The art of “learning in-between” (3. Space)
Let’s put it straightforwardly, there is no space without time. We ended the last piece on “time” with Albert Einstein who said that “the only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” Well, he was absolutely right as everything happens in space and space is changing with time. It is evident that time and space create each other (again following Einstein), are imprisoned in one another, and feed on each other, and as we discussed the diverse conceptions of time in the previous piece, so we will deal here with the different conceptions of space, and of course with those that are substantial or significant to “learning in-between”.
It is already a series ritual, to begin with, some dictionary definitions of the concept, and here I used Oxford Languages which provides diverse definitions, and when searching directly in Google the results are connected to different subjects, realms, disciplines, dimensions, etc. The first that appear in this search “a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied” is based on an interesting assumption: an area which is free, available, or unoccupied. A question arises: if it is occupied is it no longer a “space”? We may get some assistance from the mathematical definition of space which is “…a set of points having some specified structure”, the important addition here is obviously structure. So, we have now an area that is available for content (we will get to the distinction between physical and virtual content) and has a structure. Another definition provides the frame or the setting of space, “…the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move”. This addition is elusive as it brings in “all”, which could be whole, entire, or even complete, i.e. we are dealing with a system, here the space is defined not only by its components but also by the connections and relations between and among them. These relations bring dynamism, vitality, and the energy of the space, which to large extent is defined by “time”. This is not a philosophical or an abstract exercise, it is exactly the framework that allows us to disassemble the components of the space and reassemble them to a new structure, this is the essence of “learning in-between”, which highlight the significant nexus of time and space.
Let’s now add the concept of “space” to the practical example from the previous piece on “time”.
It went like that: we engage in learning about types of problems which is one component needed to be understood in the journey to acquire the whole skill of problem-solving. It would be far more effective, I argued, if we get a short, 2–3 minutes introduction in the morning (could be a short video clip), take the acquired knowledge with us as we start our day… this 2–3 minutes could take place in different spaces (and times) — at home as we wake up, or after we have the first coffee (if we drink coffee), or when we commute (if we commute). What do these spaces have in common? They are places that represent the relatively quick or short transition of time, as opposed to places that hold long or “slow” transition of time, places that oppose quick learning because of their nature and more important, because of the way they are perceived in our consciousness and awareness, or to be more precise in our habits (sometimes bad habits are created by bad procedures and practices). This example illustrates again the inseparable connection of space and time, time and space, in which order you choose, the strong nexus of the two dimensions of our human existence.
And the practical example continues after the early morning “learning in-between” with a reminder sometime during the morning for another 3–4 minutes of a gamified system to play with types of problems… the AI and machine learning (ML) system which continuously learns the learners as they learn, will find the right “time and space” to provide the next step of the “in-between”. This is crucial as the ML algorithm is trained to find the right “time and space” for the next learning step according to the learner’s habits which the algorithm learns regularly and continuously. AI and ML are making “learning in-between” actual, effective and transformative.
Space becomes a key protagonist in our “learning in-between” expedition as we go forward and encourage the learner to move to an active learning mode… and accept a task in the afternoon to look and find different types of problems and document them, using the mobile device camera for example (here again time is connected with space), spending 5–6 minutes of our time at the most… This active learning in the case of “learning in-between” is the meeting point of the physical and virtual space, connecting the digital device to the physical reality, in this example by searching real problems and digitally documenting them. The documentation act which occurs in different times and spaces, and essentially practice continuous learning, is the “connector” of the initial “learning in-between” steps with this last one, in this example, generating the flow of learning needed to absorb the knowledge and deeper understanding of the concept.
The space at stake in this example is an area with a structure, both generate a system in which virtual and physical happenings or actions are the main characters. Why do I keep insisting on this construction or arrangement or even the types of components of “space” in “learning in-between”? Currently, in this third piece of the series, there is at least one (possibly more) reason… we are normally unaware of the effect and impact of the time (hour) we learn, the length of time we learn, and the place this activity happen. These three elements — time, length of time, and place when connected together form the essence of “learning in-between”, however, this does not happen by itself, and as already mentioned time and time again awareness plays a key role. I will conclude this piece on “space” with an important point: this discussion will need further development and elaboration when AI and ML will enter the scene not only as key players but also as highly experienced players. I know it is a bit vague but it will get clearer as we go along.
The next piece will be the Process of “learning in-between” which encompasses time and space to new learning methods of the “in-between”.
