Early October saw the second annual e-learning-related debate by the Oxford Union. Again sponsored by Epic, this time the motion before the house was: ‘This house believes that technology-based informal learning is more style than substance.’

If you want to see highlights of the debate, you can view them at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q42f1blFnck&feature=youtu.be&a

The result on the day was: Ayes – 54; Noes – 259.

Comment: What’s really remarkable about this event is not that the motion was defeated – that was to be expected since we all know that informal learning takes place, some of it delivered via technology (such as Google at least) but, by its very definition (as learning that is informal), it is not possible to impose a style on it – but that over 300 people bothered to turn up to debate it. Maybe e-learning is not as much of an intellectual backwater as many people assume.