[[CCK10]]: Trying to understand - Is Connectivism a mix of three
concepts?
A discussion is taking place in Wikipedia about the article with the same topic. Some participants refuse to accept the concept as a theory. There argument was based on the pattern of decreased enrollment in MOOC. This made me recognize that the way connectivism is presented opens the door for confusion between three aspects of the idea:
(1) Connectivism as a theory: which (as I understand it) has the following arguments: (a) defining learning as an increase in connectiveness and (b) knowledge resides in machines as well as human brains; consequently it is essential in the knowledge age that knowledge be accurate, current, individualized and ever-changing.
(2) Connectivism as an educational approach: As a consequence to the theory, the connectivists suggest that education should evolve to address the issue of accuracy, currency and ever-changing. Classroom instruction is not the only form anymore. Modern learners need to connect with humans and machines to generate their knowledge. This requires new set of learning skills, styles, habits, attitudes... that traditional education does not offer 1. The new set of personal attributes developed by the new learners should allow them to build connection quickly with nodes (human and machine) whenever they are trying to create/develop new knowledge.
(3) Connectivism as a course: The MOOC (as I understand it) demonstrates how connectivism (as an educationalapproach) is applied in real-life learning setting. The facilitators are creating a connected environment to help the participants learn and practice "connective Learning". In this context, learning should happens OUTSIDE the course through connecting in FaceBook, Twitter, Blog-sphere and any other Web2 medium. The Elluminate session is not the course. It is an activity that initiates the discussion about a certain topic related to connectivism. Although Elluminate chatting and back channels facilitate some sort of connections for learning, but the real learning happens outside Elluminate: through the different web2 medium. So, the enrollment in Elluminate session does not indicate the success of the attempt. The real indicator should be the number of channels/connections that are created and maintained outside the course. Right? (side note: This means we need to do some research in this area!).
Since I am planning to rewrite the article, I need your help criticizing my standpoint... am I on the right track? Is there any other way to look at it? Any input is appreciated!
1. Limit the MOOC size to a reasonable number. What is that number? I don’t know- but 900 is way, way too many to find the needles in the haystack.
OR
2. Divide the for credit students into a set of 100. If we have 1000 players in the MOOC, and 20 for credit, fee paying students, and each of us has a set of 100 different folks, we can create a overlapping network.
3. Up front tips to manage the info that is coming into you as in the blog above.
4. Lay out a new paradigm for assessment based on Connectivism.
5. We needed a list serve at the beginning of the course to identify the 20 needles in the haystack of 1000 that are following the course. I created a Google Group but I never created one before. I messed it up. This should have been set up at the very beginning by faculty so that those in the class know and not relay on a newbie to ms it up.
6. Show us examples of past artifacts by building that into the syllabus
1. Limit the MOOC size to a reasonable number. What is that number? I don’t know- but 900 is way, way too many to find the needles in the haystack.
ReplyDeleteOR
2. Divide the for credit students into a set of 100. If we have 1000 players in the MOOC, and 20 for credit, fee paying students, and each of us has a set of 100 different folks, we can create a overlapping network.
3. Up front tips to manage the info that is coming into you as in the blog above.
4. Lay out a new paradigm for assessment based on Connectivism.
5. We needed a list serve at the beginning of the course to identify the 20 needles in the haystack of 1000 that are following the course. I created a Google Group but I never created one before. I messed it up. This should have been set up at the very beginning by faculty so that those in the class know and not relay on a newbie to ms it up.
6. Show us examples of past artifacts by building that into the syllabus