You are here:Home FAQ

FAQ

What is self-powered learning?

Learning happens with you. It may happen when you’re listening to a lecture from a professor, on the bus ride home, or driving to work. Learning is the moment of synthesis, when you take the information and are able to process the uses, application, and right  times to use that information.

Self-powered learning is going to be hard. You will work harder than any of your previous learning experiences. You will be expected to share your experience. Learn something new? Have something relevant to share on the topic? You want to be heard? The collective is about taking an active role in your learning, taking the role of mentor to share your knowledge. See somebody struggling? It will be your responsibility to jump in and help.

Ever hear of lightening talks? A Lightning talk is a short presentation. Yes, self-powered learning also means that you will have to present. Lightning talks last only a few minutes, so you’ll have to be succinct. The point is you will develop your leadership and public speaking skills, and be an active participant in this journey.

Imagine being surrounded by people who are focused on the same learning objectives as you. Imagine having an environment to learn with others focused on the same goal, and being able to share, learn and experience the moment of synthesis. Imagine less struggle, less frustration, and more learning. That’s self-powered learning. Life-long learning. Collective learning.

What is lifelong learning?

Lifelong learning has been described as the “lifelong, voluntary, and self-motivated” pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. As such, it not only enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development, but also competitiveness and employability.

The term recognises that learning is not confined to childhood or the classroom, but takes place throughout life and in a range of situations. During the last fifty years, constant scientific and technological innovation and change has had a profound effect on learning needs and styles. Learning can no longer be divided into a place and time to acquire knowledge (school) and a place and time to apply the knowledge acquired (the workplace). Instead, learning can be seen as something that takes place on an on-going basis from our daily interactions with others and with the world around us. (Wikipedia says it best)

What is unschooling?

Unschooling is a range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences, including play, game play, household responsibilities, work experience, and social interaction, rather than through a more traditional school curriculum. Unschooling is controversial. Unschooling encourages exploration of activities, often initiated by the children themselves, facilitated by the adults. Unschooling differs from conventional schooling principally in the thesis that standard curricula and conventional grading methods, as well as other features of traditional schooling, are counterproductive to the goal of maximizing the education of each child.  (Wikipedia says it best)

What do you mean by “paired programming”?

Solo programming by yourself is fun. There are times when you strap on the headphones, find that perfect track, and click away at the keyboard. Code nirvana. But code is never perfect. 100 lines of code can be derailed with one bump and poof your code isn’t working. You jump on a few websites, like Google and StackOverFlow, but you can’t find the answers to your issue. Is it a syntax, logic, or infrastructure set up issue?

Wouldn’t it be nice to get instant advice? What if there was someone navigating beside you the whole time, working through the issue with you? Someone beside you to help smooth out the bumps, or help you navigate around the obstacles. Two people to attack the problem, two people to look for a solution, and two people to fix the issue. Some studies have found that programmers working in pairs produce shorter programs, with better designs and fewer bugs, than programmers working alone. In paired programming, you have a partner to help build the code.

Where am I going to do all this fantastic self-learning stuff?

How about Granville Island, Gastown, or Yaletown? We’re definitely going to find a space in Vancouver, BC. We’ve already looked at a bunch of spaces and we’ve got it down to a couple of spots. We’ve found some awesome spaces that you’ll wish you could live in. Great views, quiet and creative spaces, with a lounge area to regenerate your mind. A learning space with an awesome startup vibe.

Who else is offering programs like the Hacker Collective?

Sure, there are many ways for a beginner to learn how to program. You could pick up a book from the library and teach yourself or try online learning. You should check all the options.  Ask about their mentors, their curriculum, and their costs.

We are a collective and we are looking for the right mix of people who will make the learning experience enjoyable, productive, and epic.  If you think you are a good fit, we are here.

It’s your time, your decision, and we want you to make an informed choice. Here’s some places that we have stumbled across in our search for a Hacker Collective: