Connectives and Collectives : Learning alone, together D2L Fusion 2008 George Siemens July 21, 2008

a box, an encyclopedia, a news site, a marketplace

a box,

an encyclopedia,

a news site,

a marketplace

Dabbawala: One who carries the box

Seekers, solvers, and a marketplace

The big question:

How can people and computers be connected so that-collectively-they act more intelligently than any individuals, groups, or computers have ever done before?

How can people and computers be connected so that-collectively-they act more intelligently than any individuals, groups, or computers have ever done before?

Most thinking on working / thinking/ learning together is wrong

huh?

Don’t fight the internet Eric Schmidt

Don’t fight the internet

Eric Schmidt

Don’t fight human nature

Don’t fight human nature

Humanity is overlooked

Basis of collective intelligence is “the self”

Brain is physical and confined

Mind is extensible

Mind is flexible

Mind is plastic

Mind is external (as well as internal)

Mind is social

Social is external

The individual mind must communicate

Language

Symbols

Technology as language??

Technology as language??

Concepts held (partly) externally, expressed socially

Where do we end and our tools begin ?

“The intelligences…are distributed …across minds, persons, and the symbolic and physical environments” Roy Pea

“The intelligences…are distributed …across minds, persons, and the symbolic and physical environments”

Roy Pea

Rubber hands… … and bananas

Polysensory (Paul Bach-y-Rita)

Our mind accepts and integrates with, well, all kinds of stuff

with tools

with language

with technology

and symbols

“Literates can rotate concepts in their mind abstractly, orals embed their thoughts in stories” Crain 2007

“Literates can rotate concepts in their mind abstractly, orals embed their thoughts in stories”

Crain 2007

But.

Our integration/extension involves a protection of self

What is self?

The self is not created through socialization

It is shaped and expressed through socialization

Connectives : autonomy of self (mosaic)

Collectives : subsumption of self (melting pot)

Coercion to the norm

Achievement of the complex

Innovation is deviation

Freedom vs. Control Multiplicity of networks

Multiplicity of networks

Nature of type of connections

“ Intense connectivity can homogenize the pool …high cohesiveness can lead to the sharing of common rather than novel information” Uzzi, Spiro (2005)

“ Intense connectivity can homogenize the pool …high cohesiveness can lead to the sharing of common rather than novel information”

Uzzi, Spiro (2005)

“ Diverse people working together and capitalizing on their individuality, out-perform groups of like-minded experts” Scott Page

“ Diverse people working together and capitalizing on their individuality, out-perform groups of like-minded experts”

Scott Page

Networked Individualism

Pedagogical implications?

Do we need to organize ourselves differently in a networked world than we have traditionally?

Do we need to organize ourselves differently in a networked world than we have traditionally?

Design of technology

Process of teaching and learning

“ a new medium that adds means and opportunities for previously unconnected others to communicate will have positive effects on weak ties…in particular in laying an infrastructure of latent ties (ones that exist technically but have not yet been activated)” Haythornthwaite (2002)

“ a new medium that adds means and opportunities for previously unconnected others to communicate will have positive effects on weak ties…in particular in laying an infrastructure of latent ties (ones that exist technically but have not yet been activated)”

Haythornthwaite (2002)

“ To ‘know’ something is to be organized in a certain way, to exhibit patterns of connectivity . “ To ‘learn’ is to acquire certain patterns ” Stephen Downes

“ To ‘know’ something is to be organized in a certain way, to exhibit patterns of connectivity .

“ To ‘learn’ is to acquire certain patterns ”

Stephen Downes

So this is learning?

How about…

That’s a bit better…

Almost, but something is still missing…

Associative trails of content

Ideas lead to ideas

Duh.

Freedom of fragmentation

End of grand narrative

Personally created narrative

Personal context narrative

Frustration of fragmentation

“gossip, people curiosity, and small talk, all of which are seemingly non-functional…

“gossip, people curiosity, and small talk, all of which are seemingly non-functional…

and are often popularly understood as mere distraction or deviation…

and are often popularly understood as mere distraction or deviation…

are in essence the human version of social grooming in primates” Zufekci (Dunbar)(2008)

are in essence the human version of social grooming in primates”

Zufekci (Dunbar)(2008)

Challenge: preserve unique values of connectives and collectives

Role of educators Design for varying levels of connectedness Value collective effort (contribution to whole)

Design for varying levels of connectedness

Value collective effort (contribution to whole)

Technology capabilities and human sociability outstrip design of institutions

a box – social and procedural an encyclopedia – a storehouse a news site – a flow a marketplace – a forum of exchange

a box – social and procedural

an encyclopedia – a storehouse

a news site – a flow

a marketplace – a forum of exchange

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, ah man, it’s a Massive Open Online Course Connectivism Online Course with Stephen Downes http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/connectivism/

Connectivism Online Course

with Stephen Downes

http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/connectivism/

Websites and Newsletters www.elearnspace.org www.knowingknowledge.com www.connectivism.ca http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wordpress/ gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org

www.elearnspace.org

www.knowingknowledge.com

www.connectivism.ca

http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wordpress/

gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org