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Technology has modified every little thing. It’s solely proper that it ought to influence our studying theories too. This brings us neatly to connectivism studying idea (or connectivist studying idea).
Compared to theories like constructivism, behaviorism and humanism, connectivism studying idea is a comparatively new idea on the scene.
It’s additionally one of many few theories that takes our digital age into consideration. It’s all about how we use completely different ‘connected’ networks to study and develop our data.
In this text, we’ll stroll via the idea’s historical past, rules and the way it hyperlinks to on-line studying. Let’s get related!
What is Connectivism Learning Theory?
January 1st 1983 is taken into account the birthday of the web. Since then we’ve seen mind-blowing development in the way in which we work together with expertise and the knowledge we’ve got entry to.
Who would have thought that your automobile would be capable to have a search engine in it? Or that you’d be capable to get speedy solutions to questions on a tiny slab of metallic referred to as a smartphone?
We’ve come a good distance and we’re nonetheless going. In reality, the knowledge expertise business is forecasted to be value $13,092.49 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 8.8%.
This grand interconnected tapestry of data has helped to gas connectivism studying idea. The idea was first launched in 2005 by psychologists, George Siemens and Stephen Downes. Stephen Downes describes connectivism as:
‘The thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks.’
In different phrases, learners take in new data via the connections that they make. With the instruments that learners have entry to now, it’s simpler than ever to construct your community and share data.
Similar to theories equivalent to constructivism, connectivism studying idea places the learner on the centre. Each learner acts as a separate ‘node’ inside a studying neighborhood. And every neighborhood contributes to a bigger community of information.
Connectivism additionally has hyperlinks to social studying idea as developed by Albert Bandura. Social studying idea means that we construct our data via ‘the active process of learning from our observations and interactions with others.’
In different phrases, we study from these round us. This is true whether or not it occurs in particular person or via a social platform. As a end result, the higher related we’re, the better it’s for us to construct our data.
Connectivism studying idea relies on eight core rules. Let’s run via them!
The Eight Principles of Connectivism Learning Theory
George Siemens himself posits that there are eight key rules of connectivism studying idea.
- Learning and data rests in variety of opinions. It’s important that you simply think about extra than simply your perspective when studying. Other individuals may have recent insights, different strategies and additional data to share.
- Learning is a strategy of connecting specialised nodes or data sources. You want to attract from different sources in a steady course of. Whether it’s Google, TikTok or your colleagues. You’re additionally a node that different individuals will study from!
- Learning might reside in non-human home equipment. As people, we’re fortunate sufficient to have billions of individuals round us to study from. However, as a consequence of technological developments, we will additionally retailer studying in a wide range of units. This highlights the significance of eLearning experiences.
- Capacity to know extra is extra important than what’s at present identified. In different phrases, eager to continue to learn is extra vital than the data we already possess. As Siemens places it: “the pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today.”
- Nurturing and sustaining connections is required to facilitate continuous studying. You must encourage studying for it to be efficient. Especially when studying in a digital age, the place it may be more durable to maintain these connections alive.
- Ability to see connections between fields, concepts, and ideas is a core talent. Naturally, with the ability to join completely different items of data is a key part of connectivism studying idea. This lets you weave a tapestry of information!
- Currency (correct, up-to-date data) is the intent of all connectivist studying actions. The data that staff possess makes up an organization’s mental capital. This is then part of the world’s data financial system. When utilizing a connectivism method, updating your present data (‘currency’) ought to all the time be the top purpose.
- Decision-making is itself a studying course of. Choosing what to study and the that means of incoming data is seen via the lens of a shifting actuality. While there’s a proper reply now, it could be flawed tomorrow as a consequence of alterations within the data local weather affecting the choice. Since up-to-date data is all the time our goal, accepting that data isn’t fastened is vital. Knowledge will proceed to evolve and it’s essential that you simply familiarise your self with up to date data.
This raises a query. How do these rules and connectivism studying idea as a complete assist together with your on-line studying initiatives?
Online Learning and Connectivism Learning Theory
A Place to Connect Knowledge
The third precept of connectivism studying idea relates very intently to on-line studying. In reality, it’s these digital studying experiences that gave rise to the idea within the first place.
One of the home equipment that studying can reside in is a studying administration system (LMS). On Growth Engineering LMS, you might have the power to create your personal ecosystem of studying. Key options for this embrace:
The Library
Learners have entry to an enormous library stuffed with a wide range of sources. As an admin, you possibly can add and share content material everytime you need. This is even simpler with Growth Engineering Authoring Tool. You can create programs, quizzes and studying video games very quickly!
Experts Area
Subject matter consultants (SMEs) convene right here to behave as your very personal keepers of information. Learners can head right here to ask questions or discover solutions.
All questions and solutions will all the time be viewable! And that’s an amazing factor — do you know sharing data collectively saves Fortune 500 firms $31.5 billion annually?
Fast Feedback
An LMS lets you make use of choices like Live Chat and social feeds which implies you possibly can present suggestions in actual time to your learners. Feedback also can come within the type of gamified options equivalent to reward Badges!
Companies that commonly implement worker suggestions expertise 14.9% decrease turnover charges.
Increased Connectivity (duh!) and Collaboration
Thanks to expertise, we’re capable of study and join in actual time with individuals all world wide.
