The document discusses connectivism as a modern learning theory emphasizing the interconnectedness of knowledge and the impact of technology on education. It argues that traditional educational practices are insufficient and highlights the importance of learners understanding relationships within networks rather than memorizing facts. Additionally, it suggests that the transition to a network-based analysis in learning is essential for fostering a deeper, more coherent understanding among learners.

1. Connectivism:
Social networked learning
George Siemens, PhD
September 12, 2012
Buenos Aires

2. “…the fundamental task of education is to
enculturate youth into this knowledge-
creating civilization and to help them find a
place in it…traditional educational practices –
with its emphasis on knowledge transmission
– as well as newer constructivist methods
both appear to be limited in scope if not
entirely missing the point”
Scardamalia and Bereiter (2006, Cambridge Handbook of Learning Sciences)

3. The growing influence of networks as a
model for understanding the world…

4. Political blogosphere, 2004 Blue Brain
3D File Manager
Hierarchy Edge Bundles http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/

6. Recognition of complexity and
networks as underpinning attributes
of social, science, education

7. http://drunks-and-lampposts.com/2012/06/13/graphing-the-history-of-philosophy/

8. http://drunks-and-lampposts.com/2012/06/13/graphing-the-history-of-philosophy/

9. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004803

10. Making the world’s knowledge
relatable

11. http://linkeddata.org/

13. Wellman (2002)

14. http://research.uow.edu.au/learningnetworks/seeing/snapp/index.html

15. Weak ties
Empirical evidence that the stronger the tie
connecting two individuals, the more similar they
are, in various ways
Mark Granovetter (1973)

16. Connectivism:
1. Knowledge is networked and distributed
2. The experience of learning is one of forming
new neural, conceptual and external networks
3. Occurs in complex, chaotic, shifting spaces
4. Increasingly aided by technology

18. Participatory Pedagogies
(Collis & Moonen, 2008)
(Askins, 2008)
(Harvard Law School, 2008)

20. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/20/opinion/opinion-alec-ross-tech-politics/index.html

22. Externalization of thought and
concepts

23. …so that it can be analyzed,
interpreted, tested, evaluated

24. Knowledge relatedness and conceptual errors
are often not made explicit (tests don’t always
surface these errors)

25. http://www.learner.org/resources/series28.html

26. Blurring the physical and virtual worlds

27. All the world is data. And so are we. And all
of our actions.
http://www.hoganphoto.com/batsto_grist_mill.htm

28. Breakups (via status changes)

29. “In today’s networked world, learners are
placing greater value on knowing where to
find information than on knowing the
information themselves.”
2010 New Zealand, Australia Horizon Report

30. But, making the transition to a
“connection” as the unit of analysis in
learning is not easy

31. The existing model of education
restricts change

32. Co-evolution of individual and related network
Lazer, 2000

33. Networked information
doesn’t have a centre

34. Fragmentation is a new reality.
Our learning models experience
Fragmentary need to embrace
(reflect) it.
• Conversations, content, context not (only)
shaped by the school/educator
• Learners are in control

35. So we (socially) create temporary
centres:

36. So we (technologically) create
temporary centres:

37. Temporary Centres

38. Technological sensemaking systems
Visualization
Big Data
Analytics
Recommender systems
Automated discovery
Predictive models

39. Coherence is an orientation about the meaning
and value of information elements based on
how they are connected, structured, and related
Antonovsky 1993

40. “orientation about the meaning and value of
information elements based on how they are
connected, structured, and related”
(Antonovsky 1993)

41. Agents in a system possess only partial
information
(Miller and Page 2007)
…to make sense and act meaningfully requires
connections to be formed between agents

42. In language and discourse, coherence relations
are “meaning relations that connect discourse
segments”
(Kamalski et al. 2008)

43. Knowledge development, learning, is (should
be) concerned with learners understanding
relationships, not simply memorizing facts.
i.e. naming nodes is “low level” knowledge
activity, understanding node connectivity, and
implications of changes in network structure,
consists of deeper, coherent, learning

44. Existing coherence forming systems
Books
Newspapers
TV news programs
Magazines
(anything that is structured and that the end
user can’t speak into and alter)

45. Knowledge in pieces
diSessa, 1993

46. As we become connected globally,
new knowledge configurations will
arise

47. Massive Open Online Courses

48. What does this mean to you as an
educator?
Importance of learners creating artifacts that reflect how
they view a concept/discipline
Assisting learners in thinking in networks (relationship
between concepts)
Teaching and learning in networks…
Opening the classroom: the global learner
Exporting, not only importing, education

50. Content is fragmented (not confined to a course)
Knowledge is generative
Coherence is learner-formed, instructor guided
Distributed, multi-spaced interactions
Foster autonomous, self-regulated learners

51. Complex tasks require
greater engagement and
focus than what
weak attention ties permit

52. Digital literacy
Information literacy
21st century skills
Harvard curriculum
Play, performance,
networking,
distributed cognition
(Jenkins)

53. Depth...
Slow Learning
Geetha Narayanan
Deep smarts
Deep understanding

54. Reflection
Disciplines of
Review Understanding
Connections
Socialization
Explication
Slow, deep, immersive
Multi-faceted

55. http://open.mooc.ca/
Starts September 10, 2012

56. http://edfuture.net/
October 8-November 16, 2012

57. http://lakconference.org

58. gsiemens @
gmail
Twitter
Skype
FB
Wherever
www.elearnspace.org
www.connectivism.ca
www.learninganalytics.net