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= Home > Group A Workspace > Learning Activity 6-A-1​= Argument FOR Connectivism

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=__What is Connectivism: __= Connectivism in Plain English []

George Siemen's view on changing the nature of knowledge. media type="youtube" key="YMcTHndpzYg" height="390" width="480"

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=__**Principles of Connectivism:**__= Siemens (2004) identifies eight core principles of Connectivism:
 * Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
 * Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
 * Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
 * Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.
 * Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
 * Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
 * Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
 * Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

=__**Is connectivism a learning theory?** __=

According to Wikipedia's definition of a [|Learning Theory], learning is commonly defined as a process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views. There are three main categories or philosophical frameworks under which learning theories fall: [|behaviorism], [|cognitivism], and [|constructivism]. Behaviorism focuses only on the objectively observable aspects of learning. Cognitive theories look beyond behavior to explain brain-based learning. And constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts. [|Connectivism] is a recent theory of [|Networked learning] which focuses on learning as making connections.

The chart below illustrates both the similarities and differences between connectivism and three major philosophical perspectives on learning Ireland, T. (2007). Situating connectivism. Retrieved November 7, 2008, from[]
 * **Questions? ** || **Behaviorism** || **Cognitivism** || **Constructivism** || **Connectivism** ||
 * **How does learning occur?** || Black box - observable behavior main focus || Structured, computational || Social, meaning created by each learner (personal) || Distributed within a network, social, technologically enhanced, recognizing and interpreting patterns ||
 * **What factors influence learning?** || Nature of reward, punishment, stimuli || Existing schema, previous experiences || Engagement, participation, social, cultural || Diversity of network ||
 * **What is the role of memory?** || Memory is hardwiring of repeated experiences - where reward and punishment are most influential || Encoding, storage, retrieval || Prior knowledge remixed to current context || Adaptive patterns, representative of current state, existing in networks ||
 * **How does transfer occur?** || Stimulus, response || Duplicating knowledge constructs of "knower" || Socialization || Connecting to (adding nodes) ||
 * **What types of learning are best explained by this theory?** || Task-based learning || Reasoning, clear objectives, problem solving || Social, vague ("ill defined") || Complex learning, rapid changing core, diverse knowledge sources ||

=__Is connectivism relevant to your teaching practice? If so, how?__=

As teachers, we must be aware of connectivism and its implications on how students learn. The fact is that students are not getting the majority of their knowledge from sources like books or my lectures, but rather from making connections from many other sources of information. We need to connect to students and meet them where they are. Connectivism helps us to recognize that students are learning in ways that did not even exist a decade ago, and we absolutely need to keep up with them. If not, we may be left behind wondering how to reach this generation and those to come.

More information on how this theory is relevant can be found at Will Richardson's blog: @http://weblogg-ed.com/category/connectivism/

Moodle discussion on Practical ways to facilitate connectivism in a school classroom?: @http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/moodle/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=40

=__Does connectivism support your students?__=

As educators we are preparing students for jobs that have yet to be created. Connectivism is an essential part of preparing our students for their future. We are not capable of teaching students all of the skills that they are going to need to compete in the future job market, however, we can provide them with the skills that they will need to create and manage new networks that will help them to adapt to and succeed in the future job market.

= **__Are parts of the theory more compelling or relevant to you than others?__** =

As educators we want our students to become life-long learners. The principle that nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning is relevant to our students becoming life-long learners. The connections our students make in our classroom will continue to help them gain knowledge long after they have left us. Our jobs as teachers will to be nurture these connections they are making and encourage them to continue making connections through out their lives.

=__More Information:__=

Skype Presentation (Siemens interview on Connectivism posted by Richard Schwier) []

George Siemens website: @http://www.connectivism.ca/

@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connectivism_(learning_theory)

@http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Connectivism

@http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism_self-amused.htm

=__References:__= The Changing Nature of Knowledge. (2007). Retrieved March 25, 2011, from You Tube Web site: @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcTHndpzYg&feature=player_embedded

Connectivism. (2011, March 24). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/‌wiki/‌Connectivism

Ireland, T. (2007). Situating connectivism. Retrieved November 7, 2008, from[]

Learning theory (education). (2010, March 25). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/‌wiki/‌Learning_theories

Siemens, G. (2004, December 12). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. In Elearnspace. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from[]‌Articles/‌connectivism.htm

Siemens, G. (2005, November). Connectivism: Learning as a Network - Creation. In Learning Circuits. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from[]‌2005/‌nov2005/‌seimens.htm

Siemens, G. (2006, November 12). Connectivism: Learning Theory or Pastime for the Self-Amused? In Elearnspace. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from[]‌Articles/‌connectivism_self-amused.htm

Verhagen, P. W. (2006, November 11). Connectivism: a new learning theory? In E-learning Themasite. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from []‌e-learning/‌english/‌3793