If we needed to study earlier than, we’d go to the library, take out a e book and handwrite notes. While writing notes continues to be a completely viable technique to retain data, the opposite elements have typically shifted to a digital format.
Ultimately, what we study with, how we study and the place we study has drastically modified. This is a good factor in relation to a connectivism method.
As the idea of connectivism studying idea is all about drawing from completely different data sources, on-line studying is an ideal approach to take action.
The trendy learner can study from anyplace, anytime. This is made even simpler by cell options like Growth Engineering Learning App. By remodeling a studying system into an app, it lets you carry the facility of studying in your pocket always.
Did that cell studying could cause a rise in productiveness and result in 45% sooner course completion charges than on a desktop?
Since it’s a local cell app, you possibly can even make use of push notifications. These will notify learners of recent content material, new messages, new discussions and extra. This relates again to the fifth precept of connectivism and the significance of nurturing connections for steady studying!
Online studying additionally helps to facilitate collaboration between your learners. Collaborative studying instruments can enhance office productiveness by a whopping 30%! This is because of the magic powers of social studying.
For instance, all exercise on the platform is seen in social feeds. Learners can see discussions taking place and bounce in so as to add worth at any stage. This correlates neatly with the primary precept about studying ensuing from a wide range of opinions!
We’ll dive into this a bit extra within the subsequent part.
Better Connections with Others
37% of staff suppose that formal coaching is crucial. Meanwhile, 90% suppose that sharing data socially is essential for a office surroundings.
Clearly the significance of social studying and studying in an surroundings with others can’t be missed.
Luckily, that’s an enormous a part of connectivism studying idea. As Downes put it, ‘knowledge is distributed across a network of connections.’ Those connections embrace your fellow learners!
Looking at it from a scientific perspective, the mind is a social organ. A assessment of 148 research with over 300,000 contributors revealed that these with higher social relationships had a 50% elevated chance of survival.
Additionally, when studying with others, we get to listen to completely different viewpoints (first precept) and join with different nodes/data sources (second precept). Consequently, a social studying method is absolutely efficient.
Key social studying options to include in your on-line studying method embrace:
Live Chat
This can be utilized as a instrument to relay new data and enhance communication between colleagues. It’s additionally a good way for data sharing to happen and strengthen connections.
A examine of over 4,000 data staff revealed that firms with a related tradition report higher productiveness and well-being.
This relates again to the seventh precept of connectivism studying idea and helps learners maintain up to date and repeatedly studying.
Social Feeds
A social feed or timeline acts as a hub for learner exercise and interplay. Learners can put up achievements they’ve earned, add helpful sources, ask questions and extra. Other learners can then reply or ‘like’ these updates.
Learning digitally additionally widens the online of ‘nodes’ you’d be capable to join with in-person. Due to simple social put up translation, language boundaries are eliminated and communication will increase.
This makes an enormous distinction. After all, efficient communication can improve worker retention by as much as 4.5 occasions!
Clubs
Clubs are a devoted social surroundings the place individuals can come collectively over a shared curiosity. This can vary from office matters, equivalent to compliance coaching to extracurricular actions like jogging.
Having a chosen house for every subject affords learners the chance to decide on how they dedicate their time.
This pertains to the fourth precept about eager to study extra and the eighth precept about updating your data. After all, it is a continually updating stream of data.
It’s additionally simpler to make connections between completely different concepts and ideas when all data is in a single place like a Club.
Clubs even have their very own designated social feeds the place learners could make connections collectively. This correlates with the sixth precept on connecting varied sources of data collectively.
Clubs additionally assist to construct belief and enhance communication, which a staggering 89% of staff deem as essential.
Although connectivism studying idea is nice for on-line studying, there are a couple of critiques to contemplate. Let’s have a look!
Critiques of Connectivism Learning Theory
Some consider that connectivism studying idea isn’t an entire studying idea in itself.
For instance, Plon Verhagen proposes that the eight rules of connectivism are already a component of accepted studying theories. He additionally believes that it’s not a studying idea however actually a ‘pedagogical view on education.’
This viewpoint is accepted by others, who state that the idea lacks the capability to elucidate what constitutes studying by itself.
Finally, Rita Kop and Adrian Hill posit that Siemen’s stance on connectivism focuses on cognitive improvement somewhat than efficient studying. As a end result, they query whether or not it has something to supply as a twenty first century instructing method.
This form of critique is inevitable. After all, connectivism studying idea continues to be pretty new and all of the kinks haven’t been ironed out but!
The rules that make up connectivism studying idea are intuitive. Furthermore, we shouldn’t flip our noses up at a idea that takes into consideration and incorporates our digital age. There’s definitely sufficient substance right here to assist inform your studying technique.
Final Words
As we stated, connectivism studying idea continues to be pretty new. However, it might probably already give you a agency basis to construct from.
It helps to focus on the significance of social studying and constructing your community. And in an age the place disinformation is rife, it might probably solely be a superb factor to hunt out a number of sources of data.
So there you might have it. Go inform all of your connections about how fantastic connectivism studying idea is!
Building your personal studying technique? Want to grasp studying idea? Download ‘Using Learning Theories and Models to Improve Your Training Initiatives’ right this moment!
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