Connectivism: A Learning Theory for a Digital Age George Siemens gsiemens@elearnspace.org
What’s happening? Decentralizing Democratizing Distributed Changed dynamics of what it means to know Acceleration
Learning theories A model or representation of how learning occurs
Behaviourism Black box Stimulus/Response Theorists: Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, Thorndike
Cognitivism Information processing Input, processing, storage, output Computer-modeled Theorists: Ausubel, Gagne, Bruner, Piaget, Vygotsky
Constructivism Learning is process of active construction of knowledge Learners make sense of their experiences Theorists: Bruner, Vygotsky, Piaget
What’s missing?
Democratizing Learning In all cases? What about educational standards? Link tool with intent Facets - Bloom, Fink, Wiggins: Integral “Small pieces, anywhere, any tool, any time” News, media, advertising, learning – all these fields are “breaking apart” content and giving control to the end user. Meaning is no longer communicated as the communicator would have it, but instead occurs through a complex process of pattern recognition and interaction with multiple sources…concepts are understood over a period of time, with diverse expressions and multiple encounters. “I speak, you listen and understand” has been replaced with “many people speak, we select and understand”. Diverse tools are required to make this work
It’s coming undone… “Things fall apart; the Center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world” (Yeats)
Decentralization and distributed representation of knowledge Critical in diverse, rapidly developing knowledge spaces Conundrum: complex environments, without a filtered center, are overwhelming
Our current solution
Connectivism Learning as a connection-forming process (neural and external) The learning is in the network Diversity “Know where”…know who Pattern recognition
Learning Theories Theory Learning model Learning resides Behaviourism “Black box” Behaviour demonstration Cognitivism Computer-model In the mind of the individual – processed Constructivism Creation or construction of meaning (Building) In the mind of the individual –constructed Connectivism Networks and ecologies, connections Distributed, in network
Move from creating content to creating space in which content is explored
Connectivism Taxonomy Awareness and Receptivity Connection-forming Contribution and Involvement Pattern Recognition Meaning-making Praxis
What skills are needed? Anchoring Filtering Connecting Being human Creating and deriving meaning Evaluation/authentication
What skills are needed? Critical/creative thinking Pattern recognition Navigate knowledge landscape Acceptance of uncertainty Contextualizing
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