Network theories for technology-enabled learning and social change: Connectivism and Actor Network theory

Network Theories for Technology-enabled Learning and Social Change
Frances Bell, Salford Business School
Presented at Networked Learning Conference, 3-5 May 2010 Aalborg, Denmark
http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk/

Agenda
Context
Connectivism
Actor Network Theory
Disconnects
CCK08 and Observations
Conclusions

Global Context 336.1% 23.5% 1,574,313,184 WORLD TOTAL 170.2% 59.9% 20,593,751 Oceania/ Australia 820.7% 28.6% 166,360,735 Latin America/ Caribbean 128.3% 73.1% 246,822,936 North America 1296.2% 23.3% 45,861,346 Middle East 271.2% 48.5% 390,141,073 Europe 469.0% 17.2% 650,361,843 Asia 1100.0% 5.6% 54,171,500 Africa User Growth 2000-2008 Penetration % Population Internet Users 2008 World Region

Context for learning
Formal / informal
Individual /social
Scheduled / responsive
Media / web services

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 itself a learning process.

Connectivism - network theory of learning

Trajectory of Connectivism
Siemens – knowledge management
Downes – Philosophy, neural networks
Differences e.g. groups/ networks
Theory or loose collection of ideas

Actor Network Theory
symmetrical analysis – humans and non-humans
how a network grows/ decays rather than explain outcomes
process of growth/decay is one of translation (Fox, 2005).

CCK08
2300 students on MOOC, 23 for credit
Moodle, wiki, Daily, blog network, Second Life, Elluminate, Youtube, Flickr, etc., etc.
Self-organisation within familiar online structure

Observations
Paradox of strictures on teaching/ learning vs delivery mode
Groups/ network discussion – for fun see http://tinyurl.com/sisikate
(SD) revealed ’normative’ assumptions of connectivism
Participants – connectivism as ’espoused theory’ but different theory in use

Conclusions
Connectivism as personal theory - allows practitioners to legitimise what they are doing (Cormier)
Connectivism as a knowledge network, learn from itself, include ANT, SST and other descriptive theories of change BUT
Need rich case studies to provide empirical base, exploring
performativity of learners and teachers
trajectory of connectivism as a knowledge network
scope of theory - local, organisational, societal change

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Network theories for technology-enabled learning and social change: Connectivism and Actor Network theory

by Frances Bell on May 09, 2010

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