Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn
“learning must be a way of being – an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by individuals and groups that they employ to try to keep abreast o the surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events…” (1996, p.42).
The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months
“a persisting change in human performance or performance potential…[which] must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world
Behaviorism states that learning is largely unknowable, that is, we can’t possibly understand what goes on inside a person (the “black box theory”).
Cognitivism often takes a computer information processing model. Learning is viewed as a process of inputs, managed in short term memory, and coded for long-term recall.
Constructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences
These theories do not address learning that occurs outside of people (i.e. learning that is stored and manipulated by technology). They also fail to describe how learning happens within organizations
Including technology and connection making
“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.
Meaning-making and forming connections between specialized communities are important activities.
Decision making is indicative of this. If the underlying conditions used to make decisions change, the decision itself is no longer as correct as it was at the time it was made. The ability to recognize and adjust to pattern shifts is a key learning task.
A network can simply be defined as connections between entities.
Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations.
New information is continually being a
The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical.
cquired
Knowledge that resides in a database needs to be connected with the right people in the right context in order to be classified as learning.
Creating, preserving, and utilizing information flow should be a key organizational activity.
The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual. This cycle of knowledge development (personal to network to organization) allows learners to remain current in their field through the connections they have formed.
Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today.
hen knowledge, however, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill.
Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era.