Connectivism and Adult Learning
Until this week, connectivism and social learning were concepts I had never heard of never the less given any thought too. Connectivism is a loosely defined theory of capricious complex systems and distributed networks of information and learning (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008). Whether connectivism qualifies as an actual learning theory or simply a pedagogic representation of a complex and unpredictable learning structure is debatable. Connectivism does facilitate insight on concepts such as managing the flow of information, identifying relevant knowledge sources, recognizing important connections, and the trend of informal learning (Behlol & Dad, 2010). Additionally, connectivistic learning relies on social networks for gathering, maintaining, and managing knowledge and connecting with other like-minded professionals.
Learning Network
Reflecting on this week’s discussion post and my professional learning network mind map, has helped me appreciate the immense breadth of intrinsic social networking in my routine workday. Connectivism explicates the constantly changing dynamics of working in educational technology. The following are two different examples of network-derived changes in my operational approach to problem solving. Our student database is incessantly changing and increasingly complex software that is essential to many aspects of the daily operations of the school district. In the not too distant past software updates and feature modifications or expansions occurred on a semiannual to annual basis. Now, updates including feature enhancements arrive monthly or sometimes semimonthly. Originally, operational and support manuals were bound books which later evolved to binders and now consist of electronic documents in a continuously updated online repository. One thing is certain, with frequent software updates comes the introduction of unexpected anomalies commonly referred to as bugs. Online knowledgebase’s, forums, user groups, and list servers expedite the communication of information and peer consultation in identifying anomalies and the pursuit of solutions to discovered problems. Respectively, I have scores of books on outdated operating systems, programming languages, productivity applications, and other software; literally hundreds of books collected over the last fifteen years. Now, I rarely purchase these types of books, if I need information Google is my usual solution. Information that would never make it into a book or not yet published is still available on the Internet. A precept of connectivism is the half-life of knowledge and having the network connections to obtain pertinent up-to-date information.
Digital Tools
Digital tools abound in sociality today and many unfortunately have a similar half-life as knowledge. Knowledge acquisition during my general day-to-day work routine depends heavily on my computer, the Internet, and my web browser with its vast organization of bookmarks. I have tried several handheld devices like the iPod, iPad, and Xoom but they have not found a niche in my daily operations. The learning environment I established for my Walden classes is somewhat more elaborate to provide desired and necessary versatility. Because I needed a way to access schoolwork from multiple devices like my work computer, home computer, laptop, and even handheld devices I rely on Dropbox. Additionally, I setup an instance of my Chrome browser specific to my Walden classes providing single click access to the course homepage, Walden library, Google Reader, and my Blog site. The handheld devices have proven useful when I am traveling for reading and annotating PDF documents. Of course, with all of the required writing, Microsoft Word has proven an extremely useful tool.
Knowledge and Questions
My primary method for answering questions starts with a general Google search. Depending upon the nature of the question, its difficulty and complexity, the answer will present itself or I will need to dig deeper. With difficult and complex problems, there are usually multitudes of superficial answers that necessitate filtering. This requires a cyclic process of identifying relevant keywords and refining search strings until I find what I am looking for. If the question is specific to a particular product or application, I might start with a list serv or knowledge base dedicated to that product or application. Sometimes an email or phone call to the technical support department garners the desired results. Some questions I never find the answer too. In general, the nature of the questions dictates the process of searching for the solution.
Professional Learning Network
Figure one is a graphical representation of my professional learning network. While I am not convinced connectivism is justifiable as a learning theory, some of its principles align fairly well with my own experience. The notion of connecting multiple information resources is highly illustrated in my professional learning network, as is the employment of non-human devices. Although the need to give back to the community is apparent, it is an aspect of connectivism that I often neglect due to time constraints. The precept of being able
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| Figure 1. |
to make connections between concepts is fundamental to my world as a technology director. However, a couple of the principles of connectivism seem nonsensical to me. The connectivistic belief that learning capacity is more important than current knowledge sounds like philosophical fluff rather than an actual principle. Existing knowledge structures are usually essential in the process of connecting new knowledge (Nummela & Rosengren, 1986; Jenkins, 2006; Hodkinson & Macleod, 2010). The second tenet I take issue with is the claim that current and accurate knowledge is the reason for all connectivistic learning behavior. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is not my professional goal. I most often seek knowledge to solve problems or learn skills.
Connectivism conceptualizes complex learning environments by explaining the role of networks, relating concepts, infrastructure, and continual learning. However, the psychology does little to explain how actual learning occurs questioning its validity as an authentic learning theory. Many connectivistic principles align with social learning concepts and adult learning in general. Regardless, connectivism is another instrument the instructional designer should consider during the design process.
References
Behlol, M., & Dad, H. (2010). Concept of Learning. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 2(2), 231-239. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism
Hodkinson, P., & Macleod, F. (2010). Contrasting concepts of learning and contrasting research methodologies: affinities and bias. British Educational Research Journal, 36(2), 173-189. doi:10.1080/01411920902780964
Jenkins, Jack. (2006). Constructivism. Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://sage-ereference.com/view/edleadership/n121.xml
Nummela, R. M., & Rosengren, T. M. (1986). What's Happening in Students' Brains May Redefine Teaching. Educational Leadership, 43(8), 49. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
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