Connectivist Learning Theory - Siemens

Connectivist learning theory, by George Siemens

Introduction

"A central tenet of most learning theories is that learning occurs inside a person. Even social constructivist views, which hold that learning is a socially enacted process, promotes the principality of the individual (and her/his physical presence – i.e. brain-based) in learning. These theories do not address learning that occurs outside of people (i.e. learning that is stored and manipulated by technology)… In a networked world, the very manner of information that we acquire is worth exploring. The need to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that is applied before learning itself begins. When knowledge is subject to paucity, the process of assessing worthiness is assumed to be intrinsic to learning. When knowledge is abundant, the rapid evaluation of knowledge is important. The ability to synthesize and recognize connections and patterns is a valuable skill. Including technology and connection making as learning activities begins to move learning theories into a digital age. We can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act. We derive our competence from forming connections. Karen Stephenson states: “Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people.

Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories…

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.

(http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm)

Characteristics of Connective Knowledge Networks

"You probably grew up learning that there are two major types of knowledge: qualitative and quantitative. Distributed knowledge adds a third major category to this domain, knowledge that could be described as connective. A property of one entity must lead to or become a property of another entity in order for them to be considered connected; the knowledge that results from such connections is connective knowledge.

According to Downes (2005), connective knowledge networks possess four traits:

Diversity

Is the widest possible spectrum of points of view revealed?

Autonomy

Were the individual knowers contributing to the interaction of their own accord, according to their own knowledge, values and decisions, or were they acting at the behest of some external agency seeking to magnify a certain point of view through quantity rather than reason and reflection?

Interactivity

Is the knowledge being produced the product of an interaction between the members, or is it a (mere) aggregation of the members' perspectives?

Openness

Is there a mechanism that allows a given perspective to be entered into the system, to be heard and interacted with by others?" (http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism_self-amused.htm)

More Information

George Siemens maintains a blog and a wiki at http://www.connectivism.ca/wiki/FrontPage

A response to some critical reviews about connectivism, at http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism_self-amused.htm