connectivism

Connectivism - Principles and Implications

Digital Tools for Teachers - Trainers' Edition

"Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. 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."

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A Learning Theory for the Digital Age

George Siemens December 12, 2004

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help students understand that there are different perspectives of knowledge and that understanding resides in a synthesis of these different perspectives.

Learning is a process of connecting specialised nodes or information sources

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help students understand that there are many sources of knowledge and how to access, evaluate and make connections between these sources.

Learning may reside in non-human appliances

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help students understand how to access data sources and analyse and extract knowledge from them.

Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help our students understand how to become autonomous learners and how to find and evaluate more information.

Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help students build and maintain personal learning networks and enable them to collaborate within those networks to enable the development of thier knowledge.

Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help students see the connections and relationships between fields of information and their influence and impact on each other.

Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help our students understand that knowledge is continually changing and being redefined as our collective knowledge grows.

Decision-making is itself a learning process

Principles of Connectivism

We need to help students understand that new information can change what we already know. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

Reflect on your teaching

Think about the last time you used technology with your students.

The Principles of Connectivism

• Which of the principles was reinforced by your use of technology with your students?
• How could you change the lesson to reinforce more of the principles?
• What are the implications of connectivism for the way you approach the exploitation of technology with your students?
• Which of the principles do you feel has greatest relevance for your students?
• Which of the principles do you feel will be most difficult to implement with your students?
• What do you feel are the weaknesses of the connectivist theory?
• How useful do you feel the principles will be in guiding your use of technology?

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Digital Tools for Teachers - Trainers' Edition