Learning Technologies Centre Connectivism: A Learning Theory for a Digital Age George Siemens [email protected].

Learning Technologies Centrewww.umanitoba.ca/learning_technologies

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for a

Digital Age

George [email protected]


What’s happening?

• Decentralizing• Democratizing• Distributed• Changed dynamics of what it means

to know• Acceleration


Learning theories

A model or representation of how learning occurs


Behaviourism

• Black box• Stimulus/Response• Theorists: Pavlov, Watson, Skinner,

Thorndike


Cognitivism

• Information processing• Input, processing, storage, output• Computer-modeled• Theorists: Ausubel, Gagne, Bruner,

Piaget, Vygotsky


Constructivism

• Learning is process of active construction of knowledge

• Learners make sense of their experiences

• Theorists: Bruner, Vygotsky, Piaget


What’s missing?



Democratizing Learning

• In all cases? What about educational standards?

• Link tool with intent– Facets - Bloom, Fink, Wiggins:

• Integral• “Small pieces, anywhere, any tool,

any time”


It’s coming undone…

“Things fall apart; the Center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world” (Yeats)


Decentralization and distributed

representation of knowledge

• Critical in diverse, rapidly developing knowledge spaces

• Conundrum: – complex environments, without a

filtered center, are overwhelming


Our current solution


Connectivism

• Learning as a connection-forming process (neural and external)

• The learning is in the network• Diversity• “Know where”…know who• Pattern recognition


Learning TheoriesTheory Learning model Learning

resides

Behaviourism “Black box” Behaviour demonstration

Cognitivism Computer-model In the mind of the individual – processed

Constructivism

Creation or construction of meaning (Building)

In the mind of the individual –constructed

Connectivism Networks and ecologies, connections

Distributed, in network


Move from creating content to creating space in which content

is explored


Connectivism Taxonomy

• Awareness and Receptivity• Connection-forming• Contribution and Involvement• Pattern Recognition• Meaning-making• Praxis


What skills are needed?

1. Anchoring2. Filtering3. Connecting4. Being human5. Creating and deriving meaning6. Evaluation/authentication


What skills are needed?

7. Critical/creative thinking8. Pattern recognition9. Navigate knowledge landscape10.Acceptance of uncertainty11.Contextualizing


www.elearnspace.orgwww.connectivism.ca

ltc.umanitoba.ca/wordpresswww.knowingknowledge.com

Learning Technologies Centre Connectivism: A Learning Theory for a Digital Age George Siemens [email protected].

Documents

learning technologies

connectivism learning

constructivism learning

democratizing learning

learning theory

recognition slide

vygotsky slide

piaget slide