Overview of Siemens' and Downes' Connectivism
"Connectivism is 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."
-Stephen Downes Connectivism and Connected Knowledge (pg.9)
therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks."
-Stephen Downes Connectivism and Connected Knowledge (pg.9)
On his site, www.connectivism.ca, George Siemens, who originally coined the term "Connectivism", claims that learning has changed and that our new digital world calls for a new learning theory that acknowledges advancements in technology and the way that we acquire knowledge. A learning network is a key component of knowledge gathering. We learn when we make connections between various "nodes" of information and continuing to make and maintain these connections is that way that we form knowledge. This knowledge is dynamic and will change based on new developments and the connections that others make between the "nodes". Knowledge, in a sense, has a half-life, which Siemens describes in his article, Connectivism: A Learning Theory for a Digital Age , as "the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete". New knowledge will be broadcast through various means of communication (discussion, social media, websites, e-mail) and by plugging into this network our understandings will by dynamic. Learning is no longer about the acquisition of information, but rather about learning the process of learning, the process of "creating knowledge". In his TEDxNYED talk from 3/6/2010, Siemens states that:
“My view is that the primary task of education in the future is to collapse its functions, its curriculum, its teaching methods, its very mode of inquiry down to the point of connectedness. Why do connections form? What patterns do they leave when they form? What’s the ultimate impact of that? How do we foster that as educators? How do we create structures that permit individuals to not be better corporate citizens but how do we create that so we have students and learners who leave our class space who are better citizens, who are better members of society, because to change education is to change society.”
Stephen Downes echoes this sentiment in an article in the Huffington Post discussing a Massively Open Online Course that he was co-teaching with George Siemens. In the article, he states that: "From the perspective of the course, what it means is that the process of taking the course is itself much more important than the content participants may happen to learn in the course."
In a conversation captured on YouTube , Stephen Downes also goes on to make a distinction between connectedness in groups and connectedness in networks. Group connectedness is characterized by a closed, unified body where there is a distributive and coordinated system of leadership. A network, which is what Downes cites as what he is referring to when he speaks about online learning, is a an open and diverse body in which anyone can participate. Rather than being coordinated, networks are autonomous and ideas are flowing in a connective way between the participants rather than being distributed from a leadership structure. Interestingly, in the same video, Downes argues that the old mentality of "group connectedness" creates a disparity between rich and poor, where those with power (rich) are the leaders and disseminators and those without power (poor) are viewed as the receivers of knowledge. A network, he argues levels the playing field as everyone has more equal access to knowledge.
“My view is that the primary task of education in the future is to collapse its functions, its curriculum, its teaching methods, its very mode of inquiry down to the point of connectedness. Why do connections form? What patterns do they leave when they form? What’s the ultimate impact of that? How do we foster that as educators? How do we create structures that permit individuals to not be better corporate citizens but how do we create that so we have students and learners who leave our class space who are better citizens, who are better members of society, because to change education is to change society.”
Stephen Downes echoes this sentiment in an article in the Huffington Post discussing a Massively Open Online Course that he was co-teaching with George Siemens. In the article, he states that: "From the perspective of the course, what it means is that the process of taking the course is itself much more important than the content participants may happen to learn in the course."
In a conversation captured on YouTube , Stephen Downes also goes on to make a distinction between connectedness in groups and connectedness in networks. Group connectedness is characterized by a closed, unified body where there is a distributive and coordinated system of leadership. A network, which is what Downes cites as what he is referring to when he speaks about online learning, is a an open and diverse body in which anyone can participate. Rather than being coordinated, networks are autonomous and ideas are flowing in a connective way between the participants rather than being distributed from a leadership structure. Interestingly, in the same video, Downes argues that the old mentality of "group connectedness" creates a disparity between rich and poor, where those with power (rich) are the leaders and disseminators and those without power (poor) are viewed as the receivers of knowledge. A network, he argues levels the playing field as everyone has more equal access to knowledge.
"The key here is this: knowledge has many authors, knowledge has many facets, it looks
different to each different person, and it changes moment to moment. A piece of knowledge isn't
a description of something, it is a way of relating to something."
-Stephen Downes Connectivism and Connected Knowledge (pg.41)
Slides from presentations given by
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Videos that take some time to watch. . .
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