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Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age

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Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age

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Siemens introduces Connectivism as a learning theory for the digital era. This article explores how technology and network connections influence learning in the modern world.

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Jonassen asks the question: How do we evaluate constructivist learning? As a teacher in a school with a constructivist approach, I felt affirmed by his notion that "Evaluation from a constructivistic perspective should be less of a reinforcement and/or behavior control tool and more of a self-analysis and meta-cognitive tool." My school does not use grades. Instead, we aim for authentic assessment through the use of end-of-trimester exhibitions of learning where students present their learning and reflections on their learning to a panel of their peers.

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Jonassen, David H. “Evaluating Constructivistic Learning.” Educational technology 31.9 (1991): 28–33. Print.

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Evaluating Constructivistic Learning on JSTOR

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David H. Jonassen, Evaluating Constructivistic Learning, Educational Technology, Vol. 31, No. 9 (September 1991), pp. 28-33

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This appears to be one of the first papers describing cognitivism. I am fascinated that this was a new concept as late as 1986.

I would like to highlight one quote that, as a teacher, I found of particular importance. On page 430, Shuell states, "...the teacher's role is different from the one frequently envisioned in traditional conceptions of teaching. What have changed are the focus and the realization that good teachers are not merely people who can articulate a large number of relevant facts and ideas (although a sound understanding of the subject matter they are teaching is certainly essential); effective teachers must know how to get students actively engaged in learning activities that are appropriate for the desired outcome."

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 Shuell, Thomas J. “Cognitive Conceptions of Learning.” Review of educational research 56.4 (1986): 411–436. Web.

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I included this source because it is an overview of not just the three main learning theories but many of the other concepts of learning we have covered in our studies of instructional design. It is nice to see them all in one place!

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Endeley, M. N., & Zama, M. A. (2021). Theoretical Basis of Instructional Design. In Perspectives in Curriculum Studies (pp. 193–210). Spears Media Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv23g7wmv.20

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Perspectives in Curriculum Studies on JSTOR

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Perspectives in Curriculum Studies by Margaret Nalova Endeley andMartha Ashuntantang Zama is a comprehensive textbook for graduatestudents of Curriculum Studies…

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This is a great little video that summarizes the work of John Sweller on cognitive load theory. I like it because it's visually pleasing, well-paced, and gives practical information to educators.

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The Surprising Reason Students Tune Out Lectures

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I selected this website because it provides a straightforward and simple description of practices that line up with the connectivist learning theory. I find the landmark paper by George Siemens to be a bit scary and unsettling with its descriptions of how technology is literally rewiring our brains - this one is a bit more palatable for me.

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What's The Connectivism Learning Theory?

Collaboration has been one of the main focal points in education in recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic when people had to isolate themselves and lose physical connection with their peers. A relatively recent learning theory called connectivism suggests that students should gather ideas, theories, and general knowledge from different sources but combine them correctly. The theory was created in 2005 by two theorists, George Siemens and Stephen Downes, who believe that technology has changed the way we receive information, thus changing learning as well. The connectivism learning theory encourages group interaction and conversation, allowing us to express various opinions and positions when making choices, solving problems, and understanding data. Connectivism also encourages education through online communities, blogs, and other public spaces. Let's dive more into the theory and see how eLearning professionals can leverage it.

The Theory's Principles

Learning Is A Social Process

According to the theory, one doesn't learn individually but rather socially. This means that students learn more effectively when they interact with others, and they benefit from shared opinions, ideas, and experiences. They also feel freer to express their own thoughts. Therefore, the theory encourages students to actively participate in the learning process. As opposed to traditional learning, knowledge isn't delivered to students by the teacher but instead is created by them through their collaboration with others.

Culture And Society Influence Learning

The theory takes as a given that humans are social beings and that our beliefs are shaped through our culture and the society we live in, and so is our learning. What and how we learn are affected by the traditions, values, and customs of our community. So, we have to consider everyone's cultural and social environment when designing learning experiences.

Decisions Change Over Time

Our decisions change as our knowledge of everything around us changes. Especially in the digital world, where we receive large amounts of information at any given moment, our perspectives about things are altered the more we learn about them. In short, learning is powerful and shapes our opinions as we gain more knowledge.

Benefits Of The Connectivism Learning Theory

Collaboration

Since the goal is for students to enhance their knowledge with various opinions, they learn to collaborate with their peers. When they work together on projects, they benefit each other by sharing their ideas and offering solutions to a common problem. Additionally, with peer teaching, which involves students stepping into the teaching role, they develop important social skills that are useful in their future careers or academic pursuits.

Motivation

Students feel more excited about their lessons when they know they have more control over the content. Also, they enjoy it even more when participating in group activities with their peers. They are motivated to give it their all and actively engage with the content since they feel responsible for their own learning.

Diversity

Since the theory considers cultural and social backgrounds, it creates a learning environment where different experiences and beliefs are valued. Students have an equal opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions without biases based on their background. Most importantly, diverse perspectives enrich the lessons and cultivate a supportive environment.

How To Apply The Theory In eLearning

Online Discussion Forums

During online courses, learners may feel that they are disconnected from their peers or that they are not actively learning. To address this issue, you can incorporate online discussion forums and other communication tools for students to interact with each other and their instructors. Learners can use these tools to collaborate with their classmates, ask questions, and address challenges they may face.

Group Projects

Assign learners group projects and organize them into teams. Allow them to use any means of communication to work together, and highlight how important it is for everyone to contribute to the project. Even if every group member is in a different geographical location, they can bridge their distance thanks to modern technology, such as video conferencing platforms.

