The Excitement of User Generated Content

As I sit here in a session at the inaugural Meaningful Play conference at Michigan State University, something that strikes me is the excitement that people feel in taking ownership of their learning. Be it learning to create content for the Sims, or creating a game for a class that will be displayed either for the classroom or at a conference, user generated content brings a tangible electricity to the realm of learning. I'm currently reading e-Learning by Design by William Horton, and the chapter I'm on discusses absorb activities, or activities in which the learner absorbs information being given to them be it lectures, readings or other forms. As I sit here, I recall a statement he made, [paraphrasing] "it is rarely incorrect to follow an absorb activity with an activity that applies what was just learned." Thinking now about user-generated content, much of what Horton discusses comes together. Could generating content be both a "do" and an "absorb" activity? I think so.