Connectivism - Week 5

Connectivism:  is it a theory to be included with learning theories such as behaviorism, constructivism, cognitivism, and others, or is it just a way people inherently learn?  George Siemens and Bill Kerr have opposing viewpoints regarding if it is a theory or a pedagogical view (Davis, 2008). 

Vygotsky’s constructivist theory relies heavily on the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Ormrod, 2009), which is important for connectivism to be meaningful.  If an individual has a basic understanding and aptitude, their various social interactions and learning interactions will assist them at being successful in their quest for knowledge.  For example, if I were to perform a transmission rebuild for my car, I would use my learning network to gather information and various perspectives and lessons learned from others.  By using the internet to look at blogs and instructions, purchasing a Chilton’s manual, talking to family and friends who have performed this task before, and relying on my mechanical engineering degree, I would be successful in my endeavor.  However, if I wanted to perform a hip replacement, no amount of research or searching with my learning network will help make me successful.  I simply lack the prerequisite knowledge and understanding in the medical field, whereas the transmission rebuild is similar to my mechanical background.

By studying my personal learning network, as observed in the .jpeg image, I agree with Kerr that connectivism is not a learning theory (Davis, 2008), especially when applied in the above context.  While I may not believe it is a theory, I do feel that connectivism is important to learning and can help an individual grow and develop their skills providing there is a foundation to start with.   Typically, learning networks further knowledge or provide a basic understanding of a concept.

Overtime, my learning network has become more “e”-centric:  electronic focused.  I know I’m not alone when I google a term to find out more information, learn different applications of a principle, or browse the internet searching for differing viewpoints on a subject.  But a majority of my internet research is done on subjects I am already familiar with, which supports my belief that connectivism is not a learning theory, but a learning tool.  Rarely do I use the internet to learn a brand new tool or concept.  That specific learning is still done face-to-face, with through the classroom or through a co-worker or subject matter expert, depending on the subject and location.  As my learning network has grown and evolved through the use of technology over the years, there are specific paths I prefer to take depending on whether I am refining my knowledge base or learning something completely new.  

A great blog I came across during my research, and portrays my sentiments about behaviorism (instructivism), constructivism, and connectivism, is authored by Ryan Tracey.  I recommend taking a look at it:  http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/instructivism-constructivism-or-connectivism/.  While I didn't reference his blog in this assignment, I  feel he has captured my sentiments on this topic very well and is worth reading.

References

Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved February 2, 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ 

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D. & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate  custom  edition). New York: Pearson.

Click on the image below to see my learning network and ways I obtain various knowledge.  (Created with Text2Mindmap:  http://www.text2mindmap.com/)