Crowdsourcing as a learning paradigm: A model based on excess capacity

Meet Generation Z; young adults who are about 10-20 years old. They are tech-savvy, digital learners, whose brains are wired for fast delivery. A group of visual learners who prefer graphics over text, and who dislike the traditional lecture-test classroom. They are part of the innovation economy and learned how to discover, analyze and manage information. Because they live in a digital world where most everything is customizable, they expect a customized education. They are social animals, increasingly collaborative, and want to be challenged by project-based learning.Traditional analog educational systems are way outdated for this new generation. The way I addressed this challenge in my classes is by introducing organic learning and crowdsourcing. Organic learning is a random space exploration with some constraints. Crowdsourcing is outsourcing the material to the entire class effectively making every student a researcher, an instructor, a writer, a designer, an artist, a developer, and a judge. The system empowered the crowd to participate in community-based learning. It has been a gratifying experience, and I am delighted to share it with the reader