Connectivism: An Emerging View of Learning Theory. Nathan De Groot. Boise State University

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Running head: Connectivism: An Emerging View of Learning Theory

Connectivism: An Emerging View of Learning Theory Nathan De Groot Boise State University

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Connectivism: An Emerging View of Learning Theory

Abstract Educational technology plays an important role in learning theory. Connectivism is a new learning theory that uses modern technology as a basis for how one can best learn. Siemens and Downes are large contributors to the research of the learning theory. They have viewed previous learning theories as well as modern educational technology and developed methods to improve learning. After viewing their research, it is possible that connectivism could be a new learning theory or at least a method demonstrating how to use technology in education. As new research continues to be developed and new technology is created, the view of connectivism will also change. Since it is a recent theory, it will need to be grounded by research studies which will come in the future.

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Introduction Theories of learning that have developed over the past century, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, have played a large role in addressing educational concerns, preparing teachers, and designing curriculum and content. These theories came to be because of research, observation, and implementation; they did not exist since the beginning of time. This means that it is possible for new learning theories to be developed, which connectivism seeks to prove. As we continue to develop new knowledge and understanding due to the resources available to us as well as share that knowledge with others, old knowledge becomes obsolete. Society today is rapidly evolving into an information society, which requires the citizens to be able to learn and make connections between new knowledge and prior knowledge. Gonzales describes this change in the life of information in terms of half-life, “the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete (Gonzalez, 2004).” Knowledge and information continues to grow at an exponential rate, requiring people to know and learn more to be able to adapt to this society.

What is Connectivism? Connectivism is a modern theory that seeks to provide an understanding of how to learn in this society of an ever-evolving database of knowledge. Connectivism regards knowledge as being distributed throughout a network of nodes, which is anything that can be linked. In this case, nodes refer to the knowledge that is attained. Learning can then be considered as developing a map. As the initial map is developed, new pathways will be constructed, allowing

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the knowledge to travel throughout the network. This in turn allows the learner to easier retrieve knowledge using these pathways. According to Siemens (2004), there are several principles: 

Learning and knowledge rest 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. Obviously there have to be factors that would contribute to how a network is created. One

cannot simply take in knowledge and create a network. Siemens (2005) explains a few ways in which creating network connections becomes strengthened. The factors that contribute to this are motivation, emotions, exposure, patterning, logic, and experience. Many of these factors are evident in other learning theories (cognitivism and constructivism), which would support their validity. The learning process never stops as we receive information through many different means in our daily life. As the learner continues to seek new knowledge, the unnecessary knowledge must be filtered, and recognition of whether this knowledge is current or not must be made (Hill & Kop, 2008). The learner does not want to create nodes of outdated information or extraneous information because it will hinder the ability to travel across these networks when new information arises. Since information and knowledge is being shared and developed at an exponential rate, it is critical to continue making connections between different nodes. This also

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includes making a connection between ideas or fields that may not be interrelated, such as learning about a business and learning about how to perform a household chore. The relationships between different fields and ideas will increase the strength of the network (Siemens, 2004).

Educational implications If this theory is accepted, then how would it affect the way teachers educate students? Previous theories seek to develop an objective response (behaviorism), thinking skills and possibly evaluation (cognitivism), and knowledge based off of personal experiences (constructivism) in order to develop learning (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). Since connectivism seeks to have a continual acquisition and development of knowledge that is current and factual, it is necessary that access to such a database is available. However, filtering through information on the Internet is a skill that must also be developed in order to perform the acquisition of knowledge (Connectivism, 2011). This means that having access to information is as important as having a teacher available to teach. While the teacher is needed to facilitate instruction, help students critically evaluate, as well as model the connective process, without the immediate access to information, the learning will either be slow, ineffective, or not retained. It is important to have the necessary technology to allow students to work through and develop different nodes and networks about the content. Part of the learning process involves sharing knowledge. During this stage, the learner must develop a deeper understanding of the concept to communicate it while the other learners must also critically evaluate the content in order to connect or disregard information. With our

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modern technology, this means that this can extend beyond the classroom to other classrooms or schools. A restraint on implementing the connectivist theory is that it largely depends on technology. Since connectivism relies heavily on immediate access to information, the learning environment must be rich in technology and the attitude towards technology use must also be positive. This could be through the use of tablets, computers, mobile devices, social networking tools, etc. The more entry points to the information, the more opportunity there is for connections to develop.

How does educational technology support Connectivism? Without technology, could connectivism succeed? It is highly unlikely because it relies on the immediate access of information. If this is true, then educational technology must support the connectivist learning theory. While having a wide variety of technology and media for which students may interact would provide a more effective and efficient environment to implement this learning theory, it is not necessary. Computers, tablets, mobile devices, Web 2.0 tools, etc. are all tools that learners can use to retrieve information and develop new nodes and networks. The more primitive form of technology, the desktop computer, is still able to provide a large portal to the information database that is contained in the World Wide Web. The computer connected with the internet is a tool that unlocks many more forms of learning. The teacher can use the computer to model the researching process, which contains sorting through information and deciding what is relevant or secondary. While updated computers and a faster speed of

