A learning theory for today’s learner Connectivism A learning theory for today’s learner

General info Session is being recorded Type questions into chat box (just above participants names) Presentation will last 30 minutes Discussion will be held after Using the microphone

Metaphors of learning What is learning like? Filling an empty container? Creating a jigsaw puzzle? An ecology? Creating a network of interconnected information points?

How does learning happen? Is knowledge external and knowable? Of is it internal and subjective? Is knowledge gained through experiences and emotions? Or is it acquired through cognition? Is knowledge constructed in the mind of the learner? Does knowledge reside is social institutions? Epistemology (what is true and how do we come to know something as true) is the base.

What’s going on? Multiple careers ½ life of knowledge (time span from knowledge gained to obsolescence) Informal learning Learning as a life-process Alterations in our thinking – our tools shape our thinking (http://www.educause.edu/content.asp?page_id=5989&bhcp=1)

What’s happening to learners? Change: scarcity to abundance. Our tools are geared to scarcity Rising education – more educated workforce Interplay of learner and organization (due to increased sociability of each) Global, cultural Know-where is more important than know-how When competence and knowledge rest on a continuum, being relevant happens as soon as one is plugged into a network (degrees of competence, not stages)

Failure of learning and education "America's high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't just mean that they're broken, flawed or underfunded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools - even when they're working as designed - cannot teach all our students what they need to know today." Bill Gates http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050227/ap/d88gh7do0.html

What are existing learning theories missing? Rapidly evolving knowledge Today’s knowledge and learning will be obsolete tomorrow. Knowing is not as important as being able to continue to learn Core foundations shifting (society, media, and knowledge itself Interplay of organization and individual Theories state: learning occurs inside a person, fail to account for “external” learning Fail to account for organizational learning Learning perceived as an event – not as the actual process of becoming competent through completing task require of learning (i.e. the task is the learning tool).

Behavriourism Black box – don’t care what goes on inside Desired outcomes are created through response/stimuli

Cognitivism Computer model: inputs, managed in short term memory, encoded for long term retrieval

Constructivism Learners create knowledge in process of understanding experiences. Learners are not empty vessels, but active “meaning-makers”

Backdrop of connectivism Chaos Self-organization Social networks Networks, small worlds, weak ties, decentralized Learning is a process that occurs within the nebulous environments of shifting core elements (many beyond learner control). The capacity to know more is more important than what is now known Learner controlled and driven

What is connectivism? A learning theory for today’s learner and organization What does that mean? Information changes quickly Connections to stay current is what’s really important Learning is actuated knowledge

What is connectivism? Learning can reside in non-human appliances (i.e. the network itself) The pipe is more important than what’s in the pipe Learners have to develop a new series of meta-skills in evaluating usefulness of information and means of managing information. Pattern recognition and connection creation also important Interplay of organization and learner

What is connectivism? Learning is process of plugging into new knowledge sources Emotions, cognition play role in actuation Functioning often requires “acting blindly” as information is only revealed as action is taken Core assumptions shift. Continual reflection and evaluation needed to ensure currency of decisions and actions

Theory implementation Which theory should be used when? Criteria: How rapidly does information change? How is information linked to the organization? Soft skills? Technical? Nature of learning – formal? Informal? Communities? Reason for learning: skill development, belief formation, personal competence

Cognition and emotions Fractured logic Duality of logic and emotion Motivation to use knowledge

Connectivism and learning organizations Learner to organization to learner Organization possesses a certain zeitgeist Learning, change initiatives, knowledge management, social networks all contribute to success of learner and organization

What’s next? http://www.connectivism.ca Includes: Wiki Blog Discussion forum