Service Learning

Service learning requires learners to apply their knowledge in real-world situations so that they understand the meaningfulness and importance of the lessons they attend. This process involves interactions between learners and organizations, aiming to solve common problems in their community. For example, instructors can contact local facilities and organizations to create programs where learners can work together to overcome challenges in their community, like traffic or safety.

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality can create a virtual environment for learners to work together and apply their knowledge in situations that they might encounter in the real world. However, before implementing VR in your eLearning strategy, consider the potential barriers learners may have to deal with and train them on how to use the equipment.

Conclusion

Overall, the connectivism learning theory makes education learner-centered. It shifts the learning process's control over to the students, while teachers and instructors act as facilitators. Since the theory recognizes technology's important role in how we receive information and share knowledge, you can apply it in your online courses through collaborative strategies and meaningful material. If you want to discover other interesting Instructional Design models and theories, check out our list!

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Everything You Need To Know About The Connectivism Learning Theory

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Find out how the connectivism learning theory can transform traditional methods of learning, and how you can apply it in your online courses.

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I selected this website as it helps me to see the aspects of constructivism that exist in my own studies of instructional design. The INSDSG 601 course in particular is implementing a number of strategies mentioned this article. For example, "At key points in the learning journey, employees could also attend short workshops with the experts in person." We do that! Additionally, there's mention that "Whether in-person or online, we need to provide opportunities for learners to collaboratively solve problems and discover solutions." We have been doing this in our TTE groups.

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Constructivist Theory And Learning Design

In the realm of learning theories, constructivism is linked to and developed from cognitivism -shifting the focus from passive absorption to active construction of knowledge. Essentially, constructivism is the theory that learners construct knowledge themselves rather than just passively taking in information. New information is assessed and builds on what they already know or on past experiences and interactions.

Makes sense, right? People don't change behaviours by listening to a lecture, completing a piece of learning, or watching a video. We only change our outlooks and behaviours when we experience something for ourselves, talk about it, or integrate it with what we already know.

Knowledge is constructed based on individual experiences and hypotheses of our environment, and we test these through social negotiation with others.

Let's delve into the core principles of this important theory.

Constructing Knowledge And Meaning

Piaget's exploration of how individuals construct knowledge and meaning laid the foundation for constructivism. Questions about the role of prior knowledge and the influence of social interaction in Learning and Development found their answers in this theory.

Principles Of Constructivism

Constructivism lays down a few essential principles for learning design:

1. Active and engaging learning. No more monotonous lectures. Constructivism advocates for active learner involvement and steers away from passive information absorption.

2. Situated learning. Knowledge should find a place in real-world contexts. This is about demonstrating the relevance of learning to the individual's own life.

3. Collaborative learning. It's time to team up! Constructivism emphasises collaboration over isolation for building new knowledge-interacting with others enables us to cement what we have learned.

Facilitators Over Instructors

In the constructivist approach, educators take on the role of facilitators rather than instructors. This encourages an ongoing dialogue with learners, recognising learning as an active and constructive process.

What does this mean for eLearning, then? This means we should design learning programmes which include elements of discussion among peers. Whether in-person or online, we need to provide opportunities for learners to collaboratively solve problems and discover solutions.

So, let's look at an example of how this could work in practice.

Example: Continuous Improvement Revolution

Consider a scenario where a large training organisation wants to share a small team's continuous improvement (CI) expertise with its entire staff. The innovative but small team is overwhelmed with requests, and they don't have enough time to help every other function to improve.

The Solution: Building Blocks Of Knowledge

The company develops an online suite featuring nuggets of CI wisdom accessible to an unlimited number of employees. Each of these building blocks of basic knowledge encourages individuals to apply CI techniques to their work, complemented by real-life stories of CI problem-solving.

At key points in the learning journey, employees could also attend short workshops with the experts in person. These events will spark discussions on applying techniques to real problems, creating memorable "aha" moments and adding cement to the building blocks of knowledge they've already built up. Following the workshops, participants can then join an online CI community to continue conversations and collaborative problem-solving.

The Science Behind The Strategy

The short workshops and online CI community foster social interaction and collaboration, which are integral aspects of constructivist learning. Engaging in discussions with experts and peers allows learners to share their perspectives, reflect on their experiences, and co-construct knowledge together. The workshops serve as social events where learners can exchange ideas and collectively develop a deeper understanding of the material.

The workshops encourage learners to reflect on their past attempts at problem-solving, including failures. This reflective process aligns with constructivism's emphasis on learners actively making meaning out of their experiences. By discussing how certain techniques could have helped in previous situations, learners connect their past experiences with new knowledge, leading to a more comprehensive understanding.

In the world of constructivism, it's not just about receiving information; it's about actively constructing knowledge-an incremental process that builds understanding one step at a time.

Implications For Learning Design

We need to design learning programmes which include elements of discussion among peers, whether that is face-to-face or in an online format. We need to give learners opportunities to work on problems and come to their own solutions:

To collaborate and understand the importance of the context of their learning.

To make connections between their pre-existing knowledge and what they are being taught.

To provide opportunities to reflect and mentally engage, as well as hands-on activities and physical experience, too.

To find their own motivation for committing to the learner journey.

Here's to a learning journey marked by engagement, collaboration, and practical application!

Originally published at kineo.com.

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Building Knowledge One Brick At A Time: Constructivism In eLearning

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Constructivism helps us recognize learning as an active process, building understanding one step at a time.