’t feel that they have something valid to contribute, they lurk. Some cultures teach that good learners absorb a d din’t cintribute. Time for a a learning culture change.
Yes, that’s a good point. So many reasons for lurking. As you say, we need a culture change.
Thanks for writing and visualizing these ideas about lurking. I think many people are uncomfortable about engaging with others on-line and that following, watching, reading and learning from others is a great starting point that for many leads to greater engagement.
If this habit is perceived negatively that will only cause many to not even take this first step into the online world.
Absolutely, Dan. That is why I want to remove the stigma. Watching is an important way to learn. And making that first post can take courage, and time.