Connectivism

From our course readings this week, a central concept of Connectivism is that people gain knowledge by building networks involving multiple resources of people, technology, written materials, etc. In connection with the readings (no pun intended), we were asked to create a visual representation (mindmap) of our network connections.

This being said, it's important to revisit the principles of Connectivism which include (Davis, Edmunds, Kelly-Bateman, 2008):

1. Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.
2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
3. Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
4. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.
5. Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
6. Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
7. Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all Connectivist learning activities.

As I created this mindmap assignment, I realized how my network connections are interconnected and how much I rely on them. I trade knowledge with family, friends, co-workers and even people I may have never met in person simply by using the Internet to post and retrieve information.

Networks of knowledge have been described as entities with attributes being connected to other entities which provide the impetus for different attributes to be activated based on the structure of those connections and the nature of other entities that are being connected (Siemens, 2011). It is through my connections that I am able to build upon my knowledge and help others do the same. And, if for any reason my computer can not connect to the Internet I truly feel isolated and cut off from knowledge.

Last year I attended a conference hosted by one of the authoring software publishers that I use in developing web-based training and an idea mentioned by one of the presenters has stuck with me. He stated that people want instant access to expertise and if educators and corporate organizations haven't begun utilizing social networking, they are behind the times. Technological advances have not only provided us with instant access to expertise, but also a medium in which to share and grow our knowledge.

Very often when I'm developing an eLearning course, I am creatively designing ways to engage the learner while at the same time researching how to accomplish what I would like to do by searching web sites with tutorials, free graphics, and additional ideas for interactivity. When I find a great idea to incorporate into a course, I can immediately apply what I've learned which helps me remember what I've learned. Another way to remember what I've learned is in sharing this knowledge with my peers using webex, netmeeting, teleconferences or shared computer networks.

The connections displayed on my mindmap represent but a few of the connections in my network that support the central tenets of Connectivism.

 

 

References

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Siemens, G. (2011). Connectivism blog. Retrieved from http://www.connectivism.ca/