I put on my learning technologist cycle helmet and went to work for ALT. For three month, I re-entered the minority world’s Information Superhighway (Thanks, Al) / the Networked Society (hey Manny) / the Fourth Industrial Revolution (ja, Klaus) . Whatever metaphor we choose to adopt today, I occupied the role of professional development for three months (two days a week). Thanks to Maren and Kerry for the opportunity. I’m very sorry, I could not stay in the saddle or ride properly.
But…I had to leave the UK bike lane. Feet out the pedals and back on the ground….South African red earth, local communities. Interruptions, flaky Wifi, changing systems, rolling black-outs, water throttling. That is my situatedness, and my relationship with the UK and South Africa is framed both by my subjectivities and a daily reality.
I was very disappointed not to be riding for team ALT. Felt that I was letting down a great group doing good things. And (I confess) a bit relieved. The bikes in that UK lane were speeding along, and I felt I was slowing things down. Not up to speed? Unused to the terrain. Or caught up in different infrastructures, architectures, and alternate ideologies.
I didn’t know enough about the failing ground I was travelling through. Felt wobbly. Unable to navigate the traffic circles or keep up with the pack. Honestly, I’m still trying to work it out. Despite hard peddling on my part, I wasn’t able to steer my LD bike through all the other vehicles. Not ALT’s fault. Maybe not mine either?
A typology is a system of classification or the division of things according to type. It’s used for organising things according to similar or dissimilar characteristics.”
“Ensh….ication” is a concept that Cory introduced and began to find traction (according to Google Trends) in January 2023 and was nominated the 2024 word of the year by the Australian Dictionary Macquarie. The word is used to describe the failing internet. Where platforms decay because platform owners prioritise profits before people. “Ensh….ication” is an abstract and sensorial typology. But it does not explain what is actually happening, namely, the capture of material or immaterial structures and extraction. Which has been standard operating procedure for years.
The outsourcing of knowledge production to algorithms is making the net a bleak place. @karenraycosta once tweeted that “trauma can be defined as “too much, too fast”. And while at ALT, I felt that burn of anxiety in my body every day. Building up speed and keeping your balance (when the terrain seems full of potholes) is difficult. Others, riding along the same UK road, made it look easy. I noticed how the pervasive use of technology in teaching and learning had introduced a certain reflexivity about digital designs. Especially among those in the UK who have chosen to critically confront and question the assumptions, beliefs, and judgment systems that once informed their craft when serving a smaller audience.
Some of us have had a light bulb moment, where we become aware of our own position on the global ed tech cycle track. Here in South Africa, I would say we are both ahead and behind. The enshittification you notice online, has its physical manifestation here in Joburg and accross the country In my connected world with my horribly overstretched presence. It feels like I’m on too many cycle lanes and different routes, being shown to a cyclist who was used to creating rough tracks in an unknown county.
When working at ALT, Xwitter was teetering. As a South African who knew the Pretoria Boys typology I advised (to anyone who listened), that it was time to leave the platform. Path dependency can be a real pain, and many people did not want to change their routes. Since my short shift at ALT, I have been cycling with an other bunch of ed techies. Looking for new, but local, routes to ride on. Got seriously interested in the Wikimedia lane. It’s pretty much volunteer work, but for those scholars who want to boost their profile, (and shift away from Google). I can’t think of a better way of creating learning student centred learning experiences, for us to make our own pathways. Can assist if you like.
My goal on Wikimedia is to design comprehensively in multiple languages. I’m looking to meet the individual needs and abilities of the target group or individual. My Wikipedia learning design’s are supported by both good pedagogy and daily lived experiences. I don’t try and separate education from contextual realities. But see interruptions, flaky Wifi, changing systems, rolling black-outs, water throttling …. integral part of the terrain and the modernity track.
I am a bilingual South African. My languages are limited to English and Afrikaans. But much like John Amos Comenius, who saw a need to do things differently in education. I still think that we can build something better. I call it spectacular vernacular. I still am happpy to cycle with others. But we need to be aware of all conditions.
References
Thanks to Johannesburg Contemporary Art Foundation and their “World Making” series. My thoughts about situatedness, infrastructures and typologies were stimulated by their recent exhibition and accompanying guide published in 2025.