What is Connectivism Learning Theory?
Connectivism learning theory (CLT) postulates that learning happens across the connections the learner navigates online. These connections are referred to as networks wherein learners of the same interest interact and share information online (Kop & Hill, 2008). Learning activities in a connectivist framework are geared towards attaining current knowledge which can rapidly change in this digital world of information (Siemens, 2005 as cited in Kop & Hill, 2008). This idea calls to attention the textbooks that schools are using as main resources for teaching. Textbooks may be outdated by three years or more when it is published and circulated. Hence, the idea that a learner can learn up-to-date knowledge by navigating through the digital world opens an opportunity for educators to explore the digital networks and guide the learner for a more fulfilling learning experience.
Where is connectivism in my teaching practice?
CLT provides a framework for the educator to see different platforms in the online world as facilitators (rather than distractors) of learning. In this connection, I believe that learners have the power to learn as much as they can and as they want especially with the guidance of a skilled facilitator. CLT offers me a perspective in seeing the digital world as an opportunity for self-directed learning.
In drafting learning outcomes for a specific course, CLT lets me see how one learning outcome may be creatively met by a learner using his/her network of resources from the digital world. Hence, by providing the learner online materials, tools, and resources, he/she will be able to navigate through the relevant information resulting in up-to-date and in-depth learning. This has been the case with the massive open online courses where learners of the same interest across the globe learn by freely sharing information (Christensen et al., 2014). This puts me in awe as to how the power of digital world creates an increased opportunity for learning. I have been harnessing this digital power without even knowing how to theoretically make sense of it. Through CLT, I am now able to make sense of how the digital world helps in the learning process.
Providing the learner online materials, tools, and resources helps in navigating through the relevant information resulting in up-to-date and in-depth learning.
Tweet
How does connectivism work in my teaching practice?
1. Video tutorials
Video tutorials that are accessible online facilitate learning on data analysis. Learners can have a copy of the material and can review it anytime they want compared to just attending a physical class where the steps for data analysis are demonstrated. The learner has already been given the basics of a specific statistical technique and now has additional time to learn in-depth about it. Online video tutorials are efficient in terms of time and cost and can be effective in developing critical thinking (He, Swenson, & Lents, 2012; Key & Paskevicius, 2015; Zhong, 2017).
2. Maximizing learning sources online
In a research course, the responsibility of the facilitator is focused on providing the appropriate sources and sites for the learner to navigate in order to gain substantial knowledge about the topic of interest. In CLT perspective, journal articles may be the primary source of information but certainly are not just the source of information. Other sources of information may come from the different networks of the learner which include the experts studying the same area of interest (e.g., the learner can conduct an online interview or send a message to that expert and start a meaningful conversation), discussion forum on the specific area of interest, blogs and videos related to the area of interest, among others. When integrated, these materials provide substantial knowledge to the learner.
3. Online tools for optimal efficiency
Online tools can help a learner do more work in a lesser amount of time. For example, using the citation feature of Google Scholar, the learner connects to a network of articles related to a single article he/she is interested in. This provides a fast and convenient way for the researcher to explore these related articles without searching them individually in another browser. The time it consumes for the researcher to search for a set of related articles is substantially reduced which in turn provides the researcher more articles to review in a shorter amount of time than doing the search manually. Evidence suggests that automating literature search can increase time efficiency of up to 62 percent less compared to the traditional manual approach (Chapman, Morgan, & Gartlehner, 2010).
References
Chapman, A. L., Morgan, L. C., Gartlehner, G. (2010). Semi-automating the manual literature search for systematic reviews increases efficiency. Health Information Library Journal, 27(1), 22 – 27. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00865.x
Christensen, G., Steinmetz, A., Alcorn, B., Bennett, A., Woods, D., Emanuel, E. (2013). The MOOC phenomenon: Who takes massive open online courses and why? Retrieved June 2, 2020 at http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2350964
He, Y., Swenson, S., & Lents, N. (2012). Online video tutorials increase learning of difficult concepts in an undergraduate analytical chemistry course. Journal of Chemical Education, 89(9), 1128 – 1132. doi: 10.1021/ed200685p
Key, J. & Paskevicius, M. (2015). Investigation of video tutorial effectiveness and student use for general chemistry laboratories. Journal of Applied Learning Technology, 5(4), 14-21.
Kopp, R., & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(3), 1 – 13. doi: 10.19173/irrodl.v9i3.523
Zhong, L. (2017). Online teaching effectiveness with instructor-made video tutorials: A case of using Explain EverythingTM. Business Education Innovation Journal, 9(1), 35 – 42.
Acknowledgment: I am thankful to Brian Cassell, Instructor of Vancouver Community College, for the insightful feedback of the previous draft of this article.
flowjame 