More Thoughts on Connectivism

I would like to reflect upon the following questions and would like your opinion as well:

·        How has your network changed the way you learn?

Technology, being an ever evolving catalyst, drives the method by which we learn. Our network possibilities open doors to more and more available information by which we sift through in hopes of gleaning  a deeper meaning  of concepts and schemas that we pursue.  I remember going to, “The Stacks”, to gather information.  What an inefficient way to learn anything! 

My network starts with a computer and the internet.  I have access  to most information that I need right at my computer.  I can gather facts and opinions from a rich field of knowledge, if I screen and sift through the total information available.

·        Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?

Here are some of the digital tools I use for learning.  How about you?

Blogs-  Web based publications consisting of periodic publications. http://dashboard.bloglines.com/privatepage/1#MerchantCircle

RSS- Really simple syndications.

Google Scholar- http://scholar.google.com/

Wikis- A wiki is a website whose users can add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor.. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail

ProQuest Central- ProQuest Central is the largest aggregated full-text database in the market today totaling more than 19,370 titles—with over 13,010 titles in full text. It serves as the central resource for researchers at all levels in all markets. http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/proquestcentral.shtml

ERIC- The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a database funded by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. ERIC indexes journal articles, books, research reviews, conference papers, technical reports, policy papers and other education-related materials. http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/ezpws.exe?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,url&profile=ehost&defaultdb=eric

Education Research Complete- Education Research Complete offers one of the largest collections of full-text education journals. Topics include all levels of education and a variety of special topics such as curriculum instruction, administration, policy, funding, and social issues. In addition to the journal content some full text books, conference papers and other documents are available. http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/ezpws.exe?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,url&profile=ehost&defaultdb=ehh

Journals in Education

Learning and Instruction

Educational Researcher

Journal of Educational Psychology

Educational Leadership

http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&jid=EDU&site=ehost-live

YouTube- http://www.youtube.com

·        How do you gain new knowledge when you have questions?

When searching information about  certain questions, I use the Boolean  logic method to search the world wide web.

“Boolean logic allows you to combine words and phrases into search statements to retrieve documents from searchable databases. This tutorial will show you how to utilize Boolean logic to search the Internet”. http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.asp

Keeping in mind that sites ending with .gov or .edu will pass the CAPOW test : Currency, Authority, Purpose, and Objectivity, and Writing Styles. Sites ending in: .net, .org, or .com will not usually pass the CAPOW test.

·        In what ways does your personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of connectivism?

My personal learning network supports the central tenets of connectivism. Let me give you a few bullet points to back that up:

·         Discussion boards provide diversity of opinions.

·         Using: Walden University’s online Library, Google Scholar, educational journals, and blogs provide nodes of  information sources.

·         Use of computer and internet.

·         Constant research into Instructional Design Issues to increase knowledge.

I think you get the picture that Connectivism is definitely present in today’s eLearning environment.

George Siemens has a good journal article defining the central tenets of Connectivism:

“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.

Principles of Connectivism:

·         Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.

·         Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

·         Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

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

·         Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

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

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

Decision-making is it a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision”(Siemens, G., 2005).

Siemens, G. (2005, Jan). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

“The scholar must be a solitary, modest and charitable soul. He must embrace solitude as a bride...that he may become acquainted with his thoughts.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

“Connectivism.”

Information Processing (IP)

Dr. Michael Orey of the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia has an interesting article on Information processing (IP).  This process by which we learn in cognitive theory is often compared to how a computer’s processor functions.  When we speak of learning often times there is a reference to short-term memory (STM) or working memory (WM) and Long Term Memory (LTM).   The computer has three components: sensory register (SR), short-term memory (STM) or working memory, and long-term memory (LTM).  Can you see the similarities?  Humans have sensory registers (SR), but we call them hearing (echoic) and seeing (iconic). It interesting to note that a Power Point presentation is more effective when narration is added that is explaining what the visual presentation is illustrating.

I recommend that you take a look at this article as Dr. Orey does an excellent job explaining these concepts about the brain and learning, information processing theory, and problem-solving methods during the learning process.