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internet would provide the quickest way of accessing the information, one should not limit the technological capacities in their learning environment. While having access to the excellent hardware that can be found in desktop computers, laptops and notebooks are also useful and important. By having these available within the classroom, the learning can switch gears much more efficiently. After instruction is received, students can immediately work on developing new nodes and make connections with others. Less time is spent traveling to the media source and more time is allowed for learning. Tablets often fall in line with laptops and notebooks but offer a different platform. The design of tablets provides speed as well as versatility. By being free from any cords as well as lightweight, students are able to work next to each other and share information. Being able to immediately share with others is something that is currently on developers’ minds. The Dropbox app allows files to be shared almost instantly from any device connected to the Dropbox account. The Galaxy Note also allows the use of the S Beam technology, allowing one to share a file directly to another Note tablet by performing some functions and rubbing the tablets together. Even if there is no access to computers, laptops, or tablets, mobile devices like an iPod, iPhone, or Android device offer similar access to information when connected to the internet. Bring Your Own Device programs are being implemented into schools that lack sufficient technology. By allowing this medium into the classroom, teachers are opening a path to success with connectivism. While the previously mentioned tools were devices, it is also important to implement tools developed through the internet, such as Web 2.0 tools, social media, and forums. Presentation tools provide a variety of ways to display and share information. The use of video provides an alternative for reading text as actual real life demonstrations can be performed. Since

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networking is key to connectivism, having a social network or wiki to collaborate and learn from others is an innovative tool.

Implementation of Connectivism with educational technology While implementing connectivism into our current educational setting may seem difficult to envision, pioneers of the theory have given us examples. Stephen Downes, a researcher and supporter of this theory, created what is called a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). In the implementation of this course, he and Siemens developed a course that contains a “surplus of content” (Downes, 2012). The course asked each student to create some online node for reflection. RSS feeds from the students were collected into a course newsletter. Throughout this process, students discussed content and connected in several different ways. Downes says that the students cooperated with each other rather than collaboration and their diversity and harmony of thoughts and ideas granted a beautiful product. Since the initial development of a MOOC, many more have come into place over time. There are some downfalls to this method, but it does provide those who are interested in the selflearning and content who thrive in this setting. MOOCs address online distance learning, mainly focused on adult learners, but connectivism learning in education does not necessarily have to be through distance learning. Perhaps to understand what it might look like in an elementary classroom it would be best to see it implemented at least in part. Robert Appino posted his attempt to implement a connectivist approach to his blog. He sought to implement the approach into his sixth grade technology class using Scratch, a programming language developed by MIT (Appino, 2012).

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He recognized that it would be necessary to implement this approach in parts. He began by modeling the basic functions of Scratch with a few students that had used it before. The students had some time to use the program for themselves and then share with classmates. After this, students were allowed time to view demo projects as well as the Scratch website, which is a community of Scratch users who share projects, videos, and tutorials. This community allows students to network with others. Students could develop projects and share them or work and modify other projects. There were no set objectives or set of instructions that students needed to follow. They could develop their own knowledge and make connections according to information they found relevant and what they did by manipulation of the program. As you can see, connectivism can be implemented on different levels and look differently depending on the audience it addresses. Successful connectivism requires the ability of selflearning, which needs to be modeled and developed over time. However, the key aspects in the aforementioned scenarios are clear. Connectivism thrives when learners are able to connect to a network and share information and modify given information.

Criticisms of Connectivism Since connectivism is a rather new theory, its acceptance is not wide, and some debate whether this is truly a learning theory or a “pedagogical view” (Verhagen, 2006). Bill Kerr believes that connectivism is simply a view of a new environment involving the use of modern technology (2007). Furthermore, Kop and Hill do not believe connectivism to be a separate learning theory but, rather, a development upon pedagogy where the learner is becoming more autonomous (2008). Even though the criticisms might seem valid, connectivism does open the doors for the research of learning theories in relation to our digital era.

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Conclusion Connectivism is a relatively new theory relying heavily on the ability to have access to information and sift through that information to deem what is relevant and what is unnecessary. It seeks to build upon previous learning theories where technology was not present during development or very limited during that time. It focuses mainly on the autonomous learner, where the instructor’s role is to develop interest and provide the skills to continue self-learning. Although connectivism has not been accepted as a learning theory, it provides some implications for how learning theories might develop in the future. Current pedagogical practices are based off the “timeless” learning theories of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism but are changing their appearance due to educational technology. It is possible that these learning theories could become obsolete in the future. However, as we seek to develop new learning theories, it is important to keep the backbone of learning theories in mind. It is always difficult to imagine what future educational technology will do for the education system, but as educators it is ultimately important to develop the educational process and prepare students to be good citizens in society.

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References Anderson, T. (2008). Theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton: AU Press. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Appino, R. (2012). Learning Theory. In Teatech. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Connectivism. (2011, July 3). ETEC 510. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Davis, V. (2007). Cool cat teacher blog: Connectivism in the classroom. Cool cat teacher blog. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Downes, S. (2007). Half an hour: What connectivism is. Half an hour. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Gonzalez, C., (2004). The role of blended learning in the world of technology. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Kerr, B. (2007). Bill Kerr: which radical discontinuity? Bill Kerr. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(3). Retrieved April 21, 2013 Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: Learning as network-creation. Retrieved April 21, 2013 Starkey, L. (2012). Teaching and learning in the digital age. New York, NY: Routledge. Verhagen, P. (2006). Connectivism: A new learning theory? Retrieved April 21, 2013

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