Connectivism
What Is Connectivism?
Connectivism is a learning theory that emphasizes the role of technology and social networks in the process of acquiring knowledge. According to Connectivism, learning is a process of creating connections between nodes or pieces of information. The nodes can be people, resources, or technology. The connections between them represent the knowledge that is being created and shared. In an article titled Connectivism by Stephen Downes, which appeared in the Asian Journal of Distance Education in 2022, Downes proposes that connectivism offers “an empirical basis for an understanding of teaching and learning, redefining how we think of knowledge, how learning occurs, what we are trying to do when we learn, and how learning is delivered and assessed” (59). Connectivism is not an easy theory to wrap one’s head around, especially since it’s a theory in progress and draws from other theories to weave an understanding of knowledge and learning. But most importantly, it strives to explain learning based on the most current understanding of natural and artificial networks possible.
Connective Learning
In Connectivism, learning is viewed as a continuous and lifelong process that takes place both inside and outside of formal learning environments. Learners must be able to navigate and understand the networks of information and resources available to them in order to create meaningful connections and acquire new knowledge. In the aforementioned article, Downes proposes that “Knowledge is distributed across a network of connections and learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks (59).” This definition of learning sounds rather vague to make sense of at first, but Downes invites us to think of learning as occurring at different levels of operation. For instance, at the neural level and at the social level. What does it mean to learn at the neural level or at the social level? Learning is a thing that all networks do (be it neural, social or artificial) and it consists of the following:
- The addition and subtraction of nodes in a network
- The strengthening or weakening of connections between the nodes
- Changes in the properties of the nodes or the connections
Social networks provide learners with opportunities to interact with others and share knowledge and experiences. Connectivism recognizes that learning is a social activity and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and networking in the learning process. This recognition is essential because it encourages learners to build and maintain relationships with others, leading to the creation of new knowledge and ideas.
Connective Knowledge
In Connectivism, knowledge is viewed as a dynamic and constantly evolving entity. It is not static or fixed, but rather changes as new information is acquired and new connections are made. The theory acknowledges the abundance of information available in the digital age and emphasizes the importance of being able to navigate and filter this information to create meaningful connections. Consider the following propositions from the article, Connectivism, on connective knowledge:
- To know is to be organized in a certain way;
- What we know is more accurately demonstrated in what we do [not by what we say];
- To learn is to emulate an entire organizational state [not merely to possess a simple set of facts];
- Language follows and reflects learning and experience, it does not constitute learning and experience;
- A community’s capacity for knowledge depends on how it’s organized.
According to Connectivism knowing and learning is more experiential in nature, and not merely representational, or propositional. Evidence of learning is not necessarily constituted by what a person says, but more accurately by how that person embodies that knowledge in the world, i.e., how that person behaves in light of having learned something new. To illustrate this point, Downes points us to the idea of an expert. To be an expert in a given domain constitutes being organized in a specific way where expertise emerges naturally as a consequence of the network’s organization (Knowlede, Learning and Community, 2012). One doesn’t become an expert by merely imitating the words and behaviors of an expert, one becomes an expert by “exposing the student to some aspect of the expert’s environment and experience” (Downes, 17) in order to create something like the expert’s knowledge. The aim of learning according to the theory of Connectivism is not to replicate simple representational states, but complex patterns of experience and performance.
Summary
Connectivism (according to Stephen Downes) claims that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections and learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks. Learning is a thing that all networks do and it includes building new connections, strengthening existing connections, and/or changes in the properties of those connections. To know means to be organized in a certain way and to learn is to simulate an entire organizational state, not simply to poses a simple set of facts.
What sort of learning experiences have you created or facilitated that align with the goal of connectivism for creating connections among learners that foster knowledge creation in an experiential sense?
References:
Stephen Downes. (2022). Connectivism. Asian Journal of Distance Education 17(1), 1 - 30. https://www.asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/623/368
Stephen Downes. (2012, May 19). Connectivism and Connective Knowledge: Essays on Meaning and Learning Networks. [Article].
Comments
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How does Brightspace core support connectivism? What sorts of collaborative and feedback tools are built into the LMS. OK, we have the threaded discussion and can create groups…but students do not have easy to use peer review and evaluation tools. How are they afforded the creation of portfolios and projects using the Brightspace platform. Will there be a focus on connectivism in D2L's future development of the platform? Will this be reflected in a new Brightspace roadmap?
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Thank you for your comment @Elspeth.M.778 ! With your comment in mind, I wrote another post this week outlining some core Brightspace tools that can facilitate collaboration and connection among learners. Here it is if you are interested to read: Brightspace Tools that Support Collaboration and Peer-to-Peer Engagement