 Reference

Orey, M. (2001). Information Processing. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <insert date>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

THE BRAIN & LEARNING

Here is a site that I find myself going back to time and again.  Why, you may ask?  In my quest to understand how the human mind works in relation to learning theories as it applies to instructional design & technology,  this has been a good resource to find explanations in the field of psychology.  Take for example the article explaining Pioneers of Psychology: Lev Vygotsky by Kendra Cherry.  Vygotsky’s sociocultural theories, including the concepts of proximal development and guided practice in learning, are very revealing as to how we learn.  The application here for the instructional designer suggests that learning is a social process.  We then have to remember to engage our learners in eLearning venues with social interactions from instructor and students among themselves to maximize learning opportunities.  Read the article listed here for more understanding on the topic of the brain and learning, information processing theory, and problem-solving methods during the learning process.

http://psychology.about.com/b/2011/12/01/biography-of-lev-vygotsky.htm

UTMB Human Resources : Careers

UTMB Human Resources : Careers

Three Valuable Resources For Instructional Design

Blog: The Learning, Education and Training Professionals Group http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm

Fadnavis Nagesh, Manager, Operations at TechBuddy Consulting, has a very interesting discussion group in the Learning, Education and Training Professionals Group on LinkedIn. He discusses a research paper of M. K. Smith entitled, “Learning theory” the encyclopedia of informal education. This resource is a very informative look at the various theories of learning and their applications.   As an instructional designer begins to work they must consider: how we learn, the intended audience, and the method of delivery used.  Knowing this, it is imperative that a through understanding of learning theories and their application be at the forefront of consideration in any instructional design. Smith’s research paper is a wealth of information (and additional resources) that reads like a review guide into the theories of how we learn.  I highly recommend this blog and this paper for your review.

When we approach the subject of the theory of learning, how do you think the application changes in the instructional design of e-learning? “We define e-learning as training delivered on a computer (including CD-ROM, Internet, or Intranet) that is designed to support individual or organized performance goals”(Clark, 2008).  This seems to greatly limit the possibilities when social interaction is deemed to be so valuable in the experience of learning. What are you thoughts?

References

Clark, R. & Mayer, R. E-learning and the science of instruction (2nd edition) Hoboken: Wiley. ISBN: 9780787986834.

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=27003&type=member&item=88068626&commentID=63939089&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_63939089

Smith, M. K. (2003) 'Learning theory', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm, Last update: December 04, 2011

Blog: Instructional Design for eLearning Approaches: http://ideas.blogs.com/

One topic this Blog discusses is Chickering & Gamson's (1987) 'Seven Principles of Effective Teaching' in which they consider good practices for an eLearning instructor to be: ”encourages contact between students and faculty, develops reciprocity and cooperation among students, encourages active learning, gives prompt feedback, emphasizes time on task, communicates high expectations, and respects diverse talents and ways of learning”.

These considerations help to promote a positive environment for learning and should be concomitant with instructional design.

This blog also contains articles on the following: Benefits of Learning Online, Online Course Design and Faculty Development, Constructivist training for Online Teachers and Reviewing Synchronous Learning Objects.  As you can see, there are a lot of discussions that would benefit an instructional designer.

Blog Site: EduBlogs: http://edublogs.org/

This site states that they are, “ Used by leading universities, school districts, government departments and individual schools around the world...” After reviewing some of the resources that I found on this site, I can see why that quote is true.  This is a wealth of information for the instructional designer to learn and apply new ideas. I navigated to the Cornell University site: Blogs.cornell.edu http://blogs.cornell.edu/ to their Blog Resources section to find all sorts of current information on Blogging. I would recommend this resource for your review.

I'm a Teachologist! (teacher using technology)

Wouldn't’t it be nice if we could drill a hole in your students’ heads and pour green goop in and then cork and call them educated?  Well…maybe not.  Sometimes I wonder which technology and learning theory will work the best to teach our students.  The trouble with that thinking is that not all students learn in the same way or at the same rate. “Seeing as individuals are unique in their construction, their abilities or challenges derived from learning or development are also unique” (TeAchnology). When placed in a classroom with 25-30 students whom would rather shoot paper balls in the trash can then learn something new, what do you do?  I have learned to establish order by drill and practicing classroom procedures until perfected.  Building a good repartee with your students is the next step.  Establishing the relevance of why they should want to learn what you are teaching. Discipline without emotion based on rules established upon classroom and teacher recommendations.   And finally dazzle them with what engages the student. 

Technology and knowing the three basic learning theories (Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism) is a good place to start with engaging the students. Keeping current on new technology for the teacher translates into being able to function operating the technology while telling Johnny to pay attention and the office helper to wait just a moment.   Functioning as facilitator aiding the student to come to their own understanding, I think is the ultimate goal in teaching students to use their brains. 

The internet is one such technology tool that can be a very effective tool to use in the classroom. “In dealing with a generation that thinks of the Internet as an indivisible part of their life, there is no real way to avoid encountering it. It seems advisable for a teacher to embrace this reality and figure out ways to integrate it into the lesson plans for the year while keeping in mind that Internet use will require active monitoring” ( TeAchnology).  Technology is a great tool to use in the classroom.  Which technologies do you prefer to use?

References

TeAchnology, http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/methods/psychology/

     http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/educational_technology/internet_in_class/