Definitions and Assumptions

“solitude”…
…is a neutral or positive state of aloneness (“loneliness” is a negative)
…is a form of disconnecting from others, not from information
…in (post)modern American culture (may be) diminishing (through social media)
…has (some) connection to (some kinds of) learning
…may affect some learners more than others
..may be naturally more attractive to some learners than others
…(may be) related to individualism, creativity, self-reliance, independence
…as a mode for learning can be tested and measured through experimental group(s)

The last assumption is the most tenuous, but I might get around to that yet!

Expansion, Rephrasing, and Refinement

(My brainstorming is far looser that those done in class last week.)

What (impact | affect) does solitude have on (learning | e-learning | creativity | attitudes toward learning, e.g. self-reliance)?
Does e-learning occur in more or less solitude than traditional learning?
Is there a historical trend visible in observations of teaching from solitude toward collective/collaborative learning?
How much solitude do modern learners prefer?
What are teachers’ attitudes toward solitary learning?
Is solitude a common observable element in the lives of high-achievers?
Is solitude a correlative to student achievement?
What are the cognitive processes of individuals in solitude?
(Define “solitude”?)
How is learning different from creating?
Is solitude an advantage or disadvantage for informal learning?
(When | why | how) do (solitary | self) learners seek input from (others | experts | peers)?
How do cycles of solitude and group interaction vary amongst different learners?
(Define “different”?)
What environmental design decisions may support learner solitude?
Does (development of | positive attitudes toward | proclivity to) (self-reliance | solitude) increase learner (interaction with | exploration of) (open) educational resources?
<Your question or variant here>

This was my first foray into any sort of concerted examination of this question, so I’m content that the results are all over the map. I don’t know if I’m closer to anything usable here in any pragmatic sense, but I certainly have more to chew on.

As I write these questions my mind can’t help but leap ahead to the question of support for such a study. Who would be interested in finding out the impact of solitude on learning? Organizations with interest in supporting creativity or the arts might be more interested, and so I may reconsider